“Curling Earthquake” and screaming headlines
After no less than three Italian curling team shakeups – first with a new Team Spiller, then a reset for Joel Retornaz, and finally the split of Team Constantini – a fourth has left some in Italian sport media rather breathless.
Three of Contantini’s ex-teammtes have now formed a new squad – Team Zardini Lacedelli, with Giulia Zardini Lacedelli at skip, and Elena Mathis and Marta Lo Deserto now teamed with young newcomer Rachele Scalesse – prompting some verbal histrionics.
“Curling Earthquake, Italy Splits in Four” screamed Grandi Sport 24.
Instagram“The dissolution of Team Constantini has left behind controversy, tension, and mutual accusations,” the story continued. “… problems in personal relationships, team management, and technical decisions slowly eroded the balance, leading to a definitive split. According to reports, this unrest had been ongoing for some time.”
Goodness me. This is worthy of Il paradiso delle signore (The Ladies’ Paradise), one of Italy’s top soap operas.
Constantini, of course, is now left picking up the pieces. She will probably welcome Angela Romei back on to a new team, assuming Romei can recover from all she has been through.
The Italian curling scene also seems poised for an outburst regarding Constantini’s future with her mixed doubles teammate Amos Mosaner.
The pairing battled through multiple extra end games near the end of last week’s world championship in Geneva, eventually losing the semifinal and bronze medal game to finish fourth.
Emporio ArmaniA journalist with L’Adige recently posted on an Italian curling message board after the WMD bronze match:
I’ve been following and writing about curling for over 10 years. Today was perhaps the ugliest and saddest moment in the history of Italian curling. Losing is okay, but throwing away a world championship medal is not.
Amos certainly hasn’t had an easy time... but today I think it was the final act of a strong duo, but one that I don’t know has ever truly been understood. Two champions, each with their own unique approach to life and the sport. It’s a shame, but I don’t think we'll ever see the Constantini/Mosaner duo on the ice again... and it’s not entirely Amos’s fault.
Assuming Constantini does build a new women’s fours team, one thing is certain, and even Grandi Sport 24 calmed their jets to acknowledge it.
Italian high-performance curling hopes have literally doubled, from two teams to four, and such competition can only be positive for a nation still trying to grow the roots of its Roaring Game.