Italian Championship Game – The Italian Bowl – to be held in Toledo, Ohio

| Europe | 10/03/2022

July 1, 2023, marks a major change for Italian American football as the Italian Football League has elected to move its next championship game to the United States.  The IFL will showcase its talents in the Glass Bowl, the stunning stadium in the city of Toledo, Ohio, home of the Toledo Rockets (NCAA D1) and play the XLII Italian Bowl in the American Midwest.

Last season a group of American businesspeople and football fans who love Italian culture and history extended an invite to the FIDAF (the Italian Federation of American Football), which was promptly accepted. This group has been carefully following the Italian Football League for some time now and hopes to showcase the league’s finest teams in front of football-starved American fans in July.

A press conference, attended by FIDAF Deputy Vice President Fabio Tortosa, and FIDAF Board Member and General Manager of the reigning Italian champions Guelfi Firenze Edoardo Cammi, was held at Glass City Metropark in Toledo to present the event and kick-off the ambitious project.

The XLII Italian Bowl will be the feature of a myriad of July 4th celebrations.  Organizers hope it can be an exciting way to encourage shared experiences and collaborations between Italy and the United States. A jam-packed full program has been put forward to the FIDAF for the IFL final with top-flight guests already confirmed, such as the opera singer Mariam Battistelli, and a range of events designed to attract as many fans as possible to Toledo, Ohio.

FIDAD President Fabio Tortosa on the decision to move the Italian Bowl to the United States:

“Taking the IFL final to Toledo in the United States, where the game originated, has the hallmarks of an epic adventure for Italian American football. We are grateful to have this extraordinary opportunity for growth as it will positively impact the entire Federation as well as the two teams in the final. We have months of hard work ahead and can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and get on with the job at hand.”

Edoardo Cammi  of the Guelfi Firenze also spoke on the move to Ohio:

“The Federation hopes that this initiative can provide a driving force for everyone in the Italian youth movement: playing in America in front of the crowds we expect to see at the Glass Bowl is what any youngster in Italy who loves this sport dreams of doing. We hope that this dream can be as long-lasting as the bonds we are cementing with the City of Toledo today. “

The plan has of course been embraced by local officials as Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, agrees:

“The IFL final, and all that comes with it, will facilitate more exchanges and greater understanding between different cultures, further cooperation, and more positive interactions for thousands of people.”

The entire weekend will be packed with Italian-themed events, including a Business Conference on June 30, and a Toledo Night Market following the game from 5.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 1. This will be the first time that the Italian Bowl will be played abroad.

American Football International is your source for news and updates about American Football outside the United States!