Italo’s side reveals fears and overcoming them in war

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Brazilian fullback Italo Silva recounted his unusual experience of watching missiles in the skies of Jordan during conflicts in the region, while celebrating the local team’s unprecedented qualification to the World Cup, highlighting the country’s security and its adaptation to Jordanian football, where it became a two-time national champion.

June 5 is marked in Jordan’s history by celebrating the nation’s first FIFA World Cup qualifiers. However, the eyes trained on the television sets during the 3-0 win over Oman often point to the effects of a war in the skies in recent years.

Even if the country was not directly involved, its geographic location made it part of the trajectory of missiles fired mainly between Israel and Iran. The chances of drones causing any damage on Jordanian territory were almost non-existent, but that did not prevent Brazilian defender Italo Silva (34 years old) from fearing that he would arrive in Al-Hussein in 2024.

“At first, it was difficult, because the war was right next door. Thank God it’s over. The first time I came, I saw those drones passing in the sky, and I felt crazy, wanting to leave. They collided in the air, it looked like fireworks, and they both disappeared. It’s a surreal thing. But people told me that the guys are using Jordanian airspace, but nothing falls here,” he said in a conversation with reporters. land.

The first incident occurred during a meeting with friends. Then at former teammate Fernandinho’s house, now in Ituano, the full-back says he saw the striker’s wife running to pack her bags and return to Brazil, a behavior completely different from that of anyone passing in the street.

He continues, saying: “There was no way (to leave), and the airspace was closed. But the next day, life continued as usual. We were in the apartment looking out the window and life was normal, bombs passing in the sky and people in the street.”

On the other hand, Italo’s life in Jordan shows a side that the athlete had not known until then during the years he lived in Brazil. In the city of Irbid, the calm he feels when his wife and children go out alone in the streets is a factor that the Dhahir admires.

“On my wife’s birthday last year, I went to a pastry shop to buy some sweets and forgot my cell phone. I left the pastry shop and went to the bakery and when I came home I realized I had forgotten it. I came back with my cell phone where I left it. Even the staff didn’t touch my cell phone. The police here only work with traffic,” he joked about security in the Middle Eastern country.

Although adapting off the field had some obstacles, Italo did not face any difficulties on the field, although he was surprised by the quality of Jordanian football. On his way to becoming an idol in the country, he won his second national championship, a title the team had never won before.

To raise trophies in Jordan, the full-back relies on his teammates, who practically form the foundation of the local team. As you may recall, the team actually had to promote young players to join training sessions during FIFA appointment periods, with up to 14 athletes at a time called up to the national team.

With many of his teammates wearing the Jordanian national team’s colours, Italo witnessed the celebration of his unprecedented World Cup victory. Jordan ranked second in the second group of qualifiers, behind only South Korea.

He adds: “When the men arrive, we welcome them well and congratulate them. They used to bring a typical dish here from the region. They put it on the floor, in the locker room, and everyone eats it. Or the club pays kunafa, which is a dessert they make when there is something special. When I had my wedding and came back, they made me pay kunafa.”

For the rest of the season, in addition to the national title fight, Italo wants to help Al-Hussein to Champions League 2 in Asia. In fact, the group includes only three teams after Mohun Bagan, from India, was excluded for refusing to travel to Iran.