Italy: What have they done for you lately?

Why are you all fighting!? Nothing huge happening in soccer - so we’re mentioning hockey. We’re just waiting for the great news about soccer to come.

Sucks Roma lost. They are my fav - go Roma go!

Posted from  Canada

You know me Catherine, I am a aggitator.

Posted from  Canada

Ac Milan lost to Palermo…. AC Milan is my team whats going on… And Gilardino is one of my favourites Why hasnt he scored…. But Congradulations Nesta on baby Sofia mwaa

Posted from  Australia

Seedorf is the heart of AC.

Posted from  Canada

I love Seedorf!

It was a mistake not having him on the national team.

Posted from  Canada

I love Seedorf!

It was a mistake not having him on the *Holland* national team.

Posted from  Canada

** in case anyone gets confused.

Posted from  Canada

Fergurson, it wasn’t the worst scandal in soccer history. Learn your history. It was a stupid and foolish comment. Francois, please. While both Italy and France are cultural giants you vastly under estimate the influence of Italy upon Western culture. In some cases it is far heavier than France. You’re quite the selective Gaul. Your commetns are hilarious to a historian like me.

Posted from  Canada

One other thing about the ‘what else is new about Italy’ comment by Fergurson. If people think for one minute corruption does not happen everywhere (including England and Germany. The latter going through its own issues) they are delusional. French corruption is quite the spectacle itself. What separates the Italian way from all others is that it suffers from no pretentious beliefs. It’s in the open. It’s a fact of life and it is what it is. Whereas in England, corruption is hidden away in a sophisticated Victorian manner. They CHOOSE to hide it. You bought into it. Wake up. JUst rereading Francois’s stuff. It shutters me to think of the French edication sstem. Obviously, they conveniently overlook the Italian masters who helped design and build France including Paris. Nice and the FRench Riviera is Italian at its core. In the 20th and 21st century, one of the most overlooked fact of Italian industry and manufacturing is its UNPARALLED achievements in modern avant-garde design since the 1950s. The Italians were always at the center of high culture and standards. Even when they were hundreds of years ahead, the French always snickered at Italy - including when it came to cooking. Catherine de Medici was the one who modernized the ‘barbarians.’ More people flock to Italy to learn a specific trade than any other nation since the Renaissance. That said, I deliberately focused on Italy to counter Francois’s drivel. France is a great nation (as are England and Germany) that I visit often but their condescension towards Italy is absolutely absurd. The big four are embroiled in a friendly rivalry. The problem is that Italy represents the Latin and Mediterranean world (more than France since they have the option of being both) and Northerners don’t like it one bit. As for soccer, forget the 3-1 game - (an offside goal, Semioli’s miss and an own goal and that game is different) France played awesome but took advantage of an Italian team in transition. A team under a new coach, their pro season hadn’t started and were clearly spent. Plus the fact that France has Italy’s number these past few years just like Italy has Germany’s number. That’s sports for you and it is fun. But cry all you want, Italy remains champions. Call it even. In 2000, Italy outclassed France and shut down Zidane. France pulled it off. As for Zidane, I know in France they have convinced themselves Materazzi was the culprit but the fact remains Zidane disgraced himself and his nation. Worse, he and his team mates flat out lied about what was being said on the field. Everyone is so quick to point out Italian indiscretions and poor sportsmanship but are all too willing give a pass to the nonsense of other countries. Look at the idiocy of F1 teams who cry like pampered Euro-trash about Ferrari. Each time Ferrari wins it’s fricken conspiracy. When Renault or Mclaren or any other team wins it’s ok. Before 1998, support for French soccer was lukewarm. Now all of a suddent ey come claimng to be these geniuses. I actually like the way France plays - and personally I am happy they have finally found success - but give me a break. Italians have always supported soccer to the maximum through the dark and good days. They deserve their victory.France should look in the mirror on that one. Maybe they are upset that they got fooled by a fool? End of story.

Posted from  Canada

Woo Alex! All the critisim following the azzurri is just pure jealosly its heartless and hypocritical they WON the WORLD CUP they didnt win it for no reason get a hold of yourselfs and be perceptive before u jump the gun and critise the Italians think about the teams u follow and stop being so hypocrtical and agrogant and for goodness sake Materazzi was insulted first by Zidane and then Zidane clearly lost the plot and disgraced himself so stop Whinging as Italia champion del mondo é 2006 per sempre

Posted from  Australia

forza palermo oggi a giocato molto bene battendo la fiorentina 3- 2

Posted from  United States

Yes forza palermo…. Ac milan should have beat inter…. Forza Rossoneri sono estremamente migliori di Internazionale va va va

Posted from  Australia

Mafia
Moggi
Materazzi

Mmmmmhhh !

Posted from  Germany

palermo-samp- 2-0 forza palermo

Posted from  United States

By me exposing all expat from South Africa for their racist forumn and websites,eveery time that I want to post comments a blank screen comes up on my computor,and also the Mail&Guardian has blanked me out,and cannot post comments,as that paper seems to have also blanked me out,but was a registered member of their forumns,no reasons given just a blank screen,as my mission is to expose racism on Expat websites Australia is the one country that has many websites run by expat South Africans,to expose the bad about South Africa is one thing,but to be racist about that,is un democratic,so please advice me if I am right or wrong Karooseun

Posted from  Australia

I thank you for you for publishing my post in which I pointed out the undemocratic,way that I have been banned or blackmailed for exposing the truth about racists comments by expats from South Africa,that are also trying to have the world cup 2010 taken away from South Africa,they are asking all expats to sign a petition,why deny other South Africans the right to have and see an internatiobal game,please would others either support families and friends back home to be able to enjoy a good game of soccer,they have to also be part of sport,it helps them to cope with the problems of their life,that is what sport is all about Thanks Karooseun

Posted from  Australia

To all expat South African websites,I write under the heading of Karooseun,and that is the name that I use to expose racism,and not the freedom of other expat South Africans to their right to expose the wrongs and the bad of the beloved country,it is their right to have their views and opinions about the bad in the country,but not to be racist about their comments Karooseun

Posted from  Australia

>>>

Hey Hiltey,
you can add another M to the list:
Marius Caius. A Roman General who 2,000 years ago did a job on 2 German peoples, the Cimbri and Teutones.
If it wasn’t for him, there would be probably 20 millions more Germans in Europe.

Mark

Posted from  United States

Hallo dear Mark,

mark you: through your comment I was reminded of a similar affair way back in history. What I am referring to is the far more famous event in which some Roman commander Varus was utterly demolished by Hermann near the Teutoburger Wald. It scared the shit out of the Romans for a very long time. And it saved us from having spaghetti suckers as indigenous guys around here. :-))

Posted from  Germany

Hi Mark,
mark you: there was an even more important event way back in history. It was when the Roman commander Varius got the shit beaten out of him at the Teutoburger Wald. Romans kept clear from Northern Germany from that time on. Saved us from having spaghetti suckers as natives here - ugggghhh !

Posted from  Germany

Right, Hiltibrant…after that great victory, Germans survived, allowing your culture reach great achievements that the world will remember eternally:

1) Destruction of Roman Empire and Europe in dark age for 1000 years

2) Nazism, second world war and millions of deaths

You have a lot to be proud of.

PS: Hermann won betraying Varo

Posted from  France

Hey Hilty,the subject was Italian names starting by M.
But since you mention Teutoburger Wald, let’s clear upt hat story:
1) Hermann (Arminius) was a traitor, who feigning friendship, led the Romans into an ambush;
2) A few years after Teutoburger Wald, Germanicus Caesar beat the stuffing out of Arminius and his Germans near present day Bremen;
3) In that battle,Hermann ran away so fast that the Romans captured his wife Thusnelda and his personal belongings;
4) Germanicus Caesar pursued him from the North Sea into the present Czech Republic.
5) There he was finally killed by his own people, the Cherusci, because he was a troublemaker.
6) Then the Cherusci returned to their old land by trhe North Sea and became frends of the Romans for centuries.
That’s the story of your famous hero, who was cursed by his father, his brother, and his own people.

Posted from  United States

Hallo dear victrix,

it is always a cheap way of arguing with a German national
if you refer to the terrible,
ignominious NAZI past. Will the likes of you be still doing so in, say, 2021, 2237, 2701 ?

I, born in 1942, do feel helpless then. I lost my religion when in my formative years I learned of the full extent to which indescribably inhuman deeds - no, that’s too euphemistic - inhuman strategically planned
genocide was perpetrated.

I readiliy admit that the NAZI atrocities may be almost unparalleled in world history, though (I can’t refrain
from adding this) there are
lots of other genocide cases and similar examples in history (USA: “exterminating” Native Americans”,SPAIN: “exter-
minating” an estimated million of so-called Indios in Latin America - just to mention some more “prominent” examples.

Although in minor dimensions, (due to their minor capacities only), let us not forget what Italians perpetratrated in North Eastern Africa. Let us not forget, either, what ancient Rome, apart from undoubtedly fruitful cultural influences, contributed to the history of mass murder and inhumanity in general.

In the the light of this it is hard for me to add the word “but”.

Still, I will do so.
But: We - you and I, and others, too - have been talking here about the PAST - Varus, Hermann, the Nazis and what else.

Now mark my point:

All I was saying in my above statemant was, and I repeat myself:

“Mafia
Moggi
Materazzi

Mmmmmhhh ! ”

Well then:
Hermann belongs to the past,
right ?

Varus belongs to the past, right?

And all the other afore-men-tioned stuff and/or personell belong(s) to the past,
right?

Now you answer the following question(s):

Does / Do

Mafia
Moggi
Materazzi

belong to the past

???

THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT, DUDE !!!

YOU ARE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM A BLAME BY SIMPLY REFERRING TO
SOME PAST THAT SEEMINGLY VINDICATES YOUR MISERABLE PRESENT.

Cheap trick, indeed.

You won’t get away with this.

Sorry about an error above: With respect to “exterminating” so-called Indios it should read “13 million” instead of “million”.

Hilty, you are talking about
“YOUR MISERABLE PRESENT”.
What are you referring to?

—-the fact that Italians are presently sad, depressed and miserable?
I don’t think so : we like wine, music women and song.

—-the fact that we are poor?
I don’t think so: look at the average income of each individual of the 4 largest
European economies in 2005:
Germany $ 30,100
UK $ 30,100
France $ 29,600
Italy $ 28,700
So if you have $1.00. I have 96 cents. Am I much poorer than you?

—-or maybe by “MISERABLE PRESENT” you are referring to the 2 goals we presented you with, in the World Cup semifinal?
We know that our present gave you guys ulcers and heart attacks…. and it was an even more miserable present because it all happened in the Fatherland….
but we consider it a great gift!
So long Hilty, and relax:
there is a long time, almost 4 years, before we beat you again in another World Cup.

Mark

Posted from  United States