Florence native and Whitecaps FC assistant coach Vanni Sartini is making sure to call his family and friends in his home country of Italy, which is in lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s kind of a surreal atmosphere. There’s no one on the streets, everyone has to be at home. When my wife and I are talking with our families, it’s the same everywhere, doesn't matter the city,” said Sartini.
Thanks to his regular communication with his family, Sartini has been able to stay on top of the developments and get himself ready and situated for the current circumstances.
“I see all the measures that we are taking here with social distancing and also hearing what is happening in Europe, I find myself aware and prepared,” said Sartini.
Viral videos online show how Italians are dealing with the COVID-19 quarantine lockdown, many play music or sing from their balconies in order to keep their spirits up. For Sartini, Italians are very social people and that it’s a way for them to keep the community alive in this time of social distancing. His parents keep themselves busy and active in the kitchen.
“The other thing that they do to keep busy is cook a lot. Every time they call me, my mom and dad are baking something, they’re making a cake or baking a pie,” said Sartini.
Born in Italy and having traversed the globe thanks to the beautiful game, Sartini arrived in Vancouver in January 2019 with a decade of soccer experience in a coaching capacity. He says that his passion for the game of soccer comes from his father.
“My dad played soccer, I remember going with my grandpa and my uncles to see them all play and my dad is the main reason I have this passion for the game,” said Sartini.
Sartini’s friends and family in Italy follow the 'Caps. His father makes sure to tune in every night when Whitecaps FC are on the pitch. However, there’s one major challenge being a VWFC fan in Italy, and that’s the time difference.
“Sometimes my dad stays awake at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. to see the games. And sometimes he actually confesses to me, ‘Hey I tried to stay awake then I fell asleep, woke up, and watched the highlights’,” said Sartini.
Moments after the ‘Caps win over LA Galaxy on March 7, Sartini came back to the locker room with his team and saw a notification on his phone. It was a text from his parents congratulating him on the victory.
“It’s always great to have this kind of relation because you have family behind you. For me and my wife, everyone at home, our family and friends are all in Italy. Seeing that they follow us and they still care a lot about us, it’s something that hardens your motivation in your day-by-day life.”
But he realizes that soccer takes a backseat at this time, as people focus on prevention and well-being.
"Of course soccer is a part of life, at the moment, that’s not so important. The most important thing at the moment is to stay healthy and stay safe," said Sartini. "Soccer will be back in our life when we start the normal course of our lives again. Now is not the moment to rush things and think about going out and doing things that we’re not supposed to do. Now is the time to stay home, stay safe and stay healthy."
