Vincenzo Cavallaro and wife Marta Puig smile away their football differences the day after. (Bhubaneswarananda Halder)

A south Calcutta guest house witnessed an Italy-Spain final of a different kind on Euro 2012’s biggest night — between a husband and wife united by their love of football and divided by nationality.

Chef Vincenzo Cavallaro is Italian, wife Marta Puig is Spanish. And, boy, didn’t the sparks fly as the couple sat in front of the television watching the year’s most-awaited football final!

“I had had a tiring day and fell asleep before the match. But once my husband switched on the television, I sat upright, my eyes wide open after the first goal and sleep completely gone,” recounted 44-year-old Marta, who shifted to Calcutta a fortnight ago with sons Diego, 20, and Mauro, 15.

Spain’s first goal in the 14th minute gave Marta the confidence to start needling her husband about the possible result well before half-time. “After the first goal that David Silva scored, I declared to Vincenzo: ‘You (Italy) will lose’,” Marta smiled.

So wasn’t Vincenzo annoyed? He was, but could do little except grit his teeth as Spain went from strength to strength and his wife’s remarks became progressively more taunting.

Vincenzo, who moved to Calcutta in January to be part of a new hotel project, felt the body didn’t back the mind for the Azzurri on Sunday night.

“The Italians are intelligent players but yesterday that intelligence was not complemented by a body that is in form. They had to substitute two players because of injury, which was a bad signal. My hopes started fading after that,” said Vincenzo, his wife and football rival by his side.

If watching Italy falter was a torture for Vincenzo, the hurrah moments wouldn’t stop coming for Marta. Two goals in each half and Marta knew Spain couldn’t be denied.

“She had many best moments, I hardly had any,” rued Vincenzo.

Marta recalled telling her husband moments before the second goal by Jordi Alba that Spain would need only two to seal a second successive Euro championship. “I told Vincenzo that if we get another goal and you are still 0, there will be nothing else that you can do (to come back).”

Vincenzo, who had been hoping Italy would summon a moment of inspiration out of the blue, gave up hoping when Torres struck Spain’s third goal. “There was no chance of fighting back after the third goal. Fortunately, I had not laid any bets on this match as I had ahead of Italy’s (semi-final) match against Germany,” he said with a laugh.

Barely had the referee blown the final whistle, Vincenzo switched off the TV. “He said he did not want to watch the Spaniards celebrate. Italian coach Cesare Prandelli looked angry and my husband also looked angry. Each time we scored a goal, he was getting a little more depressed,” chuckled Marta.

Didn’t she miss watching the victory with a large, noisy group of Spaniards? “I knew I would not miss enjoying the Euro because I had heard that in two places in India there are football fanatics — Calcutta and Goa,” said Marta, who woke her sons up on Monday morning by screaming “Spain won!”

Monday was a busy day for her with arrangements to make for shifting to an apartment at Brindaban Gardens, off the Bypass, but Marta still found time to watch a repeat telecast of the final.

Vincenzo, who had won his wife’s heart 20 years ago in Florence, rediscovered the gallant Italian in him to congratulate her. “I sincerely meant it….I enjoy sport and I think that the best should win,” he signed off.