Capo Boi

Whatever team you support or if football is of no interest to you, this guy represents all that is good in Italy. Family man, modest, unbecoming but.... seriously good (And yes, I do know that he was born in Switzerland if anyone on other forums are looking in).

MarkRD

Well I'm a Chelsea fan of long standing so I can only paraise Di Matteo for what he has done. A lot will be gutted if they don't keep him on ..

Italians are quick to say it's all their merit of course ... ditto Roberto Mancini ..

ballerina

SO true! I watched the match with OH and he wanted Chelsea to win, because of Di Matteo... and then said it was all thanks to him they won! Contradicted himself a bit though when he said it was an English (football) trait to make a comeback in the last minutes even if they are losing... he mentioned a game against Napoli where the English team, can't remember who, were losing and i the last minutes won 3-1.

Garbatellamike

Fair play to Di Matteo and Mancini - they have won trophies whilst having to deal with: the biggest prat in football (Terry) the 2 most disgusting obnxious money grabbers (Cole and Tevez) and, probably the hardest to manage player of all time, Mad Mario.

All credit to them both of them for still coming through to provide what the fans of the respective clubs want. (OK and the odd billion or two probably helped)

MarkRD

Yeah well it's all money these days .. actually I rarely watch a League match, mostly becuase if you have to pay money to Sky or whatever and I'm not having it!

I watched Champions final on RAI so at least I get money's worth from licence fee .... sort of. Hope they will show European championship matches.

I only get excited about finals and big sporting events anyway. I though Cudicini was still our keeper but apprently he's with Spurs now!

Garbatellamike

I have been using a website called firstrow sports, which streams the games for free rather than paying Sky money as I'm not paying either.

MarkRD

Ace! thanks for the tip off

duffer

Napoli lost to Liverpool. England captain Gerrard grabbing a late hat-trick!

MarkRD

NApoli / Liverpool .. quite a combination.

I always tell Italians that Liverpool is the Naples of England ... well, I know what I mean.

ambra_wandsworth

.....Interesting...I went to Sunderland last year and someone stopped to ask for a ciggie and said " don't think England is like this"... Liverpool cannot be worse than that, can it...?!

Vigevano, my town is getting there though,.....Lately I had my street covered with insults...just because me and other familes put a football club flag on our balconies...
They keep on doing these acts of terrorism despite several reports to police, having seen them etc..

Some neighbours think it's people faults as we should not have shown those flags, and now we should put them away...No way....This is not about football, this is about freedom of thought and expression ...

This is a paese di merda, and excuse my french...

MarkRD

Don't quite catch your meaning.

I always think L'pool and Naples have certain affinities both in a good way and not so good .. the unique humour, that kind of cheeky attitude, which sometimes crosses the line.. Plus the musical angle ..
Plus they are both sea ports. I dunno . . just some kind of weird theory I have!

I hasten to add I've only ever visited both places once in my whole life!

Garbatellamike

I thought along the same lines but dispensed with the comparison because the criminality in Naples in better organised than in Liverpool; and that surely can't be right when comparing UK and Italy to conclude Italy is more organised

MarkRD

Oh Italy can be *very* organised when it comes to some things ..

I was always amazed at how advanced the football "pools" technology was, even before the computer revolution. But of course it's a huge money making machine for someone, so it was obviously worth investing in.

as for 'organised crime' well i thinkthey invented that term. Even Italians will joke that "mafia" is their biggest export.

ambra_wandsworth

I probably misunderstood your post, when people mention Naples in this country is mainly because of its faults and decay ...and making a comparison between Naples and Liverpool made me think if it could be that bad....

ononno

oh, I must step in here. I know both cities (Naples and Liverpool) very well.
The comparison is actually a very good one; with the proviso that crime in Napoli is a well organised DNA ingrained art form; whilst in Liverpool it is jut plain ignorance driven thuggery.
ciao for now,
'o nonno