'I feel torn' Italian football fan turning his affections to England

Football mad Luca Vettese is having a conflicted World Cup.

The Lancashire-born businessman of Italian heritage, who is the fourth generation to run his family's ice cream parlour, is still stunned that the Italian team has not made it to the World Cup - for the third time running.

The Azzurri are four times winners of the trophy with the last time coming 20 years ago in Germany when they won a penalty shoot 5-3 against the French in the Olympiastadion, Berlin.

Yet they last qualified for the competition in 2014 when Brazil were the hosts meaning this is the third World Cup the team has missed.

"It is unbelievable we've won it so many times but to be missing three in a row is incredible," he said.

Vettese added: "I have cousins and relatives back in Italy who still can't come to terms with this."

However the keen supporter of Blackpool FC said: "Because I was born and brought up in Blackpool, I also think I can support England but I do feel torn."

He consoles himself with the fact he saw Italy win their first trophy since 2006 when they beat England on penalties in the delayed European Championships final.

"I was lucky to be at Wembley in 2021 for the final when Italy beat England in the Euros - either way I couldn't lose."

He added: "Now I've seen Italy win a trophy, I really want England to win this year"

The managing director of Notarianni Ice Cream, his family's business which has been running in Blackpool since 1928, has turned the Italian World Cup blues into a tongue-in-cheek social media video.

It opens with sepia images of Vettese and his dad lamenting in Italian the team's demise and turns into a fun rebrand.

"We had a brainstorm with our team and decided on promoting ourselves as Not-Italliani ice cream branding a Panzotta as a barm cake and selling 66s instead of 99s - the customers have loved it."

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