Here's a special story, I must share with you. It was one of my neighbor and later a good friend.
He was about 45 years when I met him first time.
Every summer he always traveled to a few places in Sweden
(ÖLand and Gotland) and Kalvehave in Denmark.
This summer though, he had decided to take a trip to Italy. His parents was Catholic(If I remember correctly)
On the first Sunday at breakfast he was sitting on a café, he asked the owner what the Italian did on a Sunday.
They go to church, the owner said
All the day
OH no, after that they go and watch football.
My friend asked him if there was any game going on in this town and he was told that there was a top match between x and y(can't remember what team)
He went to this game bought a ticket, found his place and, as he said, felt the atmosphere it was incredible.
One of the team scored. My friend jumped up and yelling and clapping after a while he saw the other looked at him with angry eyes.
He sad down again very silent. Then his neighbor sidding beside him, asked him if he was from outside Italy and if he had any knowledge about football and especially Italian football. My friend said he was from Sweden and he had no knowledge about football and Italian ditto.
After a while he had a lot of supporter-stuff from the other spectators around him and they told him how football was played and so on.
After the football match he and his new found friends went to some pub and had some beers.
When he told me this story in the mid of the 80'ies(yep I remember it somehow very well) I said to him.
You was very lucky my friend. The Italian takes football very serious and especially their favorite team.
But I'm glad that you got some Italian friends
Markus