Cam-pioni-Del-Mon-do! Cam-pioni-Del-Mon-do!

While watching the UEFA Euro ’08 tournament, I noticed that the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” has become some sort of multinational soccer anthem. I hear that it all started in Italy, eventually leading to the main riff of the song being chanted with the words Cam-pioni-Del-Mon-do, which mean “World Champions”, alluding to the Azzurri‘s 2006 World Cup win.

I found numerous YouTube videos of the chanting, this one from the Italy-France match from earlier this week:

I have no idea how this came to be but I hope it takes off as an anthem in other sports as well.

It should definitely replace Gary Glitter’s “Rock And Roll (Part Two)”, which when heard, always makes me wonder how a registered sex offender who’s currently in a Vietnamese jail for commiting obscene acts with 11 and 12 year old girls can continue to make a comfortable living off of a unifying, crowd-pleasing song¹ played at supposed family-friendly events. I mean, shouldn’t all these sporting venues who continue to play it feel a little complicit in funding his perverse activities over the last 30 years? I think so.

I, for one, am doing my part by refraining from chanting “Yeah!” and instead informing my neighboring spectators that they’re enabling a child rapist by partaking in this sick ritual.

That always seems to make them stop. . .

Make sure to catch the Semifinal match of Euro ’08 between Italy and Spain this Sunday at 2:30 PM EST on ESPN and chant along.

¹whose only lyrics are “Yeah!”, no less.