Day -523. WorldCup2018
I did something today I haven't done for a while. I watched an Italian Serie A match, Napoli-Sampdoria. I've had a feeling recently that I need to do more research for the purpose of this countdown. Research, yes. There was a time when it was easier to watch Italian and Spanish football on TV here, but now I have to either pay a lot more or look for it in other places.
As I watched a number of thoughts came into my head, memories and thoughts. I should have made a list as I watched but that would have been way too organised. So here's what I remember.
The empty Italian stadiums. Juventus moved to a smaller stadium and out of their World Cup 2006 new stadium. The atmosphere was terrible. Now their small stadium is packed and the fans are right there by the pitch. Some of the older, grand stadiums are relics of the days of grand, old stadiums. Napoli's San Paolo is one of them. Napoli are doing pretty well, and have been for a few seasons. Yet, here they were playing a Saturday evening match and the rows upon rows, section upon section of empty seats were more noticeable than the occupied seats. It's the same watching at the San Siro and the Olimpico in Rome. Yes, they are massive stadiums and it would be comparable to Spurs or Arsenal playing at Wembley every weekend. But at the same time I find it hard to imagine Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United or Liverpool playing in front of empty seats.
The next thing was the politeness, and cleanliness of the football. Yes, Sampdoria had a player sent off but the second yellow card was ridiculous. And, yes, there was all the dramatic play-acting in the hope of a free-kick or penalty. But there wasn't the intense, frantic-ness of the English Premier League. Which is better? That's a good argument but whichever it is it was a nice change of style and pace for my football brain.
Ironically, having just finished writing the above, another memory was of watching an Italian match which was one of the most intense, cynical, emotionally charged, almost violent matches I have ever seen. And it was the same two teams, playing the second leg of the 1989 Coppa Italia. It was the time of Maradona for Napoli, and Vialli, Mancini, Cerezo and Vierchowod for Sampdoria. Sampdoria won 4-0 but I remember there being tough tackles and fights all over the place. The fans were loving it. They were loud and seemed to be wishing for blood. Mancini (or was it Vialli?) was arguing with everybody and was eventually substituted before he was sent off. It was a classic.
Geoff Thomas also came to mind. Unfortunately he does anytime any footballer tries to hit the corner flag with a shot rather than the goal. Lorenzo Insigne had the ball inside the penalty area, to the right of the goal. He had lots of space and a great angle to curl the ball into the top corner. Somehow his shot went horizontally away from him and ended up going out on the far touchline. A Geoff Thomas moment. And it made me think that one day I need to explain with video evidence how absolutely terrible Thomas' shot was for anybody who has no idea what I was talking about.
There had to be a Maradona mention. The fans still have Maradona banners: a legend who will forever be so in Naples despite his very spectacular fall from grace and end of his Napoli career. In 2002 (our honeymoon, I can't forget!) we were driving through Naples and I had to stop to ask directions. I went into a small coffee shop where the waiter was happy to come outside to point the way down the street. Part of our route would take us under the San Paolo and as he pointed this out he crossed himself, raised his eyes to the sky and said his thanks to the great Diego.
I'm sure there was more but that will do. It was an enjoyable match which Napoli won 2-1 with a 94th minute goal. My last thought would be that I have to do this sort of research more often.
I did something today I haven't done for a while. I watched an Italian Serie A match, Napoli-Sampdoria. I've had a feeling recently that I need to do more research for the purpose of this countdown. Research, yes. There was a time when it was easier to watch Italian and Spanish football on TV here, but now I have to either pay a lot more or look for it in other places.
As I watched a number of thoughts came into my head, memories and thoughts. I should have made a list as I watched but that would have been way too organised. So here's what I remember.
The empty Italian stadiums. Juventus moved to a smaller stadium and out of their World Cup 2006 new stadium. The atmosphere was terrible. Now their small stadium is packed and the fans are right there by the pitch. Some of the older, grand stadiums are relics of the days of grand, old stadiums. Napoli's San Paolo is one of them. Napoli are doing pretty well, and have been for a few seasons. Yet, here they were playing a Saturday evening match and the rows upon rows, section upon section of empty seats were more noticeable than the occupied seats. It's the same watching at the San Siro and the Olimpico in Rome. Yes, they are massive stadiums and it would be comparable to Spurs or Arsenal playing at Wembley every weekend. But at the same time I find it hard to imagine Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United or Liverpool playing in front of empty seats.
The next thing was the politeness, and cleanliness of the football. Yes, Sampdoria had a player sent off but the second yellow card was ridiculous. And, yes, there was all the dramatic play-acting in the hope of a free-kick or penalty. But there wasn't the intense, frantic-ness of the English Premier League. Which is better? That's a good argument but whichever it is it was a nice change of style and pace for my football brain.
Ironically, having just finished writing the above, another memory was of watching an Italian match which was one of the most intense, cynical, emotionally charged, almost violent matches I have ever seen. And it was the same two teams, playing the second leg of the 1989 Coppa Italia. It was the time of Maradona for Napoli, and Vialli, Mancini, Cerezo and Vierchowod for Sampdoria. Sampdoria won 4-0 but I remember there being tough tackles and fights all over the place. The fans were loving it. They were loud and seemed to be wishing for blood. Mancini (or was it Vialli?) was arguing with everybody and was eventually substituted before he was sent off. It was a classic.
Geoff Thomas also came to mind. Unfortunately he does anytime any footballer tries to hit the corner flag with a shot rather than the goal. Lorenzo Insigne had the ball inside the penalty area, to the right of the goal. He had lots of space and a great angle to curl the ball into the top corner. Somehow his shot went horizontally away from him and ended up going out on the far touchline. A Geoff Thomas moment. And it made me think that one day I need to explain with video evidence how absolutely terrible Thomas' shot was for anybody who has no idea what I was talking about.
There had to be a Maradona mention. The fans still have Maradona banners: a legend who will forever be so in Naples despite his very spectacular fall from grace and end of his Napoli career. In 2002 (our honeymoon, I can't forget!) we were driving through Naples and I had to stop to ask directions. I went into a small coffee shop where the waiter was happy to come outside to point the way down the street. Part of our route would take us under the San Paolo and as he pointed this out he crossed himself, raised his eyes to the sky and said his thanks to the great Diego.
I'm sure there was more but that will do. It was an enjoyable match which Napoli won 2-1 with a 94th minute goal. My last thought would be that I have to do this sort of research more often.
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