Italians have always been a passionate bunch but the current SerieA season has seen this fervor reach new heights. Week in and week out we have had scuffles, protests, suspensions to make for truly dramatic scenes.
When I sit at home watching television I always tend to skip straight to the sports channels. Channels 201 to 380 on Sky are of absolutely no interest to me. They tend to slow my brain activity to vegetative state.
It amuses me how people can watch similarly dressed women lament and scheme about the exact same things in so many different eras, countries and planets. What some choose to call drama I choose to call an utter waste of time.
There are loads of other places to watch live soap operas unfolding and one of the best places to start is Italy. If you were to gaze at the front page of any Italian newspaper you would think you have picked up an edition of 'Dramatic Events of the 20th Century'.
And no they don't have Pavarotti or Bocelli plastered on their front pages they have either politics or football. Who as many may know are related - Berlusconi after all being the owner of AC Milan.
When Silvio got docked last night it made news even in the sporting world for the above stated reason. There have even been parliamentary showdowns over the game, the most famous one taking place after an Inter-Juve game in 1998.
And this season I have seen some of the best plots play out not on 'The Tudors' or 'EastEnders' but on Channel 417, ESPN, home to the Italian SerieA.
HOLY CRAP! THAT WAS CRAZY...
This has been my reaction on so many occasions this season, that if there was indeed a holy crap it would have covered London by now. Tolkien and Rowling would have to write a combined decadology to match the drama of this SerieA season.
This past week probably served one of the best examples of what I am trying to illustrate. Bari, a newly promoted team, beat Juventus, Italy's most successful team. One may attribute this to Juve's poor form but the display put on by Bari was one of such magnificence that it left me spellbound.
Furthermore this is not an one-off result for the team as they have been playing extremely well this season. They the second best defensive record in the league and sit seventh in the table.
If that isn't enough to whet your appetite how about this - Parma, another newly promoted team, are in fourth spot. Holy Crap! That's crazy... The Ducali are a glorious example of team work as they lack any stars in the outfit but have achieved their position through sheer grit and determination.
There was more action in Rome this week as well. If Lazio were in a soap opera, they would probably have had every tearful Coldplay song playing in the background simultaneously. The team hadn't won a game since Matchday 2 and 5000 protestors had lined up before the kick-off against Genoa.
And then just like the ten thousand bullet hole riddled hero of old, the team somehow managed to win the game. The fans in the stadium celebrated with the gusto of a championship victory but it was well-deserved for them.
AVE MARIE
If you thought the on-pitch action was all the league offered you were wrong, the off-pitch action is an extravaganza unto itself. No, it does not take place in a church but would rather make churchgoers cringe in distaste.
There is no Metallica or Black Sabbath track yet composed to fully capture the violently passionate Italians. The last few weeks have in fact been so intense that Italy's football governing body (FIGC) have asked for some calm and peace amongst the teams.
But frankly my dear, no one gives a damn! The ever vocal Jose Mourinho supposedly shoved a journalist who was trying to interview him after the Atalanta-Inter game. Jose, who watched the game from the stands was accompanied there by Antonio Conte, the Atalanta coach.
Both managers were suspended for varying degrees of humiliating the referees last week. Conte, did his best impression of Al Capone as he was seen constantly shouting instructions into his mouthpiece from his private box. At one point I actually thought he had some kind of puppet strings in his hand.
But the highlight of the week came in the Sardinian derby when Eziquiel Lavezzi kicked the ball at Cagliari coach Allegri. The latter was playing some keep ball during stoppage time and Lavezzi administered some of his own justice.
The game saw Napoli surrender their 2-0 lead in the last fifteen minutes only to equalize and make it 3-3 in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
I am sure everyone remembers how Balotelli reenacted his role as a dying soldier in Saving Private Ryan last week during the clash against Juventus. And I have just recounted the events of the last week.As you can obviously see the Italian League is but an opera, so please tune in whenever you can! Forza Azzuri!
When I sit at home watching television I always tend to skip straight to the sports channels. Channels 201 to 380 on Sky are of absolutely no interest to me. They tend to slow my brain activity to vegetative state.
It amuses me how people can watch similarly dressed women lament and scheme about the exact same things in so many different eras, countries and planets. What some choose to call drama I choose to call an utter waste of time.
There are loads of other places to watch live soap operas unfolding and one of the best places to start is Italy. If you were to gaze at the front page of any Italian newspaper you would think you have picked up an edition of 'Dramatic Events of the 20th Century'.
And no they don't have Pavarotti or Bocelli plastered on their front pages they have either politics or football. Who as many may know are related - Berlusconi after all being the owner of AC Milan.
When Silvio got docked last night it made news even in the sporting world for the above stated reason. There have even been parliamentary showdowns over the game, the most famous one taking place after an Inter-Juve game in 1998.
And this season I have seen some of the best plots play out not on 'The Tudors' or 'EastEnders' but on Channel 417, ESPN, home to the Italian SerieA.
HOLY CRAP! THAT WAS CRAZY...
This has been my reaction on so many occasions this season, that if there was indeed a holy crap it would have covered London by now. Tolkien and Rowling would have to write a combined decadology to match the drama of this SerieA season.
This past week probably served one of the best examples of what I am trying to illustrate. Bari, a newly promoted team, beat Juventus, Italy's most successful team. One may attribute this to Juve's poor form but the display put on by Bari was one of such magnificence that it left me spellbound.
Furthermore this is not an one-off result for the team as they have been playing extremely well this season. They the second best defensive record in the league and sit seventh in the table.
If that isn't enough to whet your appetite how about this - Parma, another newly promoted team, are in fourth spot. Holy Crap! That's crazy... The Ducali are a glorious example of team work as they lack any stars in the outfit but have achieved their position through sheer grit and determination.
There was more action in Rome this week as well. If Lazio were in a soap opera, they would probably have had every tearful Coldplay song playing in the background simultaneously. The team hadn't won a game since Matchday 2 and 5000 protestors had lined up before the kick-off against Genoa.
And then just like the ten thousand bullet hole riddled hero of old, the team somehow managed to win the game. The fans in the stadium celebrated with the gusto of a championship victory but it was well-deserved for them.
AVE MARIE
If you thought the on-pitch action was all the league offered you were wrong, the off-pitch action is an extravaganza unto itself. No, it does not take place in a church but would rather make churchgoers cringe in distaste.
There is no Metallica or Black Sabbath track yet composed to fully capture the violently passionate Italians. The last few weeks have in fact been so intense that Italy's football governing body (FIGC) have asked for some calm and peace amongst the teams.
But frankly my dear, no one gives a damn! The ever vocal Jose Mourinho supposedly shoved a journalist who was trying to interview him after the Atalanta-Inter game. Jose, who watched the game from the stands was accompanied there by Antonio Conte, the Atalanta coach.
Both managers were suspended for varying degrees of humiliating the referees last week. Conte, did his best impression of Al Capone as he was seen constantly shouting instructions into his mouthpiece from his private box. At one point I actually thought he had some kind of puppet strings in his hand.
But the highlight of the week came in the Sardinian derby when Eziquiel Lavezzi kicked the ball at Cagliari coach Allegri. The latter was playing some keep ball during stoppage time and Lavezzi administered some of his own justice.
The game saw Napoli surrender their 2-0 lead in the last fifteen minutes only to equalize and make it 3-3 in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
I am sure everyone remembers how Balotelli reenacted his role as a dying soldier in Saving Private Ryan last week during the clash against Juventus. And I have just recounted the events of the last week.As you can obviously see the Italian League is but an opera, so please tune in whenever you can! Forza Azzuri!
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