"Dove sono i bravi ragazzi?!" Seria A thread.

[Uncle Spike]

Just a thought, but if we are going to have French, Spanish and German threads running in this forum next season, then perhaps an Italian one might be useful too.

Although I have to say that personally, I am far from being a fan of Italian football. Obviously some of the greatest names in the European and indeed, World game are Italian. Everyone has heard of the three giants, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, and teams like Roma, Lazio, Parma, Torino and Fiorentina are also very well known.

But Italian football basically suffers from one great disadvantage....... it's (usually) bloody boring to non-Italians! Being far too defensive, cagy and safety-first conscious to stir the blood and the passions of a non-partisan!

I can well remember some years ago (early 1990's) that Channel Four on British TV thought they had pulled off a major coup by securing the exclusive rights to show Seria A games. After initally having some good viewing figures, those figures rapidly plummeted like a stone as it became obvious that most Italian League games were like watching paint dry to a Brit!

Brought up on the Cavalry charge of English soccer, it was impossible for your average British football fan to appreciate that there were other ways to play the game. God forbid that anyone should take their time and think about what they were doing!

You see, I don't entirely condemn the Italian way of playing the game, even though it's not to my tastes. I'm well aware that the Italian national team is far more successful than the English, and I think that's because their League is a far better preparation for the cagy, defensive international game. Their technical skills, their confidence on the ball, and their ability to retain possession are all learnt in Seria A...... whereas the player in England is roared at by the crowd to "get it forward" the second he dwells on the ball, or plays a backward or square pass.

It's also difficult ( to my mind) to find likeable teams in Italy. Whereas in most Countries, there's at least one team that appeals to Spike, I can honestly say that I do not have any team that I favour in Italy. All the top teams at least appear to be dour, defensive, involved in dodgy dealings, and thoroughly unlikeable. Look at the recent corruption scandal just before the 2006 World cup, in which all the leading teams were involved, and most of which escaped with flea-bite punishments from a shamefully indulgent national authority. Berlescoli's AC Milan were in it up to their necks, but were still able to compete in the 2007 Champion's League, with a result known all too well to Liverpool fans!

Hence the rather tongue in cheek title of the thread, which translates loosely as "Where are the good guys?"

Perhaps we need to look for the so-necessary heros amongst the ranks of the smaller teams. Who at least have the universal appeal of the underdog! Atalanta? Lecce? Bari? Perhaps Verona, who had a magnificent book written about them in 2002 by Tim Parks: "A Season with Verona".

And there are reasons to watch Seria A next year, even if at a distance.
For starters; How will one Rafa Benitez do at Inter Milan, after taking over from "The Special One"? Given the recent dominance of the league by Inter, they can only go one way, and the pressure will be intense on Rafa.

Likewise, after a disasterous World cup, it will be interesting to see how the Italian game reacts. There have been calls in Italy for the major clubs to restrict the use of foreigners and give Italian youth a chance (sound familar?)

There have also been suggestions that a serious decline in attendances in italian football may continue and worsen, as the fans of everyone other than the top clubs become disenchanted with the "closed shop" at the top. But then how are they that different in this matter than many other leagues?

To conclude, it is undeniable that Seria A is an important league, with several of Europe's top clubs. I will be keeping an interested eye on the League next year and it would be nice to have a thread on the LFC forums to debate what occurs. I hope there will be enough of you who agree!

[Big Dave]

Forza Roma!

[Uncle Spike]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Forza Roma!

H'mmm. Could Big Dave have it right? Roma? Are these the "good guys" (or the nearest thing to be found to them amongst the ranks of the leading clubs? )

For starters, Roma were NOT involved in the 2006 Corruption scandal, which sets them apart from most of the leading clubs!

Secondly, they have one of the coolest badges in the World (see below), an evil little b*stard of a wolf cub, that knocks the Wolverhampton Wanderers design into a cocked-hat! They tend to use the more formal (and more boring) badge more these days, but I really like the wolfshead version.

Pretty classy colours too, the "Giallorossi" (yellow-reds) and of course an impressive stadium, the massive Stadio Olympio of Rome. Although they are said to be planning a move to a smaller and purpose-built 55,000 seater stadium, based on the English model, with no running track to seperate the fans from the pitch.

Despite being from the capital city, and having plenty of support, Roma are not really one of the Italian giants. They do not have a particularly impresive history when it comes to gathering honours. They have only won the Italian Championship (the "scudetto") three times, in 1943-43, 1982-83 and 2000-01.
But they have been the runners up ELEVEN TIMES!

They have done better in the Coppa Italia, winning it nine times. And in Europe they have reached three Finals, but only won the first, the Inter-City Fairs Cup in 1960-61. They lost the 1984 European Cup final (on their own ground!) to guess who, and they lost the 1990-91 UEFA Cup Final to Inter Milan.

So then, under-achievers! Does that make them more likeable?

Two things to bear in mind.....

Firstly, liking Roma will not be reciprocated by their fans, as they HATE Liverpool FC with a passion. Roma fans actually have a nickname for Liverpool, they call us "The Black Beast"!!!
For starters we committed the ultimate sin by winning the European Cup Final against them on their own ground in 1984. They have NEVER gotten over that. To this day, in Roman derby matches, their Lazio rivals taunt them with Liverpool flags and sing "You'll never walk alone" at them, just to wind them up.
Matters were not improved by Liverpool also dumping them out of the 2000-01 UEFA Cup and the 2001-02 Champions League!!! Little wonder they hate the sight of us!

Secondly, the Roma Ultras are very nasty indeed, with a habit of stabbing rival fans in the arse. It's very hard to have much fellow-feeling with people like that.

I guess I prefer Roma to Lazio, whose fans are even worse, and moreover with a very strong fascist element. And I think I'd rather see Roma win the Scudetto than any of the other of the major clubs.

But not entirely convinced these are "the good guys"! judgement reserved while the search goes on....

Anyone else have any candidates in Italian football?

[Uncle Spike]

Originally Posted by Uncle Spike

H'mmm. Could Big Dave have it right? Roma? Are these the "good guys" (or the nearest thing to be found to them amongst the ranks of the leading clubs? )
....................... not entirely convinced these are "the good guys"! judgement reserved while the search goes on....

Anyone else have any candidates in Italian football?

Spike's suggestions as possible "good-guys" in a League of "baddies"......

1) Fiorentina.... wonderful city, great colours, classy out-fit

2) Hellas Verona..... anybody who has read Tim Parkes' magnificent book; "A season with Verona" must have ended up a little bit of a Verona fan by the end!

3) Parma..... similar to Fiorentina, albeit eccentric colours.... well, white shirts bearing a massive black cross, I ask you?

All having the advantage of being not one of the elite circle, and thereby with that undeniably attractive "under-dog" feel to them....... (Verona more so than the other two, as they are not even currently in Seria A!)

[Big Dave]

Napoli?
Inter?

[Nomer the Red]

Originally Posted by Uncle Spike

Spike's suggestions as possible "good-guys" in a League of "baddies"......

1) Fiorentina.... wonderful city, great colours, classy out-fit

2) Hellas Verona..... anybody who has read Tim Parkes' magnificent book; "A season with Verona" must have ended up a little bit of a Verona fan by the end!

3) Parma..... similar to Fiorentina, albeit eccentric colours.... well, white shirts bearing a massive black cross, I ask you?

All having the advantage of being not one of the elite circle, and thereby with that undeniably attractive "under-dog" feel to them....... (Verona more so than the other two, as they are not even currently in Seria A!)

Missed the thread initially. I like Fiorentina because one of my good friend and team mate from college, who is also Italian, convinced me to support them. I think Fiorentina is a good club because they always play very attractive football.

And like many Liverpool fans I'll be looking out for Inter's results.