After the riot in Catania last Friday, politicians and football executives said the situation was very hard but they preferred to stay on TV program talking and talking for the whole weekend. So, only this afternoon (after policeman’s funeral) they will meet to decide what will be. Another weekend without football? Maybe. And, maybe, we’ll have some closed-door matches, especially in stadiums that still don’t fit “Legge Pisanu”, the law against violence, requirements.

First of all, we think that violence is in human nature and, though now is lower than in the past, modern society is full of episodes: just yesterday, in Italy a woman has been killed by a neighbour of hers, because her dogs were too noisy. We can try to contain violence, but it’s very difficult to remove it. We think that security forces and governments can give their contribution in finding a solution, but first of all is football itself that must do its best to keep off violent people. Football –nobody in these days reminds this, except the ones that want to restart playing without new measures- is a business. If you are in a business, you don’t want people that make things more difficult to you. The US are in general more dangerous and violent than Italy, but we don’t have recently cases of incidents due to sport events: sport is money, do not disturb it!

Everybody now says: let’s do like in England. First objection: over there, stadiums are owned by clubs, in Italy are owned by municipalities, or by other public institutions like CONI (Olimpico in Rome). So, there’s a paradox: the government issues a decree law. -i.e. stadiums need some requirements- and another public organization doesn’t respect the decree, but always there’s a waiver ready to be given. So, let’s stop with all these waivers, and then install closed-circuit TV within the stadiums in order to identify the guilty parties. And, where it’s possible, see that clubs can become owner of the stadium where they play. The more responsibilities they have, the best they do to keep law and order inside and close to their “home”.

Last but not least, let’s start favouring normal and pacific people, the customers, and not the hooligans. A blogger says: “tell me why a lady of 53 -me- 155cm tall and 58 kg (the typical hooligan), going to the stadium with my sister (she is 57 and same build as I have), always have a pen, or the lighter, or a bottle cap seized, while inside close to “Ultras” seats you can find everything?” Another blogger says: “I used to work in San Siro, and during the week the hooligans could enter and bring everything inside”. This direct evidence clearly defines how the situation is. Clubs that give to the hooligans the running of their merchandising, or of the parking around the stadium, could never fight against violence. At the end, when there are riots and someone dies, they can always say they’ve been blackmailed. After all, of course.

Violence around Catania stadium

This is a derby that had to be played on a Friday night, so it didn't disturb the Sant'Agata procession. The police had to supervise the area around the stadium, in the afternoon of a working day. Outside, the situation is abnormal, and there is something similar to civil war; everybody knows how fierce the rivalry between Catania and Palermo is. Twice, the game is suspended - the footballers cannot play because of the tear gas on the ground. A policeman - police chief inspector Filippo Raciti, 38 - dies because of a crude bomb that explodes inside his car, and there are more than 100 wounded people in the Emergeny Room of Garibaldi hospital.

Well... this is not football; this is urban guerrilla warfare, the natural result of years of poor lawmaking against violence. They have been a complete failure: all the measures taken have just kept peaceful people away from the stadiums, and ended up concentrating the hooligans and people that consider football to be an excuse to give vent to their animal brutality. This afternoon, something happened at the beginning of second half when the Palermo "Ultras" arrived at the stadium, and there was a delay due to the large amount of security checks. And at the end of the game there was, as we said, the civil war. Maybe this was also due to Palermo winning with a controversial goal.

Immediately, Commissioner Pancalli decided to suspend the championships. Next Monday there will be a meeting between FIGC and the Government, but let us be a little bit skeptical; this is not the first time that someone has died because of a football match. It's sad, but it's also sad listening to the politicians saying that things like this cannot happen anymore (until next time, we say), and the football executives that suspend the championship (when we don't know how extensive this suspension could be). Of course, to stop for a day as a sign of respect for a policeman who died is correct, but they want football to be stopped until they find an ABSOLUTE solution. They want to reflect, and maybe stop all the championhips for the whole year. And then? When their false indignation has finished, nobody will think about this anymore. Especially the people that now are crying, who yesterday were arguing and shouting at the TV for a penalty or an off-side.

Unfortunately, nobody in Italy thinks about the football fan - the customer, paying a lot of money to watch the game. Are the violent people a minority? Yes, but don't worry, they do their best to make it impossibile for pacific people to go to the stadiums. Nominal tickets, prohibition to sell tickets at the stadium the day of the match, personal inspections to everybody going into the stadium. And all the while the violent never go to jail, and just keep on fighting the police all around.

As fans, we think that things cannot really change unless they focus on heavy punishments to the perpetrators of violence. For too long a time, the stadiums have been a free zone, where the laws do not apply, and they continue to be. Violence in football could be solved with cameras that identify the guilty parties, and with more stewards, and less policemen if possible (on several occassions, violence erupts because of clashesh between the police and hooligans). But we bet that the executives will think long and hard, and still do nothing effective. In the end, maybe they will decide that it will be possible to watch football only on TV; on the channels they own, of course.

Challenge is the key word of first Ronaldo's press conference. The Brazilian said this word for many and many times during his first press conference today, noon CET, at Hotel Executive in Milan. More than 100 journalists, alongside of Ronaldo AC Milan CEO, Adriano Galliani. The manager starts the conference with a short statement: “Everybody knows who is Ronaldo, and this transfer has just technical reasons, in spite of the media impact of the player. We wanted him already in August, on day 24th we understood that there were no requirements, but we said goodbye, it wasn’t a farewell”

Then, the question time starts, here below some questions and answers.

J: The Arabs had a big mass of money for you, why did you choose Milan?
R: This is my life’s most important challenge, a sport challenge for which I refused a lot of money. I had offers from Saudi Arabia and from the US, I could stay in Madrid but I want to show againt to the whole world that I’m not over, I have a great enthusiasm.

J: Any doubt in choosing AC Milan, after your 5 years at Inter?
R: No doubts, I have had a beautiful history at Inter but now there’s a new challenge to face (again, we say) and I’m very happy, I have accepted immediately. There’s been some troubles in the negotiation, but since first Milan approach I decided to accept their offer.

J: You will see many changes here, what do you expect outside the ground, especially Inter fans?
R: Surely I’d like that people that were with me and now are on the other side of the barricades demonstrate respect for me. My history at Inter, again, was so beautiful, but it’s gone awry, I’ve been sent away, almost obliged by the coach (Cuper). I’m in Milan once again and I am very happy.

J: Did you think of Moratti and what he should have said?
R: No, everybody chooses his own road, I hope to do right for all these people that welcomed me in a very good way. I wish Moratti good luck, but I stay on my road.

J: A couple of weeks ago, Arrigo Sacchi in an interview said very bad words about you: “Ronaldo is a player that hates rules and don’t train as he should.
R: I have respect for rules, always trained and done what they told me to do. I don’t understand his statements but everybody is free to say what he wants. I have won a lot, nobody never gave me anything, I made it with a lot of sacrifices

J: A lot has been said and written, about the fact that you’re not like before and you don’t have enthusiasm
R: I have already said this, just being here is a big thrust, I refused many opportunities, but I want to show I’m still here, don’t matter about money

J: Materazzi invited Inter fans to go light with you
R: I’m not interested in what they think on the other side

J: Did you speak to Berlusconi? And what is your personal idea about Milan?
R: I talked to him, he gave me his warm welcome, I’m happy about this. Well, the game vs. Roma went wrong, but I’m sure things are getting better

Second half of Serie A starts this weekend, and everybody is waiting for an Inter false step. This championship is a sort of dictatorship. This time is Fiorentina trying to trip the Nerazzurri at San Siro, and it would be a revenge of the match played in September when Inter won 3-2 with Cambiasso’s and Toni’s doubles and the goal of Ibrahimovic. Mutu and Ujfalusi are disqualified but Mancini is distrustful and says Toni can support by himself the attack of the Viola. Inter will have Adriano-Ibra as forwards, Crespo still a little bit out of form and will seat on the bench. Last time in San Siro, on September 2005 for day 5, Inter won 1-0. It could be Inter’s thirteenth consecutive win: here in Italy, 13 is a lucky number, not like in Anglo-Saxon countries.

Roma travels to Livorno and it won’t be easy: Spalletti has to think up a new midfield, as De Rossi, Pizarro and Cassetti won’t play. The Tuscanian coach is thinking of Chivu as midfielder, let’s see. Livorno away is a hard nut to crack, especially after what happened this week: the heavy defeat in Bergamo (1-5), the president who sacks coach Arrigoni and players’ riot that makes Spinelli change his mind (we already talked about this, here). It’s obvious today the Amaranto of Livorno will do all their best to prove Spinelli’s decision was wrong.

The Sunday night game is at Stadio Olimpico in Roma, where Lazio and Milan will play for a place in UCL qualifying rounds (ok, maybe it’s too early, but we think this could be the duel for forth place). Here main issue is the decision taken by Lazio technical staff not to put Massimo Oddo in the players’ list for the match. The reason is: AC Milan probably will sign him already in January, so Lazio coach Rossi doesn’t want him to play against his next club. It’s absurd because it sounds like questioning his professionalism, especially foe the captain, meaning that he is respected by the club more than any other player. “Oddo won’t play because he asked to go away, not because is dealing with Milan” Delio Rossi says. Should we believe? He already asked to go away, even before other matches, but he always played.

Here you have the complete list of today’s matches (3PM CET), in brackets the first round result:
Inter-Fiorentina (3-2), Livorno-Roma (0-2), Catania-Cagliari (1-0), Siena-Chievo (2-1), Udinese-Messina (0-1), Empoli-Sampdoria (2-1), Parma-Torino (1-1). This evening (8.30PM CET) Lazio-Milan (1-2). On Saturday, Atalanta won away at Ascoli (3-1), draw without goals between Reggina and Palermo.

Well, the average level of the Italian league fell-in after its enlargement to 20 teams, then some top teams have been penalized and cannot fight for final win, but Inter’s record is something really difficult to make.

The first winning match was the 4-1 vs. Livorno, but the 4-3 win in the derby last October was the sparkle that started this long strip that is still open but since yesterday, after the 3-1 vs Torino, is the longest all time in Serie A. The match at “Stadio Olimpico” in Turin was not easy in the forecast, you never know what may happen after Christmas holidays –in fact in Serie B Juventus lost away at Mantova-, and Torino was in a good shape and could make some problems to Javier Zanetti & c.

The problem for other teams is that Inter has physical, technical and strategic supremacy over any rival it ever had in this season, at least in National championship.Yesterday in Turin, Adriano scored first goal, a header after a perfect cross by Maicon, an underrated player that, as a friend of mine -a journalist- says, in another context would have already been named “the new Cafù”.

First half finished with other three chances for Inter, again a header by Adriano and a shot of the Brazilian striker finished out, then a far shoot by Vieira saved by Torino goalie, Abbiati. In second half, Torino never gave the feeling of being a danger the Nerazzurri, but at 58’ Fiore tried to serve Stellone but the ball touched the famous Materazzi’s chest, beating Julio Cesar: 1-1.

Well, great teams come out in difficult times. Do you know how many time passed for Inter to score its 2-1 goal? Thirteen (13) seconds after the kick-off! And Ibrahimovic’s goal is one of the best in the season, the Swedish was so good in keeping the ball not too high and its angle shot finished into the far corner. Torino was never able to come close to the draw, and at the end Vieira served Adriano with a beautiful chip pass and Abbiati committed a foul on Adriano that was going to goal: red card to Torino goalie, Materazzi scores from 11 metres, it’s the final 3-1 goal.

Now, after AS Roma’s draw in Messina (1-1), Inter Milan has a 9 pts advantage at the end of the first half.

You can see here the highlights of the match, please click here and then click on “highlights” on top at the right.

Ok, we’re addicted to football, but three weeks without it are really too much for anyone. Here in Italy, we do not have the good British tradition to play more than usual during Christmas holidays, but we have never had such a long stop. It’s really a nonsense to play three-time in a week, between Dec. 17th and 23rd, and then hole up. We understand that playing friendly matches in Bahrain or in the Arab Emirates can make you earn some millions of Euro, but Italian fans are certainly unhappy about that.

Consequences of a long stop. We don’t have to be surprised if Serie A –a long time ago number one in Europe- is now fourth in attendance, after Bundesliga, La Liga and Premiership. Christmas holidays are a nice period, schools are closed and so a lot of offices. People have a lot of time to spend in fun, and go to the Stadium for a football match is supposed to be a leisure activity: unfortunately, players are elsewhere. This is just one of the reasons (others are uncomfortable stadiums, without parking, etc., and violence everywhere) of a fall that seems to go on.

Transfers. “Calciomercato” is occupying a large part of the newspapers, not only because of January window, but also regarding next season. You can read a lot of bullshit, and it’s not easy to understand if there is something true, or at least seeming. Consider that a club like Juventus, which is a glorious club but now in Serie B and still fighting to be promoted, according to the sport press could have this team next year: Buffon, Zapata, Grygera, Barzagli, Heinze, Amantino Mancini, Malouda, Mavuba, Nedved, Klose (Claudio Pizarro), Ronaldo…
Roberto Mancini is still waiting for his contract renewal at Inter Milan, and incredibly coach and chairman Moratti are discussing about…the doctor: Mancini had an argument with doctor Combi and wants his dismissal as a condition to accept a new contract. Let’s wait and see, Josè Mourinho could join Inter together with Cristiano Ronaldo. 2008 is the centenary year, Massimo Moratti has 100 million Euro to spend for signing new players, and the Portuguese is one of the candidates to wear the black and blue jersey.

Sexual doping, or just an excuse? The lack of football matches makes us talk also about gossip. AC Milan striker Marco Borriello has recently tested positive for prednisolone, a banned substance based on cortisone, after AC Milan-AS Roma. Now Argentinean showgirl Belen Rodriguez, Borriello’s girlfriend, says it wasn’t doping, but only love. She states doping was due to an unprotected sexual love, as she took an ointment to heal an infection, but also the AC Milan forward caught same infection and took same ointment, which contained the banned substance. Some doctors say this is not possible, as this kind of medicine are not absorbed by the liver. So, as Borriello is wating for counter-analysis, this seems to be an excuse, such as Fernando Couto’s shampoo, containing –according to the defender- a little bit of nandrolone.

Inter the strongest, Catania the nice surprise, AS Roma the team playing best football, AC Milan the most unsatisfying. These are the results of a survey by a press agency that asked to almost all Serie A coaches their opinion on some questions about 2006.

In particular, they were asked to point out:
1) The strongest team, the nice and the bad surprise.
2) Which team played best football?
3) Players in the spotlight
4) In which percentage “Calciopoli” influenced this season?
5) Will new referees’ inexperience influence this season?

According to most of them Inter Milan is the strongest team, except five coaches that pointed out AS Roma, including Inter coach Roberto Mancini. Catania is a newcomer, but the Sicilians are now fighting for a Champions League spot and they still have to play the match vs Empoli, postponed for bad ground conditions. That’s why the majority of coaches consider Catania the team that did good beyond expectation.

On the contrary, AC Milan is the team that did worse than reasonable expectations, though Ancelotti didn’t give an answer to that (he knows AC Milan had a very bad first half, but everybody there is already in low spirits and he doesn’t want to make things worse). AC Parma’s Pioli honestly says his team was very bad. For almost all coaches AS Roma is the team showing best football (but Mancini says Lazio), while according to them there are two players in the spotlight: Quagliarella (UC Sampdoria) and elder forward Riganò, Messina.

Except for Mancini and Guidolin (Palermo), who don’t answer, Calciopoli scandal is influencing the season for more than 50%, especially because of Juventus’ absence and other teams’ penalization. Only one coach, Arrigoni (Livorno), says it was a real catastrophe just because fans are loosing their faith in football.

At the end, according to the totality of managers, referee’s inexperience won’t influence the season: maybe they can make mistakes, but they won’t privilege anybody in particular.
Please forgive us for all this little talk about nothing, but Serie A will restart only on January 13th! ;)

PS I wish a great 2007 to all Olè Olè guys!

Christmas is just round the corner, but the season is intense and players will join their families only this evening, after day 18 in Serie A. Kick off is at 3pm everywhere, so unusual in these years of pay-tv, and this has the taste of a time when people could only listen to the radio great speakers as Sandro Ciotti and Enrico Ameri. Then, at 6 pm, everybody was watching “90° minuto” on the TV, with the highlights of all the matches.

Really, we’re not so nostalgic, anyway we like to remember a way to live football in the past, especially from the media point of view. Recently, we also had a couple of books celebrating this legendary TV show, “Quando c’era 90° minuto” (Once upon a time 90° minuto) by Antonio Dipollina, and “Il meglio di 90° minuto” (The best of 90° minuto). The peculiarity was that highlights were not commented by Sport-Journalists, but by reporter of the local office of Italian public TV. Necessarily, they were also fans of the local team, and some times they were sending each other messages as if they were ultras or something similar.

After two decades, we look back with tenderness, and we’re conscious that -despite many people say they are disgusted by modern football- evolution and progress is always welcome. Personally, I am absolutely happy about media coverage of football events now, and it’s not because of the overdose of football on TV if we have less people going to the stadium. Maybe here in Italy we could improve stadiums architecture, making them similar to the English ones, while now they are uncomfortable and dangerous.

Ok, I was almost forgetting that this afternoon there is day 18 in Serie A. So, let’s say that new “Winter Champion” Inter would like to finish 2006 with a win, but Atalanta is a test-bed for Mancini’s boys, especially for the absence of Ibrahimovic, Materazzi, Samuel, Cordoba. 20 y.o. defender Marco Andreolli could be in the starting 11. Atalanta is a newcomer but they play a very good football. AS Roma faces Cagliari at home, AC Milan has Udinese away after doping scandal of its forward Marco Borriello, suspended by FIGC, waiting for counter analysis. Siena-Palermo, Reggina-Empoli, Fiorentina-Messina, Catania-Sampdoria, Ascoli-Chievo, Parma-Lazio and Livorno-Torino are the other matches.

Three games in a week, then the longest stop we’ve ever seen in serie A between Dec. 24th to Jan 14th. This evening we’re in the middle of the “Tour de Force”, with Inter Milan and AS Roma away for very dangerous matches. In particular, it won’t be easy for Inter at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The Nerazzurri has a very bad tradition against SS Lazio, its “bete noir”. They lost twice a scudetto there at the very last game, in 1935 and 2002, with the same score: 4-2. Inter fans don’t forget Ronaldo seated on the bench after the substitution, sobbing like a baby, on that damned 5th of May.

Today it’s another Inter, not only for technical characteristics but also for its strength of mind. Even Adriano’s delay last Monday, when he didn’t show up in the morning training session, something that would have created a case last year, has been tolerated by coach Mancini. So, the Brazilian striker is in today’s match list. SS Lazio is in good shape, after its win in Rome derby the Biancocelesti drew in Livorno (but they deserved to win) and still want to confirm the tradition: last win at the Olimpico for Moratti’s team is dated March 3rd, 1996: 1-0 with an own goal by Alessandro Nesta. Will Inter invert the course? Mancini, former Lazio player and coach, hopes so.

Another “Stadio Olimpico”, this time in Turin, is the stage of the second most important match of day 17, Torino-AS Roma. The Turinese, after a bad beginning of season, has marked 13 points in last six games, drawing only with Milan away. Coach Zaccheroni is very experienced, and President Cairo did well leaving him at his place,even when everybody was asking his dismissal. Young star Alessandro Rosina is new idol for the Granata fans. It won’t be easy also for AS Roma, despite the good match Sunday night (4-0 to Palermo). By the way, for January transfers session the Giallorossi have signed Francesco Tavano, on loan from Valencia.

Elsewhere, Palermo can take its revenge, playing home against taillight Ascoli, AC Milan needs an important success facing outsider Catania (the Sicilian are fourth, fighting for UCL qualifying). Atalanta vs Udinese, Messina vs Parma, Chievo vs Reggina, Sampdoria vs Livorno, Empoli vs Siena (a Tuscany derby) and Cagliari vs Fiorentina complete day 17. We just hope this evening we won’t see all referees’ mistakes as last Sunday, when everybody (players, coaches, executives) made a scene for everything.

Living in Rome without being a fan of Roma or Lazio allows you to see things with neutral eyes. The very first time you meet someone, be sure he (or she) will ask you “Which football team do you support?”, and will behave towards you depending on your answer. Of course, if you are –for example- an Inter Milan or a Juventus fan, they will try to make you change your mind and –if you won’t- they’ll look at you with a little compassion, never involving you in football discussions. Except if you come from another part of Italy.

The week before the derby , everywhere you go you can hear people of any age, sex, classes talk about Totti’s ankle or Lazio coach Rossi saying he will dive into a famous fountain if his team wins.
AS Roma fans, as usual, claim they’re Rome first team, and say Lazio fans are “burini”, meaning they all come from the countryside in the surroundings of the capital, while “true Romans” are 100% yellow and red. On the contrary, Lazio fans are claiming they are the first team in Rome, as Lazio was founded in 1900, while AS Roma came out of the merger of three different football teams, in 1927. Well, this is just a sample of the way people live the moments before the most important match of the year.

Then, one hour before the kick-off, streets are empty: people are inside the Olympic Stadium or watching the game on TV, at home or in one of the many pubs in the city. The only voice you can hear is the TV commentator’s one, unless nothing important happens. But when someone scores, obviously people shout or curse.

Yesterday, it happened that SS Lazio won 3-0, and this is not usual. Consider that in 2000, when Lazio won the scudetto, they lost 4-1, and Roma scored its 4 goals in 25 minutes. So, you can imagine this morning in offices, pubs, supermarkets: you could see someone smiling and showing 3 fingers to an angry friend of his, and in some popular quarters small groups of old men shouting and arguing. Be sure that this goes on until April 29th, when AS Roma may have its revenge in the second derby of the season.

PS: last night coach Rossi really dived into the fountain, with 10°C…