Side Italo reveals the fear of war and how to overcome it

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Brazilian full-back Italo Silva recounts the unusual experience of witnessing missiles over Jordan during the regional conflict, congratulates the local team on their unprecedented qualification for the World Cup, and highlights the country’s security and adaptation to Jordanian football, which has become a two-time national champion.

June 5th is etched in Jordan’s history as a celebration on the banks of the Jordan River to celebrate the country’s first qualification to the Soccer World Cup. But the looks directed at the television during the 3-0 win over Oman often pointed to the scars of war that has taken place in the skies in recent years.

Even if the country was not directly involved, its geographic location placed it in the path of missiles launched primarily between Israel and Iran. There was almost no chance that a drone would cause any damage on Jordanian soil, but that didn’t stop Brazilian defender Italo Silva, 34, from arriving in Al Hussein in 2024.

“It was difficult at first, because the war was right next door. I’m glad the war is over. When I first came, I saw the drones passing through the sky, and I went crazy and wanted to leave. The drones collided in the air, and it looked like fireworks, and they both went off. It’s a surreal event. But people made me realize that they were using Jordan’s airspace, and nothing has fallen here,” he said in a conversation. earth.

The first incident occurred during a gathering with friends. Later, at the house of his former teammate Fernandinho, now at Ituano, the full-back said he saw the striker’s wife packing her bags and running to return to Brazil, a move very different from the behavior of people passing by on the street.

“The airspace was closed and there was no way (to escape). But the next day, life continued as normal. We were looking out the window in our apartment, there were bombs in the sky, there were people on the streets, life was normal,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Italo’s life in Jordan shows a side of him that he didn’t know before during the years he lived in Brazil. The tranquility he feels when he goes out on the town alone with his wife and children in Irbid is something the full-back admires.

“Last year, for my wife’s birthday, I went to a candy store to buy sweets and forgot my cell phone. I left the candy store, went to the bakery, and when I got home, I realized I had forgotten my phone. When I came back, it was where I had left it. Even the employees didn’t touch my phone. The police here only control traffic,” he joked about security in the Middle Eastern country.

Even if there were setbacks in his adaptation off the pitch, Italo was surprised by the quality of Jordanian football, but on the pitch he had no problems. On his way to becoming a domestic idol, he won his second national championship, a title his team had never won before.

To lift trophies in Jordan, the full-back is relying on his team-mates, who form the real foundation of the local team. As you may recall, teams are already required to include junior players in training sessions during FIFA, with up to 14 players to be called up to the national team at any one time.

Italo experienced an unprecedented World Cup victory celebration while many of his teammates wore the colors of the Jordan team. Jordan finished second in qualifying Group B behind South Korea.

“When the players arrive, we welcome them and congratulate them. They have a habit of bringing the typical dishes of the region here. They put it on the floor or in the locker room and everyone eats it. Or the club pays for kunafa, which is a sweet that the club makes when something special happens. When I came back after having a wedding party, they made me pay kunafa,” he added.

In addition to competing for the domestic title for the remainder of the season, Italo hopes to help Al Hussein in the Asian Champions League 2. In fact, there are only three teams in this group after the exclusion of Mohun Bagan from India, who refused to travel to Iran.