I could not agree with Oarsman more on pretty much all accounts.
Also, the current scandal in Italian soccer has left a really bad taste in my mouth. I hope they take the arbiter’s suggestion or whomevr said it, demote the teams to the third tier that have been found guilty.
And I used to worship AC Milan back in the days when van Basten and Gullit played there.
A
[quote]OARSMAN wrote:
Sonny S wrote:
I have a question for those of you who root against Italy, who seem to be for the most part in English-speaking countries and Northern Europe: what is it about Italian soccer players/teams you so despise?
That despite their talent they will resort to “flopping” / ugly catenaccio in order to get the result.
Is it their success? Is it the nation itself? Is it the Italian people?
No racist overtones - strictly limited to their style of play. They have a lot of talented offensive players yet the Azzurri are notorious for playing ugly, defensive football. It’s rather boring to watch a lot of the time.
Do you really think Italy has obtained all their successes and achievements by Diving???
not all, but some. I note this WC 2nd round vs. Australia. Italy may have ended up winning that game, but the PK just left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth (well, except Italy supporters)
You must be mad, crazy, loco, or are you simply…jealous?
No. We just like to see good, open, flowing football, not the “anti-football” that Italy usually plays - this last match notwithstanding.
Italy’s record in the last 9 cups:
1970: 2nd
1974: 4th place
1978: 4th place
1982: Campioni del mondo, World champs
1986:knocked out in 2nd round
1990:4th place, eliminated on penalty kicks
Irrelevant to your argument
1994: 2nd place, penalty kicks again
You were getting raped by the Spanish in the quarters until Tassotti’s criminal (he was suspended for 8 matches after that) elbow that broke Luis Enrique’s nose in the penalty towards the end of the match that was a clear PK opportunity and went uncalled, whereupon Baggio dispatched the shellshocked Spaniards 2 minutes later.
1998:Penalty kicks AGAIN
Against France, in France? No way you were winning that one.
2002: Italy loses to Korea in suspicious fashion. Consider: Italy had five goals disallowed in three matches and a series of questionable decisions go against them even before their second round match against co-hosts South Korea.
Totti was controversially dismissed and what appeared a very tight offside decision went against them, both in extra time, before Italy loses on a golden goal to the co-hosts.
Was this “typical” italian “whining”?
The Guardian of Manchester itself, and not an Italian paper, called it “a non-existent offside.”
Was it Italian “Opera”?
Theage.com, an Australian site, wrote: “…Italy was robbed blind in a 2-1 overtime loss to South Korea in a second-round World Cup game that was refereed atrociously by Ecuador’s Byron Moreno.”
Not enough? Not convinced?
Consider:
Spain also had not one but TWO goals disallowed against Korea.
Here, I agree with you - Italy and Spain were both jobbed in favor of allowing the host Koreans to go through. However, there is no excuse for the Spanish muffing the penalty phase against the Koreans.
I see this record, and yet I see and hear no respect.
Why?
I for one, do not hate Italy, I respect their team, just am not a huge fan of their playing style, which is rather ugly no matter how effective it may be.
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