While I was so busy soaking in and failing to report the goings-on of football yesterday afternoon, I neglected to mention another feature of this weekend which was a bit unusual and very interesting: the violence. Over the past two weeks there have been an unusual number of violent incidents around the Lega Calcio in Italy. Now, don’t think me crazy just yet; I’m not suggesting that the combination of football, or especially calcio and violence is a rare occurence. I’m well aware of the violence that runs rampart in the terraces, on the pitch, in the streets and among the ultrà. But these last two weekends produced several rather unexpected incidents of (varying degrees of) violence which didn’t occur in any of those aforementioned places and which, I think, were certainly out of the norm.

The first incident is the least dramatic and calling it violent might even seem like I’m venturing into the realm of hyperbole. After watching Inter’s disappointing draw from the stands while he served a 1-match ban, Jose Mourinho was involved in a “physical and verbal” altercation with Corriere dello Sport journalist Andrea Ramazzotti. By most accounts Jose was asked some questions that he did not wish to answer and in response shoved the journalist and insulted him before climbing aboard the team bus. There’s the possibility that he might serve a long touchline ban as a result of his actions, and the word is that Inter president Massimo Moratti is furious with the Portugese tactician; sick of his brash attitude and the constant incidents which seem to follow him wherever he goes. Perhaps Jose’s Italian vacation is almost at an end.

For the second incident, we have to look back to two weeks ago, to Genoa’s 2-2 draw with Parma. After the match a heated altercation occurred between Parma (and former Roma) calciatore Cristian Panucci and Genoa president Enrico Preziosi. Apparently, at one point this summer Genoa were in talks with Panucci and the defender felt that he had been left out to dry by Preziosi; he made his feelings known by accosting the 60-year old verbally about the incident in the stadium’s parking garage. In response, Preziosi put his hands around the throat of the defender; Panucci claims that he did not react and strike the man only because he is old enough to be his father. Both Genoa and Cristian Panucci have apologized for the incident; though Panucci demanded an apology from Preziosi, threatening to otherwise take the matter to the authorities. Adds a bit of spice to a 2-2 draw, doesn’t it?

Finally, the most high-profile and violent of all of these incidents, and the one that (probably) has the least to do with calcio. While attending a rally of his right-wing political supporters, Italian Premiere Silvio Berlusconi was the victim of a violent assault in which a man hurled a statuette of Milan’s Duomo at the 73-year old Italian leader. The assault fractured Berlusconi’s nose, lacerated his lips, shattered two of his teeth and left him a bloodied mess as he retreated to his car and was taken to the hospital. While probably not related to his ownership of AC Milan, the attack came just hours after i Rossoneri had suffered a demoralizing defeat to Palermo; suffice it to say that Silvio did not have a good day. There is word that Berlusconi’s attacker was mentally ill and might be placed in a psychiatric hospital. Or maybe he’s a disgruntled Milanista. Or an Interista? Surely it can’t just be about politics.

So that’s that. What will next weekend bring? Perhaps Jose Mourinho will spit in the face of the freshly-recovered Berlusconi, only for Gennaro Gattuso, moonlighting as a personal bodyguard, to tackle the Portugese to the ground and split his nose. Thus, the cycle of people we hate in calcio will be complete and can begin anew after the winter break.

What you missed while the Hubble telescope was looking at space jellyfish…

• Ryan Giggs that Sir Alex Ferguson will outlast him at Manchester United.
• The Japanese FA doesn’t agree with national team manager Takeshi Okada that Japan will get to the World Cup semifinals.
• Sven-Göran Eriksson has lawyered up on Notts County to recover a six-figure sum he’s owed.
• Barcelona striker Keirrison isn’t coming to Liverpool on loan in January.
• St. Etienne have sacked manager Alain Perrin; the Ligue 1 side is fourth from bottom in France.
• Harry Redknapp thinks that Liverpool should’ve signed Michael Owen when they had the chance.
• Arsenal has refused to release Cesc Fabregas to play for Catalonia.
• Gennaro Gattuso has signed a new deal with AC Milan, ending speculation that he was bound for Manchester City in January.
• Jürgen Klinsmann is heading back to the U.S. with his family eight months after he was sacked as manager at Bayern.

Where have all the real men gone?

Hard working men that don’t care what they look like when they’re working at their job. They return home smelling of blood, sweat, dirt and sometimes with a nip of whisky on their breath. Men who toil, scrape and work their hands to the bone, fighting for their very lives every time they set off to earn a crust – no matter what it is that they do.

A certain brand of man. Cast from the sturdy mould of the hard working and dogged men of days gone by. Men that used to spend more time beneath the ground in dark, damp mines. Men that worked in the smokey ship yards of Govan and men who risked life and particularly limb to work in the industrial age factories across the West coast of Scotland and up and down this fine country of ours.

This same mindset was filtered into the men-only world of football stadiums, smokers nights and secret handshakes.

The football stadiums across Britian were places of sanctuary from hard working British men for an hour and a half every second Saturday. The pictures of thousands of men filtering patiently into the great stadiums across this land with their flat caps and trenchcoats on was a sight to behold. Spotting a woman in their midst would be like studying a Where’s Wally for that red and white striped jumpered moron. Whatever paltry wage they may have been earning was at least in part taken up for their ticket, pie and bovril at their stadium of choice.

On the pitch, the football when compared to today was agricultural in the large part – a large exponent of the ploughed field surfaces that the British climate brings. The men playing the beautiful game were much more robust; athleticism was not a the correct vernacular to describe the majority of players. These men were troopers on the football field. Each and every one of them proud to be representing the club crest that was emblazoned across their chest. It meant a different life than most.

These committed and determined men that would fight tooth and nail with their chest puffed out proudly, more often than not trudging on through the pain barrier, seem to have left modern football in the large part. They most certainly have at Rangers Football Club.

Taking a cursory look through the first team squad at Rangers as we reach the teenage years of the twenty first century, we see a bunch of primadonnas and players that put simply, just don’t look like they care.

Ask yourself, how many of our first team would sweat blood for our club crest?

They may say all the right things when it is time to give vox pops to their pals in the media. Yet when it comes time to step onto the plush grass that has been lapped with whitewash, they seem to wilt under pressure like Chris Burke in the Aberdeen sunlight. There’s no leader in the midst. Not one man will grab the players around them by the scruff of their collar, dust them down and carry them back into battle. These kind of men were last seen gracing the pitch at Ibrox in the times of the band of brothers in the 1990’s – but that is too long ago.

There’s no cutting edge at Rangers. There’s no one willing to be the bad guy for the good of the cause. The fact that the only player there is in our squad that stirs the green and grey hatred from across the city is a 30 year old substitute and impact player in Nacho Novo speaks for itself.

We need players that will get in the faces of our opponents and be willing to die for the men that are around them.

There is one man that I’d love to see back in a Rangers shirt who could stir the hatred in our enemies and the pride in all of us. A real man on the pitch that would fight till the death or at least until the jersey he had on his back had to be torn from his body – and he now lives in Milan.

Rattling around the San Siro on a weekly basis these days is the worlds smallest ton on bricks, Gennaro Ivan “Rino” Gattuso.

Gattuso is the man that crashes through the wry, self-seductive confidence that is apparent in the Gucci wearing, cologne dripped and tailored trousers of the AC Milan squad. The best description I’ve read of the man is that he “looks like a gardener and plays like a gardener’s shovel”.

Off the pitch, Gattuso looks like the epitomy of a modern cosmopolitan man. He dons the sheer cut and expensive suits, poses in the finest magazines and moves with the calm assurance that he is a man in possetion of a World Cup winners medal. Even his ragged beard is kept that way with much preening.

On the pitch, he is a completely different animal. He adopts the gait and defiance of a rabid, snarling pitbull that has been backed into a corner. He always leaves an early impression on the shinguards of whatever opponest he plays against, regardless of reputation, to let them know that the next ninety minutes are not going to be easy.

There’s a manic elegance to his football. He smiles like a cheshire cat as he involves himself in battles across the pitch – like someone that gains energy from confrontation and a test of wits and strength of character – a footballing succubus. Football purists might say that his best days are behind him and that the brand of football he plays is hard to love, but there is no doubt that he commands respect and can be a man to inspire and exactly the kind of man you would want by your side in a footballing war that simply had to be won.

Sometimes we are asked whilst in our locals with our aquaintances, that if we were Chairman of the club we love and given a blank cheque, who would we sign to rid the club from its current ails. Well I’d weigh in with a hefty support for the cultured man that has grown from the wide-eyed boy I remember being introduced onto the pitch in front of the fans with a compatriot when we won nine in a row.

It is a much debated thought and one that is more ‘pie in the sky’ than ‘aye’, but Rino Gattuso would be the perfect kick of paprika in our Pasta Piccante. Gattuso is not being played at Milan under Leonardo, perhaps as he is returning from injury, but it may also be that the distinguished Brazillian football gentleman just doesn’t see a battle hardened, Wolverine faced warrior as part of his plans.

Let me be straight. I am not suggesting for one second that I think Rino Gattuso will play for Rangers Football Club again. However, some of the veins that pump through his Roman arteries, servicing his adrenelane craving heart will forever be tied to the city of Glasgow and our club. We as supporters are forever tied to him too as he has once worn the royal blue of the mighty Rangers.

In a time where modern footballers are far too often concerned with Bentleys, broads, bank accounts, buffed up egos and bumper contracts, Rino Gattuso is a real man. I for one woul’d love it if he would once again become our man.

Gennaro Gattuso.

“Milan” saugui Gennaro Gattuso trūko kantrybė. 31 metų žaidėjas skundžiasi, kad gauna per mažai laiko pasireikšti aikštėje ir pareiškė, kad gali palikti klubą.

“Klubą atstovauju jau 11 metų, tačiau dabar susiklostė tokia situacija, kad žaidžiu tik kai komandos draugai gauna traumas”, – sakė patyręs futbolininkas.

Anyone who has followed Serie A this year will be able to tell you that there are some very bright young stars… and some very, very bad haircuts. There has simply been an influx of promising youngsters in the Italian game this year, many of whose barbers should probably be taken out behind their shops and shot. I’m talking about players like Stevan Jovetic, Stefano Okaka Chuka, Philippe Mexès. Perhaps the perfect storm of incredible talent + douchey haircut this year has been Napoli’s Marek Hamšík. The young Slovakian has been key to i Partenopei’s revival under Walter Mazzarri, and is among Serie A’s top scorers with 7 goals so far. However, he also looks like this:

It's not even like I chose a particularly bad picture on purpose - this is from his Wikipedia page.

That is, he did until today. As you can plainly see here, Hamšík has shaved his head today. In case you don’t speak Slovakian (a minority of you might not, I guess) he is saying that he has shaved his head to celebrate Slovakia’s qualification for the World Cup. Normally I wouldn’t pay this much attention to the hairstyles of footballers, but a) That was a pretty bad haircut, and b) there’s nothing happening in the world of football today. In other news, Gennaro Gattuso’s recently stolen Range Rover has been found in Tirana, the capital of Albania! The SUV has been returned to its owner, and we can only guess how happy Rino will be to have it… oh, we have a picture? Perfect.

]]> http://apintofthebitter.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/youve-got-something-on-your-nose-there/ Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:01:14 +0000 Justin http://apintofthebitter.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/youve-got-something-on-your-nose-there/

Throughout Italia’s qualifying campaign there was one player who – no matter how many starts and opportunities he was given – absolutely failed to make an impression for his national side. Though realistically I could be speaking about any number of the players used by Marcello Lippi in this campaign, for the moment I am referring to Udinese winger Simone Pepe. Sure, the man has great pace and can fly terrifically up the wing, but he duffs nearly every chance he gets to put the ball in the net (think Mario Gomez for Germany, but worse), and in fact has never scored while wearing the Azzurri shirt at the senior level.

Because of his poor showing in the run-up to South Africa 2010, it is doubtful that Pepe will be among the players traveling to compete in the tournament next summer. However, everyone knows that it is politics first in Marcello Lippi’s side (how else does one explain the consistent inclusion of Gennaro Gattuso?) and Pepe has taken a step towards getting in the Silver Fox’s good books. After Lippi’s post game rant against the fans at Stadio Tardini on Wednesday (who jeered their team as they trailed Cyprus for the majority of the match), Simone has spoken out, telling Italian news agency AGI that he is ‘grateful’ to the coach for defending the squad against their (multitude of) critics.

How sweet of you, Pepe. I’m sure you feel very secure knowing that Lippi is going to keep the big, bad critics away. I’m also sure that you think throwing your lot in with your beleaguered manager is the best way to edge yourself into a squad that you really haven’t proven yourself deserving to be a part of. But then, neither has Rino. Porcamiseria!

Nice try, Pepe.

Are back, it seems. Time for the Azzurri to finally qualify for next year’s World Cup. With any luck we’ll be able to seal our qualification against the Republic of Ireland this coming Saturday – however, if we fail to get the result we need (just a measly draw) we’ll be leaving it to our last qualification match, against Cyprus, a week from today. Personally, I think that Italia is perfectly capable of coming away with wins in both Dublin and Parma – despite the fact that I also believe that Marcello Lippi has continued to make a cock-up of his squad selection.

I’ll be the first to admit that after the disappointment of the Azzurri under Donadoni at the Euros last summer, I was amongst those clamouring for the return of the ‘Silver Fox’ – but this qualification campaign has been a disaster so far and I am not sure that what was good for us in 2006 will be good for us in 2010.

il Rino e la Volpe

Some Italians might want to shoot me for this, but seriously, what is Gennaro Gattuso doing in the Italian National squad? I mean, I loved the guy in 2006 – back then he was the perfect mediano, charging all over the midfield, winning balls and forcing mistakes from the opposition. It is not the fact that he is now 31 years of age so much that he simply does not have the legs under him needed to go charging around the pitch like that anymore. Instead of the bulldog who fought so voraciously, putting his heart and soul into his game for his country two years ago, we now have Rino Gattuso, the rhinoceros who charges about so clumsily and blindly, costing his nation many dear mistakes. The same could be said for Gianluca Zambrotta, whose bombing runs up the flank used to be the terror of any opponent – his legs too seem to have left him, and while his runs are still fantastic, he is slower coming back and too often caught out of position. Even Andrea Pirlo, the small midfield genius with the perfect touch, has shown a form of late that is but a shadow of his play in 2006. I am not against the inclusion of veteran players in the Azzurri shirt – Fabio Cannavaro has made an outstanding case for his continued inclusion this year (but is suspended against Ireland anyways).

What disappoints me is Marcello Lippi’s continued inclusion of players who are no longer the men they used to be (or who are simply mediocre); leaving out more talented, creative players because they do not fit into ‘the system.’ The unwillingness to include creative players such as Antonio Cassano (perhaps the most talented forward in all of Italy) reveals Marcello Lippi’s tactics for what they are – not in fact, tactical at all, but rather political.

It seems that while the ‘Silver Fox’ is still around, so will be these old boys, these 2006 World Cup champions who may no longer be worthy of their place in this squad. Lippi refuses to acknowledge the importance of individual performances, choosing instead to focus entirely on players who fit like cogs in a machine – but the machine is broken. Italy has serious problems in the final third in the pitch, and Lippi’s search for an answer to these questions belies the personal and political bias through which he sees his squad. Why does Fabio Quagliarella continually receive call-ups despite having been in nothing but dismal form of late for both club and country?

The strongest case against the inclusion of Cassanata.

And another thing. The fact that he would be willing to call up Amauri, once the Brazilian receives his Italian passport, is to me ridiculous. This is a man who is not even an oriundo – not even of distant Italian ancestry – why should he be included ahead of Antonio Cassano, an Italian boy from Bari? I do not mean for this to seem xenophobic, but there is no explanation for this. Cassano has been a prima-donna in the past, yes, but he nonetheless possesses far more skill and all-around depth than Juve’s Brazilian striker. A good coach chooses a squad that he knows will work well together, this is true – but a good coach should also be able to look beyond his own personal feelings and recognize talent and potential when he sees it. I am not speaking only of Antonio Cassano – what of Palermo’s Fabrizio Miccoli, or Cassano’s teammate Giampaolo Pazzini?

Hell, why don’t I just come out with it and suggest Francesco Totti? The man is second in the Serie A goal tally at the moment (6), behind only Antonio Di Natale (who already has a place in this weekend’s squad and 9 goals), why even should he be selected behind Amauri, who has 0?

What I’m trying to say, folks, is that even though we are so close to qualification for South Africa 2010, we have a long way ahead of us. And if we want to find a World Cup at the end of that dark, winding road – we’d better make sure our guide knows the way.

Rino Gattuso torna in nazionale: dopo le assenze per infortunio, il centrocampista del Milan figura tra i 24 azzurri convocati dal ct Marcello Lippi per il doppio impegno di qualificazione ai Mondiali 2010, contro l’Irlanda a Dublino il 10 ottobre e contro Cipro a Parma il 14. Rientrano anche i difensori Salvatore Bocchetti del Genoa e Alessandro Gamberini della Fiorentina. Lippi ha chiamato inoltre il capitano Fabio Cannavaro, squalificato per la partita di Dublino ma disponibile per la successiva.

Questa la lista dei 24 azzurri convocati da Lippi
PORTIERI: Gigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari).
DIFENSORI: Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lione), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Davide Santon (Inter), Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan).
CENTROCAMPISTI: Mauro German Camoranesi (Juventus), Gaetano D’Agostino (Udinese), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Rino Gattuso (Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (Milan).
ATTACCANTI: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal).

Gli azzurri si raduneranno al centro tecnico di Coverciano, a Firenze. Primo allenamento martedì mattina.

Only big games folks – you know the drill:

Football:

Arsenal 6-2 Blackburn - Not to be outdone by Liverpool and Tottenham’s high-scoring performances last weekend, the Gunners responded with a blowout of their own in which six different players appeared on the scoresheet. Thomas Vermaelen, Robin Van Persie, Andrei Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Nick Bendtner all netted for the Londoners; while David Dunn and Steven N’Zonzi scored for the visitors – N’Zonzi giving his side an early lead in the 4th minute. An important win for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and a result which puts them ahead of rivals Liverpool with a game in hand.

"Please, please - it's only Liverpool."

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool – For a match that was touted in the days leading up to it as all-important and due to be a spectacular showdown of two top-notch Premiership sides, neither Liverpool nor Chelsea were able to make an impact upon the early stages of the game. Both sides looked tentative and unwilling to leap headfirst into the match – the sides would remain even until the 60th minute, when a Nicolas Anelka strike put the blues ahead. The wind was more or less taken out of the Merseysiders’ sails at this point, though Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun did all they could to equalize (the latter missing a late sitter which should have brought his side level). However, the the Scousers’ fate was sealed by Florent Malouda on 91′, as Chelsea proved that all it takes to win in the English Premier League are French strikers and an Italian manager.

Manchester Utd 2-2 Sunderland – As usual when things go wrong at Old Trafford, the blame for Manchester United’s draw against  lowly Sunderland was all the fault of the match official – if we’re to believe Sir Alex Ferguson’s side of the story. Ferguson lashed out at referee Alan Wiley after the match, questioning his physical condition and claiming he did not add on enough stoppage time at the end of the second half. However, I think it is a bit ludicrous to blame United’s perhaps disappointing result on anyone but themselves. Goals from Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones (on either side of a classy volley from Dimitar Berbatov) had seen the Black Cats go ahead of the home side at Old Trafford, but the visitors’ luck began to turn when Kieran Richardson was sent off for poor sportsmanship in the 84th minute. Things went from bad to worse when, on 92′, Anton Ferdinand deflected Patrice Evra’s long-range effort into the back of his own net – earning a not-quite-deserved draw from a United who had looked hapless and disorganize all throughout the match. Who would’ve thought that the Black Cats could be so unlucky?

Fußball:

FC Köln 0-0 Bayern Münich – This match has been called the most boring game of the Bundesliga played yet this year – and not just by me. Die Roten played almost the exact same squad they utilized in their midweek draw against Juventus – the only change being for Arjen Robben, who picked up an injury in that Champions League match, thus forcing the hand of Louis van Gaal. The fans at the Allianz Arena were treated to a game riddled with fouls and choppy play – game broadcasts panned over the stands at halftime to find fans fast asleep. I am not exaggerating. While Bayern could barely get an attack started, the dull play was not entirely their fault – Köln seemed content to park the bus in front of their goal, not playing a single player upfield and holding the home side to a nil-nil draw. Dull stuff from Deutschland, I’m afraid.

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Nürnberg - Elsewhere in Der Vaterland, goals were scored, and in fact scored aplenty. Keverkusen hit hard and early, taking control of the match at the BayArena with a fantastic set piece goal from Toni Kroos on 2′, followed by a spot kick by Simon Rolfes on 28′ and a strike from Erin Derdiyok on 34′ to round out the first half. In the second half the home side eased up on the throttle a little, but not enough for Nürnberg to bounce back, and not enough to stop Stephan Riessling from scoring his league-leading 6th goal of the season. A win that sees Bayer seated atop the Bundesliga table, separated by goal difference from Northern side Hamburg SV.

Hamburg SV 3-1 Hertha Berlin – Speak of the devil – Hamburg also pulled off a win this weekend, defeating Hertha in their own house at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Hertha took an early lead thanks to an Arne Friedrich header in the 9th minute, but after an own goal from Claudiano Bezerra Da Silva equalized, Hamburg added two more of their own to go up 3-1 before the half. Neither side managed to add to that tally in the second half and so Hamburg comes away with a victory that (as mentioned) sees them second in the Bundesliga behind Bayer Leverkusen. David Jarolim and Ze Roberto netted for the away side.

Calcio:

"Gee Rob... my bad."

AS Roma 2-1 Napoli – Francesco Totti is trying to get Roberto Donadoni fired. Donadoni’s Napoli have had a miserable start to the season – a positive result at the Stadio Olimpico today might have gone towards convincing Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis that the manager was worth keeping around. Unfortunately for the ex-Azzurri boss, Roma came out strong, with Simone Perrotta and John-Arne Riise missing a pair of early chances that should have put i Lupi easily ahead of their struggling opposition. However, it would be Napoli who would ultimately strike first – after Roma keeper Julio Sergio was substituted for injury, his replacement Bogdan Lobont was beaten by Ezequiel Lavezzi’s low shot on 25′. However, Roma weren’t about to let their bright start be ruined, and equalized on 37′ with a ball that started at the feet of Mirko Vucinic, but was redirected by Perrotta and then (who else?) Francesco Totti into the back of the Napoli goal. Totti would strike again in the second half with a low shot from some distance against which Napoli keeper Morgan De Sanctis never stood a chance. Er Pupone’s brace was enough to see his side clear of the visitors and put Roberto Donadoni’s job in serious danger. Sorry Rob; nothing personal eh?

Inter 2-1 Udinese – A last-gasp win for i Nerazzurri which, combined with other events to have transpired this weekend, sees Jose Mourinho’s men sitting atop the table for the first time this season. The game was played at a lightning pace straight from the outset, with Sulley Muntari and Simone Pepe spurning early chances. Dejan Stankovic gave the home side a lead on 22′ at the San Siro, only for the on-fire Antonio Di Natale to equalize not 5 minutes later. Both teams would have plenty of opportunities – though a combination of Sulley Muntari’s lack of aim and Samir Handanovic’s goaltending ability saved Udinese on several occasions. However, it would be Inter who would take home the full spoils, as Wesley Sneijder’s 93rd minute strike gave La Beneamata a late, late victory.

"Did I look worried?"

Palermo 2-0 Juventus – Many thanks to il Rosanero for keeping my claims of the Year of the Underdog alive. The Sicilian side absolutely dismantled Juventus, who have been flying high in Serie A of late, and shown them their first defeat of the season to prevent i Bianconeri from rising to the top of the table. It took a pair of first-half strikes in quick succession to slay La Vecchia Signora, who despite pouring on pressure lacked creativity in the final third of the pitch and were ultimately unable to prevent a defeat at the Stadio Renzo Barbera. Edinson Cavani and Fabio Simplicio were the heroes for the home side, with their goals on 37′ and 42′ respectively proving a hurdle too difficult for Juventus to overcome. All in all, a fantastic win for Palermo which sees them rise to a comfortable midtable standing – and which no doubt allowed Walter Zenga a breath of relief after a stuttering start to the season. An impressive and deserved win for the Sicilian side.

AC Milan 1-1 Atalanta - I have never seen a side so bereft of confidence or direction as the Milan squad which played in the first half of today’s match in Bergamo. Milan were constantly found on the back heel in what is becoming their typical fashion -Gennaro Gattuso charged around like a tank, the strikers had no service, and Andrea Pirlo looked like a shadow of his former self. L’Altri Nerazzurri, as I like to call them, were often the aggressors in the first half and star man Cristiano Doni looked like a legitimate threat to the Milan goal every time the ball was at his feet. In fact, it would be lowly Atalanta who would take the lead in the match, after Simone Tiribocchi buried a ball left for him (perhaps accidentally) by Doni. The goal was borne out of a gross defensive error, as Alessandro Nesta had left Tiribocchi completely unmarked, but nonetheless Atalanta was on top and deservedly so. However, Atalanta would be dealt a crushing blow on 38′, when Ivan Radovanovic was handed a second yellow card for laying hands on Alexandre Pato. For my own part, I had initially thought it was a straight red card, and was seriously questioning whether match-fixing was still alive and well in the Italian game. Ultimately, the card was harsh, but not to the extent that I’d imagined – though it certainly turned the match around and gave i Rossoneri the chance to go on the attack. After the halftime break, the momentum had decidedly been reversed, and it was AC Milan who were on the offensive. Atalanta did all they could to stay ahead in the game, but Ronaldinho’s volley on 83′ inevitably earned the visitors an equalizer. One more thing: Klaas Jan Huntelaar failed to make his mark in the first half, and was substituted early in the second. How is a young striker supposed to build up confidence when he is constantly substituted in what are essentially votes of no confidence from his coach? Just an example of poor man-management from Leonardo, and perhaps another example of why Milan needs to secure themselves a replacement for the disappointing Brazilian tactician.

Futbol:

Sevilla 2-1 Real Madrid – I feel vindicated by this result. I’ve been saying since the shiny new Real Madrid started tearing up La Liga (and Champions League) that when Los Blancos finally found themselves up against an opponent capable of mounting a serious defense, Manuel Pellegrini’s men would find themselves shut down and unable to account for it. Well, it appears that it is Sevilla who was that squad, as Real visited the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán and suffered their first loss of the season. Madrid were unable to create chances and it was Sevilla who controlled tonight’s match. Jesus Navas gave the home side the lead on 32′, which would stand until Pepe equalized early in the second half. However, Renato would see that Sevilla took all three points from Los Galacticos with a goal on 66′. Perhaps the reason for this defeat can be traced back to the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, but for the successes of a team which cost hundreds of millions of euros to assemble to ride on the back of a singular player just reveals the shaky foundation upon which this new Galacticos era has been built.

Barcelona 1-0 Almeria – Oh, and Barcelona beat another relatively small team. Spanish youngster Pedro scored the only goal of the match at the Camp Nou.

Dopo la prima giornata di campionato aveva sorpreso tutti il nuovo Milano low cost targato Leonardo, espugnando Siena per la quarta volta nelle ultime cinque stagioni, e candidantosi prepotentemente come Out-Sider fra Inter e Juve. Tanto entusiasmo, troppo, che ha finito per ridimensionare clamorosamente il Milano dopo la pesante sconfitta nel Derby.
Il problema, sostiene la critica, non è solo tecnico, ma più che altro psicologico: tutte le certezze la squadra rossonera le aveva accumulate nell’ultimissima settimana di precampionato, dopo la vittoria nel trofeo Berlusconi; certezze, appunto, sgretolatesi rovinosamente dopo venti minuti al Meazza contro l’Inter.
In discussione è stato messo in primis l’allenatore, definito inesperto e incapace di gestire lo spogliatoio, vedi il mancato ingresso di Seedorf che è costata l’espulsione di Gattuso, e la sfuriata di quest’ultimo contro la panchina rossonera. Sabato dovrà dar prova di sagacia tattica e psicologica, trascinando il suo Milan nella difficile trasferta di Livorno, squadra parsa in buona forma nonostante la sconfitta a Napoli.
Bisognerà vedere cosa azzarderà Leo, che dovrà ripartire dalle certezze: Thiago Silva e Nesta coppia centrale intoccabile e Pato in forma strepitosa. Per il resto tutto in discussione, ma proviamo ad ipotizzare l’esordio da titolare di Huntelaar (pagato 15 milioni…) e Pirlo versione numero 10, che in nazionale ha regalato perle di saggezza.
In casa Milan pare esserci ottimismo, voglia di riscatto e soprattutto fiducia nell’allenatore, ribadita da Galliani in più di una conferenza stampa, ma in caso di doppio passo falso, in campionato e soprattutto in Champions (la trasferta a Marsiglia è un passo fondamentale per il passaggio del turno), sarà difficile rivedere il brasiliano ancora sulla panchina del Milan.
Come sostituti i soliti nomi: Zaccheroni, ma anche Tassotti; abbandonata (?) l’ipotesi Juande Ramos, dopo la sua firma con il CSKA di Mosca.

Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been handed a one match ban by the Italian football authorities, according to La Repubblica.

Sports judge Gianpaolo Tosel gave the midfielder a suspension following his double yellow during the Milan derby against Inter. Gattuso received a caution for pulling down Samuel Eto’o in the box, before being shown a second card following a rash challenge on Wesley Sneijder.

The Italian will now miss the game against Livorno this weekend. However, Gattuso is injured in any case, picking up a knock against the Nerazzurri.

Bari’s Ferdinando Sforzini has been given a two game ban, while Lazio’s Emilson Sanchez Cribari will be out of the Juventus clash after he was handed a one match suspension. Livorno’s Mirko Pieri has suffered the same fate.

Cagliari and Juventus have both been fined €15,000 for fan trouble. Roma were given a €12,000 penalty. Meanwhile, Inter and Napoli received a €5,000 sanction, with Atalanta being charged €4,000.

Goal

Brutta tegola per Leonardo: dopo a scoppola rimediata nel derby meneghino, il tecnico rossonero dovrà fare a meno di Gattuso per due settimane. Il centrocampista di Schiavonea ha riportato una distorsione alla caviglia sinistra. Il capitano si era infortunato dopo pochi minuti, ma Leonardo non lo ha sostituito subito tanto che poi il numero 8 è stato anche espulso per doppia ammonizione.

I WENT to the cinema on Saturday to watch the new comedy film The Hangover and took great pleasure in witnessing one of the greatest beards ever seen on the big screen.

It got me thinking though – what is the greatest sporting beard?

It just so happened that today I watched Pakistan, traditionally a great source of quality beardage, win cricket’s Twenty20 World Cup.

But this Pakistan side is sadly lacking in great beards, with only Shahid Afridi having something to shout about but his beard lacks the true girth required to be worthy of the greatest beard title, so the search was forced deeper.

Modern football offers scant pickings. Former Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg has single-handedly carried its challenge for years, with only AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso’s patchy effort for support.

Formula One now possesses a disturbing amount of goatees, such as those on Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello and Nick Heidfeld, with Heidfeld’s wispy attempt leading its charge, but all fail to be contenders for the beard-crown.

The LA Lakers’ Pau Gasol has reduced his championship pretender to something more befitting a teenager, leaving Baron Davis, of the LA Clippers, as basketball’s official beard representative and leading American contender along with the NFL’s Ricky Williams, of the Miami Dolphins.

Rugby offers one principal nominee – France’s Sébastien Chabal, an average rugby player clean-shaven, made fearsome by a majestic, regal beard.

Returning to cricket, England offer Monty Panesar as an admirable contender, but South Africa’s Hashim Amla gets the vote, with a truly epic beard.

Amla’s beard is long, hiding any evidence of a neck and also brilliantly voluminous and thus the greatest beard title is his, narrowly ahead of Chabal, although I would love to be corrected.

Greatest beard in sport - fact

Di Real Madrid, Kaka kemungkinan akan mewarisi nomor 5 dari Zinedine Zidane dan Fabio Cannavaro.

Gara-gara saking seringnya teman2 saya di kontrakan teriak-teriak kalo nonton bola pagi2. Mau tidak mau, akhirnya membuat saya bangun dari tidur. Dan, sekarang mulai nulari (menularkan) saya buat suka sama permainan yang 22 orang ngrebutin 1 bola itu.

Nah, terbaru ini, saya menyukai perjalanan Kaka yang katanya kalau kemarin jadi, nilai transfernya bisa ngrusak dagangan saham di BEI Jakarta. Sekali tebas beberapa saham terbaik Indonesia, terus mendadak menariknya dalam satu hari, habislah Indonesia.

Berikut ini kronologi perjalanan transfer Kaka hingga sampai Madrid:

Kronologi Transfer Kaka ke Madrid
Selasa, 9/6/2009 | 10:14 WIB

MADRID, KOMPAS.com – Gelandang AC Milan, Ricardo Kaka, akhirnya pindah ke Real Madrid. Proses panjang dan melelahkan itu semakin kentara sejak pertengahan Mei. Berikut kronologi transfer Kaka.

16 Mei
Agen Kaka yang juga ayahnya, Bosco Leite menyatakan bahwa belum ada kesepakatan dengan Real Madrid.

17 Mei
Florentino Perez yang saat itu belum menjadi presiden Real Madrid menyatakan tak akan membeli Kaka lebih dari 60 juta euro.

18 Mei
Madrid mengisyaratkan keinginannya membeli Kaka. Gelandang Madrid, Guti mengatakan, Madrid sangat butuh pemain seperti Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo dan tentu juga Kaka.

20 Mei
Pemilik dan Presiden AC Milan, Silvio Berlusconi mengatakan, dia harus menjual Kaka.

23 Mei
Beberapa media Eropa di luar Italia berspekulasi, Madrid kemungkinan harus mengeluarkan uang lebih dari 80 juta euro untuk mendapatkan Kaka.

28 Mei
Setelah beberapa spekulasi, media massa Spanyol mengatakan bahwa Kaka bisa menjadi pemain Madrid minggu depan. Tapi, di Italia, Adriano Galliani dan Kaka membantah isu tersebut. “Aku selalu mengatakan cinta kepada Milan,” kata Kaka waktu itu.

29 Mei
Madrid makin kentara akan membeli Kaka. Florentino Perez menyebutkan keinginannya mendapatkan Kaka.

31 Mei
Pembicaraan antara Madrid, Milan, dan perwakilan Kaka semakin serius. Beberapa media menyebutkan, ketiga pihak itu sudah mencapai kesepakatan.

2 Juni
Perez mengatakan, pihaknya belum mendapatkan tanda tangan Kaka. Lalu, Kaka menyatakan tak ingin meninggalkan Milan. Sementara media massa Spanyol menyebutkan, Adriano Galliani dan ayah Kaka tiba di Madrid untuk membicarakan transfer.

Media Spanyol menyebutkan, Kaka sudah setuju ke Madrid. Namun, tak lama muncul berita bahwa Chelsea juga tertarik membeli Kaka dan siap membayar lebih besar, hingga mengancam transfer Kaka ke Madrid.

3 Juni
Media di Spanyol dan Italia menyebutkan, proses transfer Kaka ke Madrid sudah selesai. Gennaro Gattuso membuat temu pers dan mengatakan, hilangnya Kaka merupakan kerugian besar buat Milan. Sementara itu, Chelsea membantah bahwa pihaknya ingin membeli Kaka.

4 Juni
Perez menyatakan, membawa Kaka ke Madrid merupakan pekerjaan melelahkan. Sementara Galliani mengatakan, Milan terpaksa menjual Kaka karena alasan ekonomi. Sementara Zinedine Zidane yang menjadi staf Perez mengatakan, Kaka sudah bergabung dengan Madrid.

5 Juni
Beberapa pemain Madrid dan klub lain mendukung kepindahan Kaka ke Los Blancos. Sementara, Presiden Milan, Silvio Berlusconi menyebutkan, transfer Kaka ke Madrid belum selesai.

6 Juni
Kaka yang memperkuat Brasil di Urugauy, diminta fans untuk membubuhkan tanda tangan ke kaus Madrid. Dia melakukannya. Pada saat yang sama, Perez mengatakan, “Kaka terlahir untuk bermain di Madrid.”

7 Juni
Fabio Capello meninggalkan Madrid. Dia mengatakan, Kaka akan merasa di rumah saat bergabung dengan Madrid nanti. Sementara, tim medis Madrid menyusul Kaka ke Brasil untuk melakukan pemeriksaan medis.

8 Juni
Pagi hari, Berlusconi mengatakan dia ingin mempertahankan Kaka, tapi keadaan bisa berkata lain. Setelah itu, media Italia mengatakan, transfer akan diumumkan malam hari.

Di Brasil, Kaka menjalani pemeriksaan kesehatan oleh tim medis Madrid. Pemeriksaan lancar, tak ada masalah. Baik Madrid maupun Milan menyatakan, proses transfer Kaka hampir selesai.

9 Juni
Suporter Madrid banyak yang tidak tidur menunggu pengumuman transfer Kaka. Kaka kemudian membuat pernyataan, “Aku ingin bertahan di Milan. Tapi, krisis global memengaruhi klub. Aku berbicara dengan Milan dan menyimpulkan bahwa hal terbaik aku harus dijual ke Madrid.”

Kedua klub kemudian menulis di situs resminya bahwa transfer Kaka ke Madrid sudah terjadi. Kaka kemungkinan akan mewarisi nomor 5 dari Zinedine Zidane dan Fabio Cannavaro. (*)

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If these two had to duke it out…who would win?

I’m back!

I had to take a bit of a hiatus for my sister’s wedding but now that she is a Mrs. I can turn my focus back to my blog.  How I missed you blog!!

So, I’m a bit behind on this, but what kind of a blog would I be if I don’t post this tourism commercial with fellow Calabrese and one of my favourite Italian soccer players, Gennaro Gattuso.  I don’t think they could have picked a better person to show the heart and pride of the Calabrese!

It fills me with pride and gives me goosebumps every time I watch it!

Después de perder casi todas las opciones de ganar el Calcio, de ser eliminado en la Copa italiana a manos de la Lazio y de ser eliminados en la Copa UEFA por el Werder Bremen, el Milan tiene como objetivo intentar acabar como segundo en el calcio y poder entrar directamente a la Champions League sin pasar ronda previa y poderse saltar algún pequeño disgusto, aunque para ello deba hacer una reestructuración en la plantilla, ya que la mayoría de jugadores superan la treintena o están cercanos a ella.
En la portería, la combinación de Abiatti, en Liga y Dida en Copa Italiana y Copa UEFA, está bien y podría ser descartado el tercer portero en discordia, Zeljko Kalac.
La defensa es una de las zonas dónde el Milan ha tenido más problemas este año, debido a las continúas lesiones y a que algunos defensores no han dado la talla.
En el lateral derecho se mantendrá Zambrotta, que ha vuelto a jugar a un buen nivel y además se ha fichado al joven Felipe Mattioni de 20 años, además regresará con casi toda la seguridad Massimo Oddo, cedido al Bayern. En el centro de la zaga, Paolo Maldini, a sus 41 años, se retira, Alessandro Nesta podría salir o retirarse, sino se recupera del todo de las lesiones que le han impedido jugar este año, aunque nadie puede descartar que se quede . Kakha Kaladze, podría continuar, ya que aunque se ha lesionado la rodilla, semanas atrás y no volverá a jugar esta temporada, cuando juega cumple y además puede utilizarse como lateral izquierdo. La continuidad de Daniele Bonera, Giuseppe Favalli y Philippe Senderos esta en entredicho, los dos primeros porque cuando salen ha jugar no dan seguridad a la zaga y no suelen salir en los esquemas de partida, el caso de Senderos es diferente, ya que está cedido por el Arsenal y podría continuar. Además cabe recordar que el Milan ha fichado al joven brasileño Thiago Silva para la temporada que viene y además estarán Matteo Darmian, que este año no ha tenido muchas oportunidades y Digao, que se encuentra cedido en el Standard de Lieja Belga. Para el lateral izquierdo Marek Jankulovski es un fijo y además puede jugar de centrocampista.
En cuanto a la posición de centrocampista, Andrea Pirlo tendría que ser el encargado de hacer circular la pelota por el campo con sus escuderos Gennaro Gattuso y Massimo Ambrosini al lado. Beckham, parece que se va a quedar solo hasta el final de la presente temporada y después volverá a Los Angeles Galaxy, Flamini está jugando a un buen nivel y su presencia el año que viene no parece estar discutida, además también está Luca Antonini y Mathias Cardacio, en cuanto a Emerson, desde que llegó del Madrid no ha cumplido y este año casi ni se le ha visto con la camiseta sudada y parece que se irá en verano hacia otra dirección.
En cuanto a la posición de media punta, la magia la traerá Kaká y el aporte físico Seedorf. Ronaldinho, no esta jugando bien y nos recuerda a los dos últimos penosos años en el Barcelona, además las declaraciones del entrenador donde destapa que no se entrena bien pueden tener una doble repercusión, o bien que Ronaldinho empiece a entrenar a tope y nos recuerde al de los buenos momentos o que su vida futbolística se vaya a la deriva más empecinado en hacer fiesta que en ayudar a su equipo.
Además, está el joven Tabaré Viudez, que este año no ha jugado mucho, pero que tendrá presencia en el equipo, además no es malo recordar que va a volver el joven francés Yohan Gourcuff, cedido en el Girondins de Burdeos y que esta haciendo una campaña magnifica.
En cuanto a los delanteros, Pato, este año se está saliendo y está siendo una gran referencia en ataque y va a ser poco menos que imposible que le quieran vender, Borrielo y Pippo Inzaghi, están cumpliendo con las expectativas, aunque el primero lleve dos meses lesionado y el segundo, cuando sale cumple como siempre. En cambio, la cruz de los de arriba es Andriy Shevchenko, que no ha tenido muchas oportunidades y solo ha podido gritar gol en dos ocasiones, y su continuidad no queda clara, además es posible que el equipo repesque a otros dos delanteros cedidos, como son Paloschi, en el Parma y Willy Aubameyang, cedido al Dijon de la segunda división francesa.

Pare che questa mattina l’incredibile Hulk si sia presentato a Milanello incazzatissimo per l’eliminazione del Milan in Coppa Uefa. L’incredibile Hulk  ha chiesto insistentemente un colloquio con Adriano Galliani. L’ad rossonero per difendersi ha chiamato Gannaro Gattuso ma il centrocampista era impegnato a registrare uno spot. Allora ha deciso di comprare l’incredibile Hulk, offrendogli la maglia over size numero 100. Ancelotti lo schiererà in difesa contro la Sampdoria al fianco di Paolo Maldini. Sulle fasce Jankulovski e Giuseppino Favalli, il ragazzino della primavera, la risposta rossonera a Santon. L’incredibile Hulk ha chiesto del tempo perché ha un contratto blindatissimo con la Marvel. L’incredibile Hulk ha manifestato  però la volontà di trasferirsi in Italia. Viene via con cinque milioni di euro e la partnership tra Marvel e Mondadori. Intanto si moltiplicano le voci a proposito del dopo Ancelotti. Chi sarà il nuovo allenatore del Milan? Il favorito è Leonardo. Così poi in Brasile a scovare i talenti mandiamo Dida. Poi ci sono i nomi di Spalletti e Benitez. Meglio il secondo. Ma il cigno di Utrecht cosa aspetta ad aprire le ali e volare a Milano?

Solo una domanda: davvero qualcuno pensava che Scopelliti si sarebbe opposto alla volontà del Governo di trasferire, in occasione del G8 che si terrà in estate in Sardegna, sull’isola della Maddalena, i Bronzi di Riace?

Sono sicuro di no. C’è da soddisfare un capriccio di Re Silvio, e a Re Silvio è impossibile dire di no.

Partiamo da un presupposto spicciolo: i Bronzi sono “di” Bondi, ministro dei Beni Culturali, e può farci quello che vuole. Sta al sindaco della città che ospita le opere decidere se fare o meno una “guerra” perchè questi non vengano spostati, anche solo temporaneamente.

Ricordate la pagliacciata messa in atto, solo alcuni mesi fa, per il trasferimento, a Mantova, del Kouros? Ai tempi, però, al Governo c’era il centrosinistra e il ministro era Francesco Rutelli.

Scongiurando il rischio di “fuoco amico”, Scopelliti ha scelto per la pace e mi auguro che, frequentando le stanze romane, abbia imparato a fare davvero il politico, per il bene della città.

I Bronzi di Riace al momento non sono affatto valorizzati. Il Museo della Magna Graecia di Reggio Calabria viene visitato da pochissima gente in relazione ai tesori che racchiude e in confronto ai dati che riguardano gli altri musei italiani.

64.945 visitatori nel 1994, 74.641 visitatori nel 1995, 118.100 nel 1996, 126.955 nel 1997, 127.967 nel 1998, 145.933 nel 1999, 151.629 nel 2000, 152.067 nel 2001, 162.057 nel 2002, 158.905 nel 2003, 159.873 nel 2004, 104.006 nel 2005, 137.104 nel 2006, 134.958 nel 2007

I dati definitivi sul 2008 ancora non ci sono, ma le previsioni non sono affatto entusiasmanti. Insomma, Reggio, come al solito, negli anni, non è stata in grado di valorizzare delle risorse. Basta guardare la stanza, desolatamente spoglia, nella quale sono ospitate le sculture. Ma adesso c’è una possibilità: personalmente credo che la presenza dei Bronzi di Riace in Sardegna, in occasione del G8, possa essere un modo per veicolare l’immagine di Reggio e della Calabria nel mondo.

Bisognerà usare il cervello e non farsi uccellare, però. E su questo ho qualche dubbio in più.

La presenza dei Bronzi di Riace in Sardegna, qualora rimanesse fine a sè stessa, sarebbe un’inutile perdita di tempo per tutti, con il rischio, inoltre, che le due statue possano, accidentalmente essere danneggiate durante il tragitto o la permanenza.

Insomma, la domanda è: i Bronzi in Sardegna che ci vanno a fare? Per soddisfare i capricci di Re Silvio? Per mantenere cordiali i rapporti tra la città di Reggio Calabria e Roma? Per essere riposti in un angolo, dopo aver ricevuto un’occhiata fugace e annoiata da parte dei leader internazionali?

Oppure ci vanno per essere davvero attenzionati tramite documenti informativi sull’origine e sul luogo in cui sono custoditi per (quasi) tutto l’anno?

E ancora: cosa resterà poi della permanenza sarda? Faccio un esempio stupido e grossolano: una foto di Obama accanto ai Bronzi, che possa essere veicolata dagli organi di informazione di tutto il mondo sarebbe una grossa reclame per Reggio Calabria e per tutta la regione. Molto più di Gattuso sui taxi di Londra..

Il sindaco di Reggio Calabria, Giuseppe Scopelliti, avrebbe dovuto sincerarsi di queste e di altre condizioni, oltre a impegnarsi nelle strette di mano, su vari argomenti, che tra lui e Bondi ci saranno sicuramente state.

E’ chiaro, infatti, che, in cambio della tregua, il sindaco abbia dovuto chiedere qualche garanzia in più per Reggio Calabria. Tralascio la probabile candidatura dello stesso Scopelliti alla carica di governatore della Calabria nel 2010. Tutti gli indizi, in realtà, sembrano portare al riconoscimento di Reggio quale città metropolitana: Bondi ha addirittura promesso, tramite una nota stampa, il proprio impegno istituzionale.

Il Ministro Bondi ha anche assicurato che il Governo si interesserà perchè vengano ultimati, nel più breve tempo possibile, ma questo non ha importanza: quello è semplicemente un atto dovuto da parte del Governo.

Questo “do ut des” non mi piace nemmeno un po’, ma, al momento, mi tocca accettarlo.

In attesa di scoprire se si tratterà o no dell’ennesima presa per i fondelli.

Ha ragione il presidente della Regione, Agazio Loiero: la Calabria è vittima di un complotto mediatico.

Ricapitoliamo in due parole: qualche mese fa si sparge la voce che la Regione Calabria avrebbe elargito 8 (otto) milioni di euro alla nazionale italiana di calcio, diventando così l’unico sponsor istituzionale degli azzurri, al fine di promuovere un’immagine positiva della regione.

Pensate che sugli otto milioni di euro, elargiti fino al 2010 da Palazzo Alemanni, alla nazionale di calcio, l’Unione Europea ha persino voluto sapere qualcosa in più!

La commissaria (non sentivo questa parola dai tempi di Edwige Fenech) Danuta Hubner ha addirittura deciso di abbandonare la civiltà e di scendere in Calabria.

Otto milioni di euro per tre anni, mica cazzi! Una cifra espressamente destinata dall’Unione Europea per la promozione turistica del territorio. Tuonò financo l’eurodeputato Beniamino Donnici, ex assessore regionale al Turismo!

La Hubner però diede ragione al buon Agazio, accertando che ‘’solo 400.000 euro (piu’ Iva) delle attivita’ collegate alla nazionale di calcio saranno cofinanziate con fondi comunitari, la spesa sara’ riferita al Por 2000-2006. Il contributo comunitario sara’ pari al 50% della somma citata, 200 mila euro piu’ Iva”.

Sì perchè in Calabria, dato che le cose vanno bene, ci ritroviamo fondi Por in scadenza, non spesi, quindi bisogna affettarsi a elagirli, per non perderli definitivamente.

Insomma la vicenda fece tanto, tanto, rumore. Der Spiegel titolò: “I soldi UE dalla mafiosa Calabria allo zotico Gattuso”. E si beccò, giustamente, una querela.

Adesso, però, tutti i critici dovranno tacere!

Ah già, dimenticavo. Come potete evincere dalla foto, Agazio Loiero ha scelto un gran bel ragazzo per portare avanti l’immagine della Calabria nel mondo: Gennaro Gattuso.

Eh vabbè, è l’unico calabrese certo del posto in squadra in nazionale.

Comunque sia, oggi, si cominciano a vedere i frutti dei soldi spesi dalla Regione Calabria. Guardate che bella la macchina, parcheggiata a Londra, sulla quale campeggia il faccione di quel gran figo di Gattuso e l’azzeccatissimo slogan: “Come to Calabria”.

Sembra la reclame di un farmaco simil-Viagra.

Tutto molto bello, ma, forse, anche costoso: Progetto 5 di Santo Frascati avrebbe fatto tutto con qualche migliaio di euro.