The XLII Italian Superbowl was announced by American Consul General Ragini Gupta at the U.S. Consulate in Florence, along with Deputy Mayor of the City of Florence Alessia Bettini, Mayor of Toledo (Ohio, USA) Wade Kapszukiewicz, Italian Federation of American Football (Fidaf) Federal Councilor Manfredi Leone, to Nick Eyde of GEYDE Development, Edoardo Cammi of the Estra Guelfi Firenze, the 2022 Guelfi Firenze Italian Champion American Football Team and Fidaf Federal Councilor, President Ugo Bonvicini of the Parma Panthers, documentary filmmaker Luisa Conlon, writer Massimo Foglio and journalist Roberto Vinciguerra.

The first American football game in Italy, played in 1945 in Florence (Jan. 1, 1945), between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force, was commemorated at the press conference. This event was the catalyst that brought American football to Europe, which then led to the birth of the various National Federations and the subsequent organization of regular championships throughout the Old Continent.
The XLII Italian Bowl is the final of the Italian First Division (IFL) championship of American football organized by Fidaf, the Italian Federation of American Football. The Italian Bowl will be held for the first time in the USA, in Toledo, Ohio, on July 1, 2023.

The choice of this location is extremely significant, because American football was born in Ohio. The idea of hosting the finals in Toledo came about as a result of the twinning between Ferrara and Toledo, concluded in 2021.

In her remarks, Consul General Ragini Gupta said, "It has been exciting to follow the development of the twinning agreement between the City of Ferrara and Toledo (Ohio), signed in 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The agreement has begun to bear fruit, providing improvement for both sides in a range of areas: from tourism to cultural and sports exchange, economic and business development, and now sports diplomacy.

We are proud to announce that the 42nd Italian American football championship-the ''Italian Bowl" (basically the Italian Super Bowl)-will be hosted for the first time in the United States, in Toledo, on July 1. This is an incredible example of what can happen when we harness synergies on both sides of the Atlantic and work together in partnership.

It is with pleasure that I welcome the Toledo (Ohio) delegation here in Florence. You are citizen diplomats and today we want to highlight how you are using sports diplomacy to make the ties between our two countries stronger."

Consul General Ragini Gupta continued, "American football united us in 1945, and 78 years later it continues to unite us. American football is one of America's favorite pastimes, and I am very happy to see its popularity grow and become a favorite pastime for Italians as well. Thank you for strengthening the ties between the United States and Italy and enriching the cultural history we share."

For more information about the XLII Italian Bowl, visit www.ItalianBowlUSA.com.