Italians are football fans from the moment they start walking so Patrizio Buanne could not be otherwise.

Would you describe yourself as a football fan and how are you enjoying it in Germany?
I’m delighted to be in Germany. Berlin is a fascinating, cosmopolitan city. The Brandenburg Gate lies at the heart of Europe and was the corridor between East and West. The entire world witnessed the fall of the wall here.
I’m a huge football fan and obviously I support Italy, but I must say I like Germany too now, because they have a great team and they played well. But that’s football, anything can happen (laughs).

Did you expect Italy to make the Final?
Obviously as an Italian I thought ‘Mamma Mia, I hope they go all the way’. But I didn’t think they were strong as a collective, they’re more a bunch of individuals. Luca Toni, Totti, Del Piero, Buffon, they’re all individual stars. I always have the feeling that when they emerge from the tunnel, it’s with the idea of staging a show, like models or musicians, putting themselves in the shop window.
I’m sure they possess the right attitude, the right level of desire, but I saw teams like Ghana and Brazil playing with passion. I think it’s a shame European teams seem to care more about money than passion.

Who has impressed you the most at this FIFA World Cup so far?
I enjoyed watching Germany. Jurgen Klinsmann has worked wonders with his lads. I actually told my mother: “Look Mamma, our players are all show-offs, but theirs play together because they really want to win the World Cup.” Klinsmann feels every moment of every game, there’s real passion in the background there. This team spirit and positive attitude, that impressed me. I reckon Klinsmann is a spiritual person. Germany, Ghana and Portugal, they’re my favourites out of this World Cup.

What have you made of Germany as host nation?
This is actually only my second day in Germany, I’ve been in America and Canada for most of the tournament. But what I’ve seen so far has been breathtaking. Most countries make the World Cup into something serious and formal, but Germany is a proper footballing country. The World Cup in America passed me by completely, for example. It was well-organised, but superficial.
The idea of ‘A time to make friends’ has been a 100 per cent success in Germany. I really wanted to drop in during the event. And obviously I’m delighted my song ‘Stand up for the Champions’ was played three times at every match. Lots of people have asked me why I recorded this song, as I normally only sing romantic numbers. But I think men regard football as a romance. Football is all about love. I wouldn’t call myself a fanatical supporter, but I’m passionate about the game.

Current projects:
I’m working on my second album. The first album is called The Italian, a collection of the Italian songs I grew up with, songs from the 50s and 60s. It’s not as classic as Andrea Bocelli, and not as pop-oriented as Eros Ramazotti. I’m the ultimate Italian cliché, there’s nothing more Italian than me at the present time.