Italy played France in a friendly in Bari on Thursday night and it was a memorable game for several reasons. France eventually came out 3-1 victors thanks to goals from Anthony Martial, Olivier Giroud and Layvin Kurzawa, but a lot happened before and during the match that will be remembered for a long time to come.
Just before the game, as the teams lined up for their respective national anthems, a section of the crowd in Bari started booing the French national anthem – La Marseillaise. While the French squad stood their ground resolutely with arms around their teammates’ shoulders, on the other side Italy goalkeeper and captain took matters into his own hands.
Before the boos got louder, Buffon put his hands above his head and started applauding. And the Italian fans reciprocated. Before long, the boos were drowned out by the constant applause and cheers from the Italians who gave the French team and fans the respect they deserved – all thanks to Buffon’s attitude and quick thinking.
Video replays used for the first time
For the first time in football, a video replay was looked at by two referees in a truck to determine whether Italy deserved a penalty after they appealed a Layvin Kurzawa handball in the box. Referee Bjorn Kuipers stopped play and allowed the assistants to deliberate before they informed him that it was not a penalty.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also spoke about it after the game and claimed it was high time they tried it. Video replays have already been in use in various sports and football is the latest sport to join the ever-growing list.
“We've seen football history here,” Infantino said. “We're in 2016 so it's about time to try it.”
