The Venezia Trio Swapping The Lagoon for Football’s Grandest Stage

There is a distinctly cinematic ritual to matchdays at Venezia FC. Instead of navigating crowded city streets, fans cut through the waters of the Venetian Lagoon to reach the historic Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on the island of Sant’Elena.

With their journey out of Serie B recently featured on DCTV, beneath this picturesque aesthetic lies a competitive arena. Venezia has quietly transformed into an international launching pad that has formed part of three footballing journeys to the grandest stage of all at the World Cup.

Michael Svoboda (Austria)

Centre-back Svoboda has been in Venice since 2020, navigating the club’s fortunes through various campaigns. His consistency and leadership eventually earned him the honour of wearing the captain’s armband.

Speaking last season, Svoboda reflected on his deep connection to the club and the lagoon. “I’ve been in Venice for five years now, and there’s a reason I’ve been here this long: I feel half-Italian now, I feel at home in the lagoon, and I try to be a role model for everyone in the locker room. Being captain of this prestigious club is a unique feeling, and I’m proud to wear the Venezia FC armband.”

As Svoboda swaps the quiet commutes across the water for the high-stakes pressure of a World Cup backline, he leaves carrying the seasoned maturity of a true team leader.

John Yeboah (Ecuador)

Venice has provided the perfect backdrop for striker Yeboah to hone his craft in a club that feels like home.

“I feel great here, the team, the staff, the people at the office, even the chef, they all give me enormous confidence, I feel important,” the 25-year-old German-born Ecuador international explained to Il Gazzettino. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy within the team. I hope it lasts as long as possible, we have an important and ambitious project to achieve.”

The explosive attacker, a 2024 arrival after leaving Polish outfit Rakow Czestochowa, has used his time in Italy to catch the eye of the Ecuadorian national selectors.

As detailed by Il Gazzettino, Yeboah’s performances in the league have been directly tied to his aspirations on the world stage. Navigating Italian football has pushed him to refine his game, making him a vital component of both his club’s ambitions and Ecuador’s World Cup campaign. For Yeboah, the platform provided in Venice has allowed him to maintain his form and lock down his spot for the tournament.

Marko Farji (Iraq)

Completing the trio is midfielder Marko Farji.

He grew up in Norway and played all of his football there until the move to Italy earlier this year. The 22-year-old qualifies to represent Iraq through his parents. When officially presenting himself to the media in Venice, Farji spoke with genuine humility about what it truly means to step out onto the pitch for the Venezia. “Coming to Venezia is a source of great excitement and pride for me,” he said. “Representing an extraordinary city like Venice is an honour. The team plays high-quality football.”

Opportunities have been limited up to now at Venezia – it is never easy breaking into a team flying high at the top of the table – but he should be in double figures in caps by the time he returns from the World Cup, and then it’s onwards and upwards to Serie A.

While the World Cup represents the pinnacle of football, the path these three players took to get there is rooted in Italian footballing romanticism. Should Svoboda, Yeboah, or Farji shine on the global stage, any celebrations will look starkly different to the ones they are used to back home – Venezia’s triumphs are marked by players parading down the Grand Canal on a giant gondola.

For Venezia’s World Cup-bound trio, the quiet of the lagoon has provided the perfect decompression chamber before being thrust into the vortex of global attention.

Planning a visit to Venezia next season? Here’s everything you need to plan your trip!