[Archived] Champions League

[Billy Castell]

Italians are scum when it comes to football. Nowt will be done, despite rising problems with such matters. All Italian teams should be banned for 5 years at least. It is only a matter of time before they kill someone.

Edited April 12, 2005 by Billy Castell

[BRFC4EVA]

I thought the 2 games were very anti-climatic. Both of the behind teams were at home and perhaps with an early goal and the ground really rocking they could get back into the game. In reality the away teams in chels and ac milan already with the upper hand went and ended that by both of them going ahead in their respective ties. The only time when something interesting happened was when Bayern scored to make it 1-1 and boy if Ballack's header which was cleared of the line went in, we woulda had 1 hellova 20min spell. As it was im glad Chels went through. As for the Derby game, absolute pre-planned madness aint ever seen anything like it. We thought we were bad boys for letting off a flare in the riverside after the dingle game

[Billy Castell]

Just saw the incidents on ITV, and my views have not changed. The flare that hit Dida gave him 1st degree burns, and could have hit him smack in the face if he turned round a bit more. It was like the stadium was on fire, as there were so many flares, bottles and other things thrown on the pitch. It's no different to Chimpanzees throwing their crap at people, except that Chimpanzees have intelligence.

No doubt UEFA will give them a £25,000 fine and make the next match be played behind closed doors. UEFA are weak little ____heads who will not stand up to the rising tide of violence in Italy. We have already had a CL match in Rome abandoned after the ref got injured by a coin, and a full scale riot in the Italy vs. Scotland match. But then they are not English, so they can do what they like as far as UEFA and FIFA are concerned. Inter Milan, if not all Italian teams should be banned for a few years, otherwise it will only get worse.

I fear for the Liverpool players and fans, as some Juve ultras will probably not want to be outdone

[Bazzathegreat]

Italians are scum when it comes to football. Nowt will be done, despite rising problems with such matters. All Italian teams should be banned for 5 years at least. It is only a matter of time before they kill someone. Maybe it's the famed military ineptitude that gets all the Fascist sectors of their support so angry.

I myself find some of these marks racist been half Italien, with family in Turin and Lecce, yes there is a problem with idiots, but so is there in Greece and turkey.Not so long ago i attendeda Sunderland match where house bricks were thrown at the away supporters at the end of the game. Not to mention chelsea headhunters who carry darts. There is a problem but not just in Italy/Italiens look at the Racism in Spain toward black players. And if you would like to debate history/miltary have u never heard of the Roman /Byzantine empires which spanned 1300 years

[Billy Castell]

Fair enough I went too far with that last bit. I have now deleted it. If you're interested, I meant modern Italy, which was created in 1871, rather than any previous 'Italian' civilisations which were good at the military scene. I'm just outraged that such behavour happens, and will probably be tacitly condoned, as is the case with Spanish racism recently. When it comes to football, I have no respect for either country for those reasons. Both deserve to be banned from football until they learn how to be civilised.

[tchocky]

Theres no condoning what happened today but bloody hell did they have reason to be mad! Effing AC Merk... The luckiest team in Europe by some distance.

[Radagast]

Some crazy refereeing decisions indeed....but the Italian officials and coppers really need to reassess their means of policing games. And they won't do that until UEFA hammers them. Inter can expect a beating for this.

Apparently Dida suffered first-degree burns.

[Flopsy]

before we all get on our high horses demanding 5 year bans - dont forget no one was killed, unlike at Hysel (sp). Probably a 12 month ban for Inter, but its only time before crowd trouble causes more deaths

[Gareth]

From Football365's Mediawatch

A Good Bet

From the press release of a certain company's betting guide on Tuesday morning:

The local derby between AC Milan and Inter is sure to produce plenty of fireworks.

I think they meant it metaphorically...

Anyone know which company's betting guide?

[Billy Castell]

James Richardson's views from BBC website

He makes it sound even more frightening over there. A ban for all Italian clubs for a year or two is needed as that seems to be the only way the authorities and fans can be forced to sort it out.

[Bazzathegreat]

I am no way defending the actions of the inter fans last night, but some people are quick on the attack of Italians etc etc, however there is things that people need to understand about italian football,Italians

There is a hooligan problem like we have in this country, and the policing is much poorer than here however at the saints/maure fa cup tie a flare was thrown on to the pitch and just missed a player.

Most of the rivalry in Italy unlike here is as political as it is through footballing reasons, stemmed by whether or not your club was pro mussolini during wwII.

Like our country there is a growing fascist levels however, not been from Lancs people from the midlands where i am from believe that most people in East lanc are BNP/football hooligans, I correct these ill-informed people.The point I am making is that italian clubs ave hooligan elements but so do we here, my local team Stoke have the naughty 40 and most are committed criminals , when they got beat 7-0 at home to brum about 5 seasons ago they trashed there own stadium inside and out.

It is the policing thats needs changing and stopping people with missiles, and i am sure if we had a derby the size/historical background in this country there would be problems.

Please do not tar all Italians with the same brush,

PS and I am as English as they come before we go down that road

[Flopsy]

Scummings has got himself on Football 365 - he must be hugging himself now (look at the Opinion Page - and go to the latest Letters Post)

[Billy Castell]

I'm not saying all Italian fans are bad, as that would be plain wrong. But it seems that the bad fans are getting worse, and that like you say, the police need to sharpen up. Maybe the reasonable Italian fans should be brave, join together and tell the lunatics enough is enough. Something like that 'Kick racism out of football' campaign may be a way to convey that message. A combined effort is needed by all reasonable people to stop these bullies. The same goes for Spain, and their racism, although according to UEFA that's OK.

We have problems here in Bedford as a lot of people have Italian backgrounds, and get into scrapes with the England idiots whenever there is a game between the two.

[roversWASmylife]

Milan Derby Photos

Pictures say it all. Haven't they ever thought of banning flares if they are going to be used like they were last night?

[andy82]

There will not be a 5 year ban, as far as im concerned that was given because the English were daft enough to completely condemn the whole of the Liverpool support as hooligans, from man on the street to politicians. That wont happen in European countries, especially not after England got the ban.

As for banning flares the use of flares in crowds makes a massive difference in the atmosphere from my experience. Nothing quite like being stood on a terrace fence with a flare at a game imo.

[speeeeeeedie]

Ban Italian teams? Not likely. UEFA's revenue loss would be too great for them to do it. No Juventus or either Milan team would cost them bundles. Do they not check fans entering the stadium? There were alot of flares, not just one or two.

What will happen when they play each other in the league?

[Billy Castell]

Milan Derby Photos

Pictures say it all. Haven't they ever thought of banning flares if they are going to be used like they were last night?

Flares are actually banned, but the ban is not enforced. At least that's what some reporter said on SSN today.

And I hope they have played both derby games in the league. God help the decent public if they haven't.

[Billy Castell]

Liverpool through. 0-0 on the night.

[promoted2001]

Chelsea - Milan final, thats my prediction

[waggy]

i hate watching liverpoo but tonight i was up for them,well done scallies

[USABlue]

Interesting reviews on the game. Poor to watch, Liverpool set out their defensive stall but yet they have been described as "heroic defending" Why is it that Liverpool are heroic but we are bullies, physical, etc etc.

[herbergeehh]

To ban all Italian teams would plain wrong. Yes, there is a problem with hooliganism in Italy, but to ban all Italian teams because of two incidents would be like banning Rio Ferdinand because of something Wayne Rooney did.. not the best example, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

Might also add that the coin that hit Frisk, actually did not come from the Roma supporters. But the Ultras in Italy is clearly a problem, and even though both Roma and now Inter were victims of horrible refereeing, there is no excuse for such outbursts.

For those of you mentioning fascism, there is also a lot of lefties amongst the supporters, e.g Livorno- who actually play the Sovjet national anthem before each game.. (that was partly why the nazi banners were used by the Lazio ultras, who are fascists and not nazis, according to a friend of mine who follow the Serie A and everything around closely.)

The Roma ultras is also placed quite far to the left, mainly, btw.. but of course, there is individuals with different opinions everywhere..)

There's a lot of prejudice on this thread, but remember that the PL had the same problem some years back. (not exactly throwing things like the Inter fans did, but a lot of fighting and also quite a lot of racism!)

A part of the problem is also the police. They are wellknown for being very easily provoked, and their use of violence against the fans are often very unecessary. What do they expect to happen, when they throw gas into a crowd of supporters? CHAOS!

Edited April 13, 2005 by herbergeehh

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Poor to watch,

It certainly was....

Juventus is known as "La Vecchia Signora" (The Old Lady) - and tonight the Italians showed all the style, grace and beauty of Nora Batty in a pair of saggy beige stockings.

I thought it was a dreadful attacking display from Juventus. They were unwilling to take any risks going forward. Their performance tonight illustrated what I dislike about Italian football - it can be negative, defensive and dull.

To open up a solid-looking Liverpool defence, the Italians needed to have some pace down the wings to get behind the defence and create some openings. They needed to play some quick incisive attacking football.

Instead what we saw was a pedestrian Italian performance that offered nothing going forward. The onus was on Juventus to attack to recover the defecit and they completely lacked the imagination and width needed to break down Liverpool.

With the score still at 0-0 after 60 minutes, Juve needed to take the risk of at least getting one or two more bodies forward in the final half hour.

At the final whistle, I was pleased that Fabio Capello's side had gone out. If that's the type of dull risk-free tactics that he favours, then the competition is better of without his team. It would have been an injustice to see Juventus reach the semi-final if that's the best they can offer going forward.

20 years ago, when Juve won the European Cup on that tragic night in Belgium, they had a player who could carve open chances with some magical passes. Michel Platini was a wonderful midfielder (albeit a Frenchman) - and Juventus back then played some good attacking football.

Tonight Juve created virtually nothing from open play. Their only decent chance was a header from a free-kick which hit the post. Apart from that, the lack of imagination from the Italians was chronic.

Thankfully, this season Juventus won't be adding to their six other European trophies. (They've won two European Cups in 1985 and 1996, three UEFA Cups in 1977, 1990 and 1993 and one European Cup Winners Cup in 1984.)

The Old Lady tonight had no flair or penetration whatsoever - and she fully deserved to go out of the competition.

At least from what I've seen of AC Milan recently, they try to play with a bit more attacking invention going forward.