The Euro 2020 Thread
- Thread starter Isslander
- Start date
Now that really was a controversy.
- Staff
- #1,323
You'd be surprised.
This is just one of many examples that quick youtube search has provided.
I understand that league game and euro cup are on a different level, but we should not just accept that fair play should not be a mindset there.
Dont get me wrong - Im not trying to give you a stick here and I agree that heat should be directed at officials and (especially) VAR.
But fair play starts on the pitch.
Andy
Evoweb Jester/Stadboardmaker.
I know, he really did fowl the keeper badly.
KaKa'225
Kaka'255
- 27 March 2011
By stating it wasnt a good descision I don't think people meant to say England did or didn't deserve a win.
It's just the descision that was really bad especialy becasue its a semi final, they should've checked it propperly
rockstrongo
Retired Footballer
Don't quit your day job luv
What an idiot
What an idiot
Well, fair play for that but what I usually see is this:
Gianluigi Buffon, one of the greatest keepers ever (if not the greatest) stated that "he didn't see anything".
That goal wasn't given. And while you may forgive Buffon because "in a goalmouth scramble you can't always tell if it's in or not" (it was well in FFS), look at THE BLOODY LINESMAN.
Of course no-one dared say anything. 🐷
By the way, Milan lost the league to Juventus that year and I'm sure it was *not* because of this. We threw away points against Fiorentina, Catania, Bologna, Inter (twice)...
But still, everyone seeing this and nobody telling it has been one of the worst moments of football I can remember.
Last edited:
Andy
Evoweb Jester/Stadboardmaker.
I can hear her now "What do you think you are doing? why are you so aggressive to your fans" Pzzzt " we have a player showing signs of the Hulk vax side effect here, send backup" Pzzzt
rockstrongo
Retired Footballer
"hE SaYs he's A fUbalLEr...bUt dOeSNt loOK lIkE ARry"
Fenomeno9
Championship
- 14 March 2020
Not that was some controversy back then, IIRC Galliani was talking about it everyday, he even said he had that picture as screensaver on his mobile.
Now that you mentioned it, the derby from May 2012 comes to my mind. Ibra vs Julio Cesar, that great Maicon goal (I loved this player so much, this one and his goal against Juve are some of my favorite goals ever), a little compensation in a disappointing season for Inter
Marlon Anthony
Purist
I know, I'm well aware of this incident and the few others that are like this but I meant generally especially in an immense game like a Euro semi final, I'm sorry but no one will ever do what was done in this video.
Neuer knew the ball crossed the line in 2010, De Jong knew he should've been sent off for his karate kick, Henry and Maradona knew they handled the ball to gain advantages. Unfortunately the bullet has left the barrel and you can't put it back in.
The precedent has been set in sports that players must practise self preservation and to never incriminate themselves.
Flipper the Priest
International
- 15 July 2003
BOOOOOOOOOI know, he really did fowl the keeper badly.
Flipper the Priest
International
- 15 July 2003
Classic British stewarding that. Failed/wannabe coppers making themselves feel big.
I've been way more gutted with the first leg against Inter, to be honest.
Abate losing that ball and literally sending Milito one on one with the keeper... Awful.
By the way, Maicon was a great player. No doubt.
rockstrongo
Retired Footballer
Same here,unless it's the volunteer stewards/SLO's running it
Carles P.
MegaTron iz ma dear luv'ed gurl.
- 4 October 2017
- non of these ESL clubs
I'm so pissed of because yeasterday evening! Not because England win. More then the how they win...
2 Things:
Very bad substitiutions from Denmark.
And yea It was, like we all know. England = CPU AI + a Konami Referee.
It was never a penalty. Not in EPL so far. But we know what happened.
And an dumb own goal from Kjear.
I could eat a 🌂...
2 Things:
Very bad substitiutions from Denmark.
And yea It was, like we all know. England = CPU AI + a Konami Referee.
It was never a penalty. Not in EPL so far. But we know what happened.
And an dumb own goal from Kjear.
I could eat a 🌂...
The one I remember was when Robbie Fowler got a penalty and tried to tell the ref it wasn't but he still gave it. Fowler then kicked the penalty slowly to the keeper. Top Class sportsmanship. Another was when Di Canio caught the ball to stop play, when it came to him in the box, think someone was injured, forget now what the reason was
I know, he really did fowl the keeper badly.
I'm afraid you're going to have to eggsplain that.
Sadly true. Most would kill their grandmother's for a throw-in now. It could be stamped out though if the FA's had the balls to do it. Retroactive bans for any cheating at all. And call it that, not temper it down with simulation and all that language. For example that video where the player admitted he'd dived and got the referee not to give it, let's assume he didn't and they got the penalty. After match retroactive ban, he gets 3 games for cheating. Bit like the stocks, shame them.
Very true. Particularly if you're an away fan.
- Staff
- #1,338
Yes, or when a team scored accidental goal when trying to give the ball back and then they all decided to just stand still and let the other team score.
This clip today took me through a rabbit youtube hole and I watched shit loads of "fair play / beautiful moments in football"
And I had tears in my eyes watching some of them. This sport really can be beautiful..
I know Im naive in thinking that players will put fair play before their hunger for win. Im a sucker this way. Always was.
But, again, I really think England deserved to win this. So fuck it. Lets move on.
Carles P.
MegaTron iz ma dear luv'ed gurl.
- 4 October 2017
- non of these ESL clubs
But all along side. I'm happy for Hendo and all evoweb members from the UK, congrats!
not a footeball brexit 🤭
Flipper the Priest
International
- 15 July 2003
Chance would be a fine thing here. More often than not the SLOs here are just lightning rods for complaints about pies and ticket availability. Crowd management is left to hi-vis hired goons.
I got an interview for the SLO role at Aberdeen when it became a full-time job. All the skills, nailed the interview. But I learned since that it was in the bag for an existing employee (a week before the interviews someone at the club kept referring to the SLO as "she" in conversation). But I think I dodged a bullet. She's great, but it's just an extension of her old role in ticket office customer services.
rockstrongo
Retired Footballer
That sucks man.
An SLO should (must ) represent the fans.
We've always had good ones,people you've been up and down the country on bus with for years.
Sounds like you're better off without pal if that's how the SLO's operate over there.
Sounds like puppets placed out by the club to "please/monitor" their own people (fans).
Very rarely have security in our stands trying anything against our ultras.
The police on the other hand...
But even there,rarely in the stands.
Fenomeno9
Championship
- 14 March 2020
Yes, that one I remember, too. Abate/Milito brings another memory to my mind but I will not continue here
You are so right about Maicon, especially when you compare him to most of the other sidebacks that Inter had over the past 25 years or something.
--
Now back to the Euro topic and the many interesting posts I read here, I want to share a story that I remember when I read about that lady and her son and some 'fans' telling them to go 'home'. It reminded me of the summer 2006 and what happened after one game of football. Being born in GER but also having Italian background, it was all good until the two countries played in the semifinals. This WC was big fun, Germany played some exciting football (anybody who has seen them in earlier tournaments like WC 2002 will know), plus the weather was great for weeks so it felt like a big football party nobody could escape from.
Until then I supported them both so it was a bit strange as I remember during this 120 min thriller I somehow wanted both to score and the other to defend successfully at the same time, although the atmosphere already got heated after Frings was banned by FIFA for punching an Argentina player after their game in the quarterfinals. It was said that Italian media played a part in that decision, so the old mafia clichees came up again. Mix that with a bit of the "Calciopoli" scandal that had just started and an omnipresent man named Silvio Berlusconi (basicly the personification of thoe stereotypes) and there he was, the f---ing pizza and spaghetti eating cheater that just showed up to ruin what they called the Summer Fairy Tale.
I was ignoring it or tried to calm down but after the game it got worse, and guess what, it did not help what was happening in the final against France. I felt like people considered me a snitch or something because not only did I not share their negative views on Italian football at all (that sometimes turned into rants about Italian people and the country in general), but me actually being a fan and related to that country, for every 2 years in summer I turned into some kind of an enemy for some people that spent the rest of the year as my classmates and colleagues. I still remember the smile in their faces after Italy losing to the Netherlands and Spain in Euro 2008, but that was nothing to what I experienced in the summer of 2010:
When the WC started there was a song by a guy singing that he does not care who is going to win the trophy as long as is not Italy, I think they even played that in German TV shortly before an Italy game. I noticed how some guys at my workplace I was cool with or at least never had a problem with before suddenly treated me differently as the WC started. First words when I showed up were not a "good morning" but a spiteful "what was wrong with Italy yesterday", with a gleeful smile in their face (some people need to get a life, right), but not only that but I also heard they were talking behind my back about me being an oily haired latin faced mother's boy that when Italy was out of the WC quickly turned into their personification of any other Southern European or American team (guess what, they did not like any of them), and it did not help that I was using Spanish at work for communication with clients. I've never been a fan of La Furia Roja but that one night Puyol gave me a real satisfaction after feeling bullied for weeks. Things got better when it was all over but I had a stomach ache for weeks fearing another Italy v Germany that actually happened in 2012 because of all that. Say what you want about Balotelli but I thank him so much for these two goals. I felt like it got better over the years as time always goes on and everybody is getting older and (hopefully) more mature, certain guys find a new job, Germany winning 2014 WC (another disappointing tournament for Italy, but actually this time many felt sorry because of the Suárez/Chiellini incident) and ending the losing streak against Italy in tournaments in 2016. Long story short, we should not take too serious what should just be to our enjoyment (and what an enjoyment this sport can be), not pay too much attention to people talking BS and focus on the positive things. I still can't see myself become a supporter of what some nowadays like to call "Die Mannschaft" again though, but it made my love and appreciation for Italy so much stronger. I know many Italian fans living in Germany feel simliar, even though it is clear that the situation at my working place was kind of extreme with some really poor guys having complexes or something.
That said, I guess every nation has these and those fans. Honestly, when I thought about English football fans in the past, what came to my mind often was that shirtless big belly bald headed guy that has a six pack of beer for breakfast while reading a copy of The Sun with another one of those 2nd World War related headlines when England played Germany. Stereotypes, right... I am glad to see all the kind and humble guys from all over the world here that love football and just want their team to win just like I do. Let us all hope for a good, clean game on Sunday. I must say it is funny that for the first time I can remember the majority of German fans could be pro Italy because of that penalty with the laserpointer, on top of that against the very popular Danes. And let's not forget you are still another rival of the Germans, although to me it always seemed as if that rivalry mattered more to the English fans while in Germany it was more fun for fans to sing that they will go to the World Cup without the Dutch (I can't remember they did the same when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008).
V
valenpppp
Guest
*Denmark wins the Euros after the team that knocked them out gets banned*
People born before 1992: "Hey I've seen this before!"
Gen Z: "What do you mean? It's brand new"
Marlon Anthony
Purist
Yup, saw a couple of those myself.
But again however can you imagine Croatia stepping aside and allowing Spain to equalise in their last 16 match after the back pass howler? 🤔
KaKa'225
Kaka'255
- 27 March 2011
Nice story.Yes, that one I remember, too. Abate/Milito brings another memory to my mind but I will not continue here
You are so right about Maicon, especially when you compare him to most of the other sidebacks that Inter had over the past 25 years or something.
--
Now back to the Euro topic and the many interesting posts I read here, I want to share a story that I remember when I read about that lady and her son and some 'fans' telling them to go 'home'. It reminded me of the summer 2006 and what happened after one game of football. Being born in GER but also having Italian background, it was all good until the two countries played in the semifinals. This WC was big fun, Germany played some exciting football (anybody who has seen them in earlier tournaments like WC 2002 will know), plus the weather was great for weeks so it felt like a big football party nobody could escape from.
Until then I supported them both so it was a bit strange as I remember during this 120 min thriller I somehow wanted both to score and the other to defend successfully at the same time, although the atmosphere already got heated after Frings was banned by FIFA for punching an Argentina player after their game in the quarterfinals. It was said that Italian media played a part in that decision, so the old mafia clichees came up again. Mix that with a bit of the "Calciopoli" scandal that had just started and an omnipresent man named Silvio Berlusconi (basicly the personification of thoe stereotypes) and there he was, the f---ing pizza and spaghetti eating cheater that just showed up to ruin what they called the Summer Fairy Tale.
I was ignoring it or tried to calm down but after the game it got worse, and guess what, it did not help what was happening in the final against France. I felt like people considered me a snitch or something because not only did I not share their negative views on Italian football at all (that sometimes turned into rants about Italian people and the country in general), but me actually being a fan and related to that country, for every 2 years in summer I turned into some kind of an enemy for some people that spent the rest of the year as my classmates and colleagues. I still remember the smile in their faces after Italy losing to the Netherlands and Spain in Euro 2008, but that was nothing to what I experienced in the summer of 2010:
When the WC started there was a song by a guy singing that he does not care who is going to win the trophy as long as is not Italy, I think they even played that in German TV shortly before an Italy game. I noticed how some guys at my workplace I was cool with or at least never had a problem with before suddenly treated me differently as the WC started. First words when I showed up were not a "good morning" but a spiteful "what was wrong with Italy yesterday", with a gleeful smile in their face (some people need to get a life, right), but not only that but I also heard they were talking behind my back about me being an oily haired latin faced mother's boy that when Italy was out of the WC quickly turned into their personification of any other Southern European or American team (guess what, they did not like any of them), and it did not help that I was using Spanish at work for communication with clients. I've never been a fan of La Furia Roja but that one night Puyol gave me a real satisfaction after feeling bullied for weeks. Things got better when it was all over but I had a stomach ache for weeks fearing another Italy v Germany that actually happened in 2012 because of all that. Say what you want about Balotelli but I thank him so much for these two goals. I felt like it got better over the years as time always goes on and everybody is getting older and (hopefully) more mature, certain guys find a new job, Germany winning 2014 WC (another disappointing tournament for Italy, but actually this time many felt sorry because of the Suárez/Chiellini incident) and ending the losing streak against Italy in tournaments in 2016. Long story short, we should not take too serious what should just be to our enjoyment (and what an enjoyment this sport can be), not pay too much attention to people talking BS and focus on the positive things. I still can't see myself become a supporter of what some nowadays like to call "Die Mannschaft" again though, but it made my love and appreciation for Italy so much stronger. I know many Italian fans living in Germany feel simliar, even though it is clear that the situation at my working place was kind of extreme with some really poor guys having complexes or something.
That said, I guess every nation has these and those fans. Honestly, when I thought about English football fans in the past, what came to my mind often was that shirtless big belly bald headed guy that has a six pack of beer for breakfast while reading a copy of The Sun with another one of those 2nd World War related headlines when England played Germany. Stereotypes, right... I am glad to see all the kind and humble guys from all over the world here that love football and just want their team to win just like I do. Let us all hope for a good, clean game on Sunday. I must say it is funny that for the first time I can remember the majority of German fans could be pro Italy because of that penalty with the laserpointer, on top of that against the very popular Danes. And let's not forget you are still another rival of the Germans, although to me it always seemed as if that rivalry mattered more to the English fans while in Germany it was more fun for fans to sing that they will go to the World Cup without the Dutch (I can't remember they did the same when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008).
Loved that Balotelli and the way he celebrated. saw that match in Germany when we (the dutch) were allready knocked out badly.
I remember Germany beating Greece 5-0 so they were very confident going into the italy game. That game was my favourite of the tournament.
And not because of the Germans getting humbled but the atmosphere with all the german flags and anticipation made it a real thriller.
That Italy team was my favourite altough spain were creepy good italy had so much characters in that squad and ofcourse Pirlo.
The games he played against England and Germany... He was special, nostalgia on football boots.
.
PRO_TOO
Team Heffernan
lovely to read pal!Yes, that one I remember, too. Abate/Milito brings another memory to my mind but I will not continue here
You are so right about Maicon, especially when you compare him to most of the other sidebacks that Inter had over the past 25 years or something.
--
Now back to the Euro topic and the many interesting posts I read here, I want to share a story that I remember when I read about that lady and her son and some 'fans' telling them to go 'home'. It reminded me of the summer 2006 and what happened after one game of football. Being born in GER but also having Italian background, it was all good until the two countries played in the semifinals. This WC was big fun, Germany played some exciting football (anybody who has seen them in earlier tournaments like WC 2002 will know), plus the weather was great for weeks so it felt like a big football party nobody could escape from.
Until then I supported them both so it was a bit strange as I remember during this 120 min thriller I somehow wanted both to score and the other to defend successfully at the same time, although the atmosphere already got heated after Frings was banned by FIFA for punching an Argentina player after their game in the quarterfinals. It was said that Italian media played a part in that decision, so the old mafia clichees came up again. Mix that with a bit of the "Calciopoli" scandal that had just started and an omnipresent man named Silvio Berlusconi (basicly the personification of thoe stereotypes) and there he was, the f---ing pizza and spaghetti eating cheater that just showed up to ruin what they called the Summer Fairy Tale.
I was ignoring it or tried to calm down but after the game it got worse, and guess what, it did not help what was happening in the final against France. I felt like people considered me a snitch or something because not only did I not share their negative views on Italian football at all (that sometimes turned into rants about Italian people and the country in general), but me actually being a fan and related to that country, for every 2 years in summer I turned into some kind of an enemy for some people that spent the rest of the year as my classmates and colleagues. I still remember the smile in their faces after Italy losing to the Netherlands and Spain in Euro 2008, but that was nothing to what I experienced in the summer of 2010:
When the WC started there was a song by a guy singing that he does not care who is going to win the trophy as long as is not Italy, I think they even played that in German TV shortly before an Italy game. I noticed how some guys at my workplace I was cool with or at least never had a problem with before suddenly treated me differently as the WC started. First words when I showed up were not a "good morning" but a spiteful "what was wrong with Italy yesterday", with a gleeful smile in their face (some people need to get a life, right), but not only that but I also heard they were talking behind my back about me being an oily haired latin faced mother's boy that when Italy was out of the WC quickly turned into their personification of any other Southern European or American team (guess what, they did not like any of them), and it did not help that I was using Spanish at work for communication with clients. I've never been a fan of La Furia Roja but that one night Puyol gave me a real satisfaction after feeling bullied for weeks. Things got better when it was all over but I had a stomach ache for weeks fearing another Italy v Germany that actually happened in 2012 because of all that. Say what you want about Balotelli but I thank him so much for these two goals. I felt like it got better over the years as time always goes on and everybody is getting older and (hopefully) more mature, certain guys find a new job, Germany winning 2014 WC (another disappointing tournament for Italy, but actually this time many felt sorry because of the Suárez/Chiellini incident) and ending the losing streak against Italy in tournaments in 2016. Long story short, we should not take too serious what should just be to our enjoyment (and what an enjoyment this sport can be), not pay too much attention to people talking BS and focus on the positive things. I still can't see myself become a supporter of what some nowadays like to call "Die Mannschaft" again though, but it made my love and appreciation for Italy so much stronger. I know many Italian fans living in Germany feel simliar, even though it is clear that the situation at my working place was kind of extreme with some really poor guys having complexes or something.
That said, I guess every nation has these and those fans. Honestly, when I thought about English football fans in the past, what came to my mind often was that shirtless big belly bald headed guy that has a six pack of beer for breakfast while reading a copy of The Sun with another one of those 2nd World War related headlines when England played Germany. Stereotypes, right... I am glad to see all the kind and humble guys from all over the world here that love football and just want their team to win just like I do. Let us all hope for a good, clean game on Sunday. I must say it is funny that for the first time I can remember the majority of German fans could be pro Italy because of that penalty with the laserpointer, on top of that against the very popular Danes. And let's not forget you are still another rival of the Germans, although to me it always seemed as if that rivalry mattered more to the English fans while in Germany it was more fun for fans to sing that they will go to the World Cup without the Dutch (I can't remember they did the same when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008).
thanks for that!Yes, that one I remember, too. Abate/Milito brings another memory to my mind but I will not continue here
You are so right about Maicon, especially when you compare him to most of the other sidebacks that Inter had over the past 25 years or something.
--
Now back to the Euro topic and the many interesting posts I read here, I want to share a story that I remember when I read about that lady and her son and some 'fans' telling them to go 'home'. It reminded me of the summer 2006 and what happened after one game of football. Being born in GER but also having Italian background, it was all good until the two countries played in the semifinals. This WC was big fun, Germany played some exciting football (anybody who has seen them in earlier tournaments like WC 2002 will know), plus the weather was great for weeks so it felt like a big football party nobody could escape from.
Until then I supported them both so it was a bit strange as I remember during this 120 min thriller I somehow wanted both to score and the other to defend successfully at the same time, although the atmosphere already got heated after Frings was banned by FIFA for punching an Argentina player after their game in the quarterfinals. It was said that Italian media played a part in that decision, so the old mafia clichees came up again. Mix that with a bit of the "Calciopoli" scandal that had just started and an omnipresent man named Silvio Berlusconi (basicly the personification of thoe stereotypes) and there he was, the f---ing pizza and spaghetti eating cheater that just showed up to ruin what they called the Summer Fairy Tale.
I was ignoring it or tried to calm down but after the game it got worse, and guess what, it did not help what was happening in the final against France. I felt like people considered me a snitch or something because not only did I not share their negative views on Italian football at all (that sometimes turned into rants about Italian people and the country in general), but me actually being a fan and related to that country, for every 2 years in summer I turned into some kind of an enemy for some people that spent the rest of the year as my classmates and colleagues. I still remember the smile in their faces after Italy losing to the Netherlands and Spain in Euro 2008, but that was nothing to what I experienced in the summer of 2010:
When the WC started there was a song by a guy singing that he does not care who is going to win the trophy as long as is not Italy, I think they even played that in German TV shortly before an Italy game. I noticed how some guys at my workplace I was cool with or at least never had a problem with before suddenly treated me differently as the WC started. First words when I showed up were not a "good morning" but a spiteful "what was wrong with Italy yesterday", with a gleeful smile in their face (some people need to get a life, right), but not only that but I also heard they were talking behind my back about me being an oily haired latin faced mother's boy that when Italy was out of the WC quickly turned into their personification of any other Southern European or American team (guess what, they did not like any of them), and it did not help that I was using Spanish at work for communication with clients. I've never been a fan of La Furia Roja but that one night Puyol gave me a real satisfaction after feeling bullied for weeks. Things got better when it was all over but I had a stomach ache for weeks fearing another Italy v Germany that actually happened in 2012 because of all that. Say what you want about Balotelli but I thank him so much for these two goals. I felt like it got better over the years as time always goes on and everybody is getting older and (hopefully) more mature, certain guys find a new job, Germany winning 2014 WC (another disappointing tournament for Italy, but actually this time many felt sorry because of the Suárez/Chiellini incident) and ending the losing streak against Italy in tournaments in 2016. Long story short, we should not take too serious what should just be to our enjoyment (and what an enjoyment this sport can be), not pay too much attention to people talking BS and focus on the positive things. I still can't see myself become a supporter of what some nowadays like to call "Die Mannschaft" again though, but it made my love and appreciation for Italy so much stronger. I know many Italian fans living in Germany feel simliar, even though it is clear that the situation at my working place was kind of extreme with some really poor guys having complexes or something.
That said, I guess every nation has these and those fans. Honestly, when I thought about English football fans in the past, what came to my mind often was that shirtless big belly bald headed guy that has a six pack of beer for breakfast while reading a copy of The Sun with another one of those 2nd World War related headlines when England played Germany. Stereotypes, right... I am glad to see all the kind and humble guys from all over the world here that love football and just want their team to win just like I do. Let us all hope for a good, clean game on Sunday. I must say it is funny that for the first time I can remember the majority of German fans could be pro Italy because of that penalty with the laserpointer, on top of that against the very popular Danes. And let's not forget you are still another rival of the Germans, although to me it always seemed as if that rivalry mattered more to the English fans while in Germany it was more fun for fans to sing that they will go to the World Cup without the Dutch (I can't remember they did the same when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008).
Was that song named "Nur Italien nicht" perhaps?Yes, that one I remember, too. Abate/Milito brings another memory to my mind but I will not continue here
You are so right about Maicon, especially when you compare him to most of the other sidebacks that Inter had over the past 25 years or something.
--
Now back to the Euro topic and the many interesting posts I read here, I want to share a story that I remember when I read about that lady and her son and some 'fans' telling them to go 'home'. It reminded me of the summer 2006 and what happened after one game of football. Being born in GER but also having Italian background, it was all good until the two countries played in the semifinals. This WC was big fun, Germany played some exciting football (anybody who has seen them in earlier tournaments like WC 2002 will know), plus the weather was great for weeks so it felt like a big football party nobody could escape from.
Until then I supported them both so it was a bit strange as I remember during this 120 min thriller I somehow wanted both to score and the other to defend successfully at the same time, although the atmosphere already got heated after Frings was banned by FIFA for punching an Argentina player after their game in the quarterfinals. It was said that Italian media played a part in that decision, so the old mafia clichees came up again. Mix that with a bit of the "Calciopoli" scandal that had just started and an omnipresent man named Silvio Berlusconi (basicly the personification of thoe stereotypes) and there he was, the f---ing pizza and spaghetti eating cheater that just showed up to ruin what they called the Summer Fairy Tale.
I was ignoring it or tried to calm down but after the game it got worse, and guess what, it did not help what was happening in the final against France. I felt like people considered me a snitch or something because not only did I not share their negative views on Italian football at all (that sometimes turned into rants about Italian people and the country in general), but me actually being a fan and related to that country, for every 2 years in summer I turned into some kind of an enemy for some people that spent the rest of the year as my classmates and colleagues. I still remember the smile in their faces after Italy losing to the Netherlands and Spain in Euro 2008, but that was nothing to what I experienced in the summer of 2010:
When the WC started there was a song by a guy singing that he does not care who is going to win the trophy as long as is not Italy, I think they even played that in German TV shortly before an Italy game. I noticed how some guys at my workplace I was cool with or at least never had a problem with before suddenly treated me differently as the WC started. First words when I showed up were not a "good morning" but a spiteful "what was wrong with Italy yesterday", with a gleeful smile in their face (some people need to get a life, right), but not only that but I also heard they were talking behind my back about me being an oily haired latin faced mother's boy that when Italy was out of the WC quickly turned into their personification of any other Southern European or American team (guess what, they did not like any of them), and it did not help that I was using Spanish at work for communication with clients. I've never been a fan of La Furia Roja but that one night Puyol gave me a real satisfaction after feeling bullied for weeks. Things got better when it was all over but I had a stomach ache for weeks fearing another Italy v Germany that actually happened in 2012 because of all that. Say what you want about Balotelli but I thank him so much for these two goals. I felt like it got better over the years as time always goes on and everybody is getting older and (hopefully) more mature, certain guys find a new job, Germany winning 2014 WC (another disappointing tournament for Italy, but actually this time many felt sorry because of the Suárez/Chiellini incident) and ending the losing streak against Italy in tournaments in 2016. Long story short, we should not take too serious what should just be to our enjoyment (and what an enjoyment this sport can be), not pay too much attention to people talking BS and focus on the positive things. I still can't see myself become a supporter of what some nowadays like to call "Die Mannschaft" again though, but it made my love and appreciation for Italy so much stronger. I know many Italian fans living in Germany feel simliar, even though it is clear that the situation at my working place was kind of extreme with some really poor guys having complexes or something.
That said, I guess every nation has these and those fans. Honestly, when I thought about English football fans in the past, what came to my mind often was that shirtless big belly bald headed guy that has a six pack of beer for breakfast while reading a copy of The Sun with another one of those 2nd World War related headlines when England played Germany. Stereotypes, right... I am glad to see all the kind and humble guys from all over the world here that love football and just want their team to win just like I do. Let us all hope for a good, clean game on Sunday. I must say it is funny that for the first time I can remember the majority of German fans could be pro Italy because of that penalty with the laserpointer, on top of that against the very popular Danes. And let's not forget you are still another rival of the Germans, although to me it always seemed as if that rivalry mattered more to the English fans while in Germany it was more fun for fans to sing that they will go to the World Cup without the Dutch (I can't remember they did the same when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008).
We had our own version of our basically saying that Germans were upset for getting a decent beating in 1970, 1982 and 2006...
With this I see nothing wrong, it's just banter.
When they say that we win because of the mafia or because of Berlusconi's influence (like they said, especially Brits after Milan humiliating United in 2007) that's where I drop the line I wouldn't like them to cross.
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Fenomeno9
Championship
- 14 March 2020
That is true, it was confidence through the roof as Germany played some great football from 2010 on, they won every qualifier for the 1st time in history and won all games in that group of death with Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark and beating Greece easily. It was a time when every year some very promising young players came to the Bundesliga and German team, while Italy was considered the old men's team and league so they were all pretty sure it will be the first win against Italy in a tournament. Funny the old men lead by Pirlo won thanks to 2 goals by a then 21 year old Balotelli.
- Staff
- #1,349
Thats a bit different tho. It was an own goal.
It wasnt Croatia, kicking the ball back in the name of fair play, accidentally scoring.
Anyway - Football has changed in the last 10/20 years. You see much more diving, crying after every touch, acting like they were hit by a truck when someones tackles them.
The whole win-by-any-means mentality seems to affect more than just football games online.
Not much we can do about it.
slamsoze
International
- 28 September 2010
Germany - Greece 5-0?? Not 4-2?
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