matty

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Not their national side, no. Appals me the way they waste some extremely talented players by playing in a style which George Graham would regard as being on the negative side. And also how as soon as they win one match, they are so obviously going to win the World Cup that the other countries might as well go home. You would struggle to believe the national mood after they had defeated the mighty Ecuador in 2002. Needless to say, I had the last laugh.

I still quite like him as a player but his attitude wasn't good enough for us. He's clearly never going to get anywhere playing in a mediocre side like Villa, but I don't wish him any ill will. I'd particularly like to see him stick a couple past Italy in the World Cup.

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Italian society is prone to extremes of political views. They've had very strong fascist and communist parties over the years. This has found an outlet in football for many years, and teams? supporters were traditionally associated with one form of politics or another. Over the years, the number of teams with a left-wing bias has receded somewhat, possibly since the demise of communism worldwide. Given that many football fans are dumb meatheads, the right wing ones are still fairly active. Plus, the fact that racist and fascist parties make up part of the current governing coalition means their views are reflected at high levels. It would take many millions of words to sum up why Italian politics is the way it is, but suffice to say that there are many apologists for the views of these ?supporters? in the media and national politics. Part of it is the role of the Catholic church, which got behind the right wing strongly as it was seen as a protector from the Godless nature of Communism. Lazio is the region that Rome is situated in. Mussolini?s power base was the central regions of Italy, and that perhaps is why Lazio are the worst offenders. Plus of course, the fact that they glory in being the most extreme, and that Italian society regularly fails to respond to extremism with the same vigour that other societies do.

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This is Gazzetta Dello Sport's rather pathetic take on it: "Among the good things certainly wasn't the behaviour of a few supporters, or presumed supporters, that in a game strongly at risk there have been identified the usual clashes with the forces of order. At the edge of the North End, occupied by Livorno fans, were moments of tension, ending up with the injury of a policeman, in an eight against one situation. There are also political chants, 'natural' in a game between extreme left (Livorno) and extreme right (Nazio). Di Canio, leaving to make way for Pandev, he [let drop] a "Roman Salute", letting the temprature rise yet further." Rather disgracefully, the words I've put in square brackets are a kind translation of accennare, which also means "to hint at". Going by the picture that's one big f***ing hint. Di buono non c?è sicuramente il comportamento di alcuni tifosi, o presunti tali, che in una partita fortemente a rischio si sono distinti per i classici incidenti con le forze dell?ordine. All?esterno della curva Nord, occupata dai sostenitori del Livorno, si sono registrati momenti di tensione, sfociati nel ferimento di un agente: otto punti di sutura per una sassata. E poi non sono mancati i cori a sfondo politico, ?naturale? cornice di una sfida tra ultrà di estrema sinistra (Livorno) e di estrema destra (Lazio). Di Canio, uscendo dal campo per far posto a Pandev, ha accennato anche un saluto romano alla curva amica, contribuendo ad aumentare ulteriormente la temperatura.

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last night. I was in Rome, not Milan. Already had trip booked before I saw fixture list. a******s. Missed the game entirely, to be honest. On a place with "technical problems"! la la.

No, Josemi the boot cleaner.

Ban him for the rest of his career, which hopefully would only be two weeks as I'd like to see someone break his leg in three places, with possible amputation on the cards. There can be no distinction drawn between the Italian fascists and the Nazis in any case. They fought together, they slaughtered minorities together. Neither has any place in football or modern society.