AS the territory gears up for football fever when the World Cup reaches its climax in the small hours of Monday morning, one unlikely group is being urged not to celebrate - Italians.
Believe it or not, the Italian Consulate wants to discourage its ebullient country folk from partying as the national team takes the nation's pride on to the field at 3.30 am - because it is bad luck.
''We Italians are very, very superstitious,'' says Consul Davide La Cecilia. ''We think it's very bad luck to arrange anything before the match. We want to see the final result first.'' Mr La Cecilia will watch the match alone at home with a glass of chilled wine - Italian, of course - and hopes to raise a toast to the winners at an 8 am meeting on Monday morning with the Italian Business Association.
The Italian representatives and Brazilian Consul-General Arnaldo Carrilho had discussed watching the match together, but ever the diplomats, they decided against it.
''One of the two sides will not be happy,'' says Mr La Cecilia.
Mr Carrilho will be watching in a hotel room in Macau, where he is on business.
Less restrained fans will be crowding into Jimmy's Sports Bar, able to open again following the timely approval of its licence, to watch the match live from the US on its giant screen.
