Italian Football Thread

[StinkyBoHoon]

it's the quantity of players that I can't get over. Their squad is heaving and they seem intent on shipping out the promising young ones and buying 3 dross players to replace them.

Cristante would have been away had they not had to play him a few weeks ago and he was one of the best players on the pitch. of course what they did do was sign a few more midfielders so he'll certainly never get a game.

can't help but see a future in which cristante, saponara, niang and El sharaawy are all doing really well for other teams and we're sitting around sulking about our bad fortune because our team is sitting 10th and full of overpaid 36 year olds with nothing but reputations. thje only decent transfer news that came out over the entire window was suggestions we should buy Perin, only that was from Perin's agent, he also noted we hadn't actually made any contact.

 

[War]

Mario Balotelli cries on bench in AC Milan's loss - ESPN FC

I'm hearing the Naples fans were chanting more racist crap towards him. Sometimes i wonder if Mario regrets he was ever born in Italy & not in Africa or another more tolerant EURO nation like England, France or Holland.

 

[KBC]

It's strange that you bring up the point of racial tolerance because he was adopted by a native Italian couple.

Fair point though. He was loved more in England than in his home country.

 

[War]

It's strange that you bring up the point of racial tolerance because he was adopted by a native Italian couple.

Fair point though. He was loved more in England than in his home country.

Ye Italy reminds me of how ENG was in the 70s & 80s. People accept black people/coloured ppl in the society - but you still have a large majority in the main stream that are racist.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

Mario Balotelli cries on bench in AC Milan's loss - ESPN FC

I'm hearing the Naples fans were chanting more racist crap towards him. Sometimes i wonder if Mario regrets he was ever born in Italy & not in Africa or another more tolerant EURO nation like England, France or Holland.

apparently the story is nonsense and has only taken off in england. it's not known the reason he was crying but it's petty definitely not racist chants. heard a theory that it could have been he was going to dedicate a goal to the child a paternity test has revealed as his (the mother lives in naples) and having just missed a sitter for his struggling club he was emotional about being substituted.

i wouldn't in a million years defend racist chants, also, it's not like this means a massive amount of italians aren't racist and prone to racist chants, they still have a huge problem with it. just in this case it's been wrongly picked up by the british media.

 

[War]

apparently the story is nonsense and has only taken off in england. it's not known the reason he was crying but it's petty definitely not racist chants. heard a theory that it could have been he was going to dedicate a goal to the child a paternity test has revealed as his (the mother lives in naples) and having just missed a sitter for his struggling club he was emotional about being substituted.

i wouldn't in a million years defend racist chants, also, it's not like this means a massive amount of italians aren't racist and prone to racist chants, they still have a huge problem with it. just in this case it's been wrongly picked up by the british media.

Oh well, if it just a baseless rumor from the UK press, then that's good news.

 

[Champagnepapi]

Apparently Lazio has a 41 years old player but rumored to be "17" years old.

 

[thedon5]

Apparently Lazio has a 41 years old player but rumored to be "17" years old.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

news of a 41 year old potentially available for transfer is bound to be piquing milan's interest.

anyway balotelli's goal was good.

 

[War]

BBC News - Italian football counts cost of stagnation

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

italian football is beyond frustrating. the word stagnation is so apt in relation to it. it's run by people with outdated ideas, the youth development in the league is appalling with young players passed around by clubs with no idea how to get the best from them. the stadium situation was understandable 10 years ago, clubs were just becoming aware of how much it was harming business. milan however have been poking about potential sites for the last 5 years and keep changing their mind, arguably not really prepared to take the plunge and start development.

 

[KBC]

Palermo was the face of all existing woes in Italian football until last season. They covered the checklist of everything a football club shouldn't do; if not just italian.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

after slagging off milan on the stadium front it looks like it's actually going to happen.

Milan plan revolutionary stadium | Football Italia

on one hand good. on the other, I guess balotelli and De Sciglio will be sold and we'll spend the next 5 seasons signing out of contract old players. If we were to combine this with a solid youth project though, giving a chance to guys like Cristante, Saponara, Niang, Mastour and Petagna and getting rid of a lot of the blokes on bloated wages it would make milan pretty strong moving into the next decade.

 

[War]

Ciro Immobile's form makes him a must for Italy's World Cup squad by James Horncastle - ESPN FC

Been watching this guy & he has looked good. Wasn't sure if the Italian press was rating him, but it seems like they are now.

 

[Haarithan]

Very raw and overhyped. One season wonder imo, but time is on his side. Don't mind him as a bench warmer for Brazil '14 though - would be a good experience for him. My wishful strikeforce -> Rossi (if fit), Balotelli, Totti, Cassano, Immobile