Europa League: Benfica - Juventus

[pcssousa]

I have been watching football since a boy. I have gone to games from England to Spain to Brazil. I have watched every game I can for many years. Italian clubs and the Italian National side are extremely dirty. The players scratch with their nails, dive, foul terribly and generally cheat as much as they can. It is extremely ugly to watch a team playing firstly to manipulate the referee and then to play their actual opponents.

Nothing against Italy, very pretty country. 

listen,
if I had even half of your convictions, I would stop watching football and cheer  juve since a long time.

But, it doesn't.

Unfortunately this cliche goes abroad.
I think it's the fault of the national newspapers (sports and otherwise) that killing teams not nice to her, thus killing the entire Italian football movement.

An arbitration decision in favor of juventus, for example, make it pass as a "Combine" between referees and juventus and talk about it for weeks.

On the contrary, when an episode favorable arbitration touches the Rome team, it will make it pass as something that can happen in a game and not talk about it.

Then, if you do not like Italian football because the games are boring, this is another question and I agree with you

Listen, many people outside Italy doesn't like the type of football practiced there since the invention of catenaccio.

Your national team has won many titles, your clubs won many international competitions, but I just doesn't give me any pleasure watching them play. And this doesn't mean your not good, and I have some friends who live Italian football, cheer for your national team and support Milan, Roma or Fiorentina.

[Festivus]

 Serie A was pretty good back in the 90s/early 00s. Nowadays it's pretty average.

[JUVENTINO]

I have been watching football since a boy. I have gone to games from England to Spain to Brazil. I have watched every game I can for many years. Italian clubs and the Italian National side are extremely dirty. The players scratch with their nails, dive, foul terribly and generally cheat as much as they can. It is extremely ugly to watch a team playing firstly to manipulate the referee and then to play their actual opponents.

Nothing against Italy, very pretty country. 

listen,
if I had even half of your convictions, I would stop watching football and cheer  juve since a long time.

But, it doesn't.

Unfortunately this cliche goes abroad.
I think it's the fault of the national newspapers (sports and otherwise) that killing teams not nice to her, thus killing the entire Italian football movement.

An arbitration decision in favor of juventus, for example, make it pass as a "Combine" between referees and juventus and talk about it for weeks.

On the contrary, when an episode favorable arbitration touches the Rome team, it will make it pass as something that can happen in a game and not talk about it.

Then, if you do not like Italian football because the games are boring, this is another question and I agree with you

the program is boring? 

[pcssousa]

Serie A was pretty good back in the 90s/early 00s. Nowadays it's pretty average.

Never appreciated the cynics of Italian teams.
My second oldest memory of football is from a match played in Italy, back in 83. Benfica defeated Roma 1-2 in Italy for the UEFA cup. They were pretty good back then and became national champion later that year. I was 5 years old.
Only faced an Italian team 3 years later, lost 1-0 to Sampdoria in Genova and won 2-0 at home.

[Elvis the Pelvis]

I think it's very hard, almost impossible, to dislike Italy and the Italians in general. They're pretty similar with us. The same applies to the greeks and spaniards.

As for italian football, i used to be a big fan back in the 90's. The Serie A was the best league by far. Those were the days. In the last couple of years, the league has downgraded a lot. Maybe in the future, we can see italian clubs back at the top.

[Festivus]

Serie A was pretty good back in the 90s/early 00s. Nowadays it's pretty average.

Never appreciated the cynics of Italian teams.
My second oldest memory of football is from a match played in Italy, back in 83. Benfica defeated Roma 1-2 in Italy for the UEFA cup. They were pretty good back then and became national champion later that year. I was 5 years old.
Only faced an Italian team 3 years later, lost 1-0 to Sampdoria in Genova and won 2-0 at home.

Well, I was a kid back then. I mostly liked it for all the big name players.

[JUVENTINO]

Serie A was pretty good back in the 90s/early 00s. Nowadays it's pretty average.

you asked yourself why?

Until 2006, Italy was considered one of the top football ... and in 2006 we have won the championship of the world ... we stole something? We have shown pride or wrong attitudes? I believe that the whole world (or almost all) the evening of Germany-Italy were fans of Italy.

Then, in Italy some have wanted (with skill and lies) to remove a piece of football history: Juventus, saying that he stole the championships.
From that moment began the decline of Italian football, year after year.
But I say fuck you, that's their problem.
We (juventus) are slowly rebuilding everything that they took with their deception.
We are not yet at the level of the top of Europe, but with small steps back to the levels of Marcello Lippi.
Mr. Conte was part of that team and knows what it means to be considered a top team and to get to be, the road is long. We will arrive with patience.

[Elvis the Pelvis]

Serie A was pretty good back in the 90s/early 00s. Nowadays it's pretty average.

Never appreciated the cynics of Italian teams.
My second oldest memory of football is from a match played in Italy, back in 83. Benfica defeated Roma 1-2 in Italy for the UEFA cup. They were pretty good back then and became national champion later that year. I was 5 years old.
Only faced an Italian team 3 years later, lost 1-0 to Sampdoria in Genova and won 2-0 at home.

The worst memory has to be that final with Milan in 1990. That was a great team with Baresi, Maldini, Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, etc. It's sad they cheated us.

[Festivus]

I think it's very hard, almost impossible, to dislike Italy and the Italians in general. They're pretty similar with us. The same applies to the greeks and spaniards.

As for italian football, i used to be a big fan back in the 90's. The Serie A was the best league by far. Those were the days. In the last couple of years, the league has downgraded a lot. Maybe in the future, we can see italian clubs back at the top.

Spain is our old rival/enemy. It's perfectly natural to dislike them. Italy and Greece aren't rivals/enemies.

[Fever]

Things went down before that for Serie A.

All of the 00s were already dominated by the marketing machine of the Premier League.

[pcssousa]

Serie A was pretty good back in the 90s/early 00s. Nowadays it's pretty average.

you asked yourself why?

Until 2006, Italy was considered one of the top football ... and in 2006 we have won the championship of the world ... we stole something? We have shown pride or wrong attitudes? I believe that the whole world (or almost all) the evening of Germany-Italy were fans of Italy.

Then, in Italy some have wanted (with skill and lies) to remove a piece of football history: Juventus, saying that he stole the championships.
From that moment began the decline of Italian football, year after year.
But I say fuck you, that's their problem.
We (juventus) are slowly rebuilding everything that they took with their deception.
We are not yet at the level of the top of Europe, but with small steps back to the levels of Marcello Lippi.
Mr. Conte was part of that team and knows what it means to be considered a top team and to get to be, the road is long. We will arrive with patience.

One question for you: is Juventus really guilty?
Not judging, cause even if you were, you were punished for it and it seems like other teams were also involved and punished. And Milan was also punished many years ago.

If you're not guilty, who framed you, for what reasons?

[Elvis the Pelvis]

I think it's very hard, almost impossible, to dislike Italy and the Italians in general. They're pretty similar with us. The same applies to the greeks and spaniards.

As for italian football, i used to be a big fan back in the 90's. The Serie A was the best league by far. Those were the days. In the last couple of years, the league has downgraded a lot. Maybe in the future, we can see italian clubs back at the top.

Spain is our old rival/enemy. It's perfectly natural to dislike them. Italy and Greece aren't rivals/enemies.

I don't agree with the part regarding Spain, but whatever. Anyone can have they're own opinion.

[Festivus]

I think it's very hard, almost impossible, to dislike Italy and the Italians in general. They're pretty similar with us. The same applies to the greeks and spaniards.

As for italian football, i used to be a big fan back in the 90's. The Serie A was the best league by far. Those were the days. In the last couple of years, the league has downgraded a lot. Maybe in the future, we can see italian clubs back at the top.

Spain is our old rival/enemy. It's perfectly natural to dislike them. Italy and Greece aren't rivals/enemies.

I don't agree with the part regarding Spain, but whatever. Anyone can have they're own opinion.

I'm not saying I hate them. In fact, I'm quite indifferent to them. Just saying it's natural for people to dislike them.

I've personally always preferred countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, etc.

[pcssousa]

I think it's very hard, almost impossible, to dislike Italy and the Italians in general. They're pretty similar with us. The same applies to the greeks and spaniards.

As for italian football, i used to be a big fan back in the 90's. The Serie A was the best league by far. Those were the days. In the last couple of years, the league has downgraded a lot. Maybe in the future, we can see italian clubs back at the top.

Spain is our old rival/enemy. It's perfectly natural to dislike them. Italy and Greece aren't rivals/enemies.

I don't agree with the part regarding Spain, but whatever. Anyone can have they're own opinion.

I love Spain, have many Spanish friend, my grandfather first wife was Spanish and my wife has Spanish cousins.
Always cheer for them in big championships.

[Faliro]

I think Italians are the best race of salesman on earth. They sell an idea - than the product.

Ferrari and Lamborghini represent sex, money, power..and then a car built of varying quality depending on what decade you bought it. Same with their fashion industry and their stereo type of themselves which they have excellently given the world. 'Bella Italia... style.. passion...sexiness..history'

I believed all of that until I actually visited Italy. The reason? I went out with an Italian girl for 5 years from San Donato Val di Comino.

First impressions? The only thing truely beautiful about Italy is the country itself. Beautiful landscape, lovely architecture etc.

The bad? I have never seen such poverty besides in Brazil. The people in many regions, especially heading south have nothing. I mean poverty you dont even see in Greece - which is a far more relaxed country. The place is simply over populated. However the worst? I went to Naples for a week. Again, the crime I experienced first hand in Naples makes Brazil look like Switzerland. Also I found the Italians genuinely extremely moody and unfriendly - never offered to help and rarely smiled. We also had to visit a doctor while there - it was like going back 60 years... I have now been to Italy about 6 times. Most the time just across the border from France although I have been to Rome and Torino - which I liked. I have also been skiing there in the Italian Alps.

One of the most important factors for Italy to maintain its myth of being sexy, civilsed and advanced is the fact that so few people who promote Italy have actually ever been there. Same with Brazil. When someone mentions Brazil - you think - sexiness, samba.. passion.  None of that exists - it is all mythology although I must admit the women at least in Brazil are exceptionally beautiful compared to many other countries.