Two European soccer titans met in the quarter-finals of the European championships Sunday, with large numbers of English and Italian fans glued to the television in Ottawa.
England fans congregated at the Georgetown pub in Old Ottawa South, erupting in cheers before the game had even started.
"When we get a chance to play in the big competitions, we don our colours and go out and go crazy," said general manager John Alves.
Italians went where they've been going all tournament, the quieter Sala San Marco banquet hall on Preston Street.
‘It's very serious," said Ottawa councillor Maria McRae. "It's dead quiet until they score."
While Italians traditionally go to church, watch the match then head home, British supporters start at the pub and stay there afterward.
Both sides said they agree the match is much more than a game to them.
"It's a culture, it's not just a sport," said an English fan. "It's a religion to us, it's a way of life."
"It's part of our culture, every time they play it's like our heart is there," said a supporter of the Italians, or Azzurri as they're affectionately known.
During 2010's FIFA World Cup, a German octopus made headlines for its ability to predict winners.
This year, that title falls to Futnik the Psychic Pig, who predicts this tournament's results by picking a plate labelled with a country's flag.
The pig ended up being right again Sunday, as Italy beat England 1-0 on penalty kicks.
They move on to face Germany on Thursday.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Natalie Duddridge
