Categories
Citizenship Environment

Unprofessional

unprofessional_akkuza

Someone at the Juventus marketing division (or at a marketing firm contracted by Juventus) should be getting his knuckles rapped by now. It so happens that Juventus’ latest drive for memberships featured a picture of a woman’s face painted in the world famous black and white stripes with the wording “Pure Enjoyment”. A huge poster featuring this face was also displayed at Rome’s Stazione Termini much to the chagrin of the capitolini who probably regard the station as “home territory”. It was clear that Juventus wanted to follow up their successes last season with an aggressive membership drive, only to be spoilt by the lax laziness of some designer in an office who couldn’t be bothered with getting creative.

No. Said designer opted to plagiarise an idea from a fourth tier Spanish football team (Badajoz) who had featured the same black and white face in their own (more modest campaign). Even if the photo is sourced from some stock photo database the fact remains that the designer guy/lass copied the gist of Badajoz campaign without so much as an if you please.

It’s about standards really. Juventus FC’s image will not suffer much beyond the spoofs of rival supporters such as those of Inter FC (a team who until now has copied its logo (off Real) and plagiarised its tune (an injuction was issued by Celentano I believe to stop them playing it)).

 

It is the lack of professionalism that jars – and a lack of pride in one’s own work. Forgive me if I go back to Alfred E. Baldacchino’s intervention in the parliamentary Permanent Committee on Environment and Planning but it really was an example of how things should be done. Call it old style if you wish, or proper civil servant but it is there for all to see. (See Baldacchino’s post on the matter in his blog).

Pride in your own work is also important because each and every one of us is a cog in a greater wheel. This greater wheel and system is intended to function when every part of it works accordingly. If you look at MEPA as an institution that is currently under the lens we begin to understand the convoluted contradictions both in legal development as well as in planning practice that have grown over time. When architects and planners stay mum when faced with evident distortions of the law and deviations from proper policy, when the autonomy of an institution is put into serious jeopardy in order to satisfy a web of interests that have nothing to do with the aims of the institution itself then things go awry and they do so fast.

At the base of all this is an unprofessional approach to work, to ethics and to policy. This danger is all pervasive and does not stop at MEPA. Professionalism is strongly linked to dignity of the person. Dignity, in its turn is linked to happiness and enjoyment of life. Unprofessional, undignified behaviour may bring short term bursts of satisfaction to the weak minded and short-visioned but in the long term it promises misery for them and those around them.

I’ll be renewing my International Premium Membership with Juventus FC but I cannot say I am not concerned by the slip in the marketing department. It is this kind of sign of weakness that must be catered for immediately before you start a ride on the slippery slope to mediocrity. On and off the field.

Categories
Sport

Akkuza u l-ballun (apologia)

Parte Prima: I sogni (Ħolm)

Ilni biex nikteb din il-bloggata. Dan l-aħħar il-febbre a novanta laqtitni kif qatt qabel. Il-futbol huwa ossessjoni. Imbagħad f’Malta fejn il-partiġġjan huwa normali u l-oġġettivita hija illużjoni… hawn min isejjaħlu mard. Ma naqbilx. Il-futbol huwa parti mill-ħajja daqs l-alarm li jdoqq filgħodu u jfakkrek li wasal il-ħin li terfa’ sormok mis-sodda u tmur għal dawk it-tmien siegħat xogħol. Il-futbol huwa realta li timla t-tedjanza tal-odjern bil-ħolm ta’ tfulija eterna. Pele is good. Maradona is better (diskutibbli) but George is Best.

Il-futbol huwa stil, huwa filosofija, huwa passjoni. Fil-pressure cooker tal-ħajja għaddejja b’ritmu mgħaġġel il-futbol huwa l-istress li infittxu għax fil-biċċa l-kbira tiegħu huwa stress tajjeb. Ninbidlu għax irridu, ninbidlu għax nagħżlu aħna. Tgħajjatx… qisek l-annimal. U min iħares minn barra u jitkaża bil-blugħa li ngħaddu minna aħna tal-ballun nistgħu biss nagħdruh għax ma jifhimx. Tiġix tgħid li tħobb il-ballun…

Il-futbol li nara jien huwa monochrome. Niekol u ngħix abjad u iswed. Hemm għażilt li tħabbat qalbi meta kont għadni daqxejn ta’ tifel u qaluli nagħżel bejn l-Inter (temmen?) u l-Milan (idem). Kienu għadhom jilgħabu Beppe Furino u Antonello Cuccureddu. U jien, bejn għax dejjem kont bastjan kontrarju u bejn għax ismi jibda bil-J għażilt it-tim l-ieħor. Tal-abjad u l-iswed. Bianconero. Iktar tard dik is-sena dak it-tim rebaħ it-tazza tad-dinja imma kien liebes blu flok abjad u iswed. Imma kollha kienu hemm (seta kien mod ieħor?) Zoff, Tardelli, Cabrini, Scirea, Rossi, Gentile u Causio. Jien ma fraħtx magħom għax kont għadni nibki l-aqwa formazzjoni nazzjonali li ma rebħetx tazza tad-dinja imma dik storja oħra. Rossi has done it again. That’s three, Italy are going to the semi-finals.

Dan l-aħħar qrajt il-bijografija ta wieħed mill-aqwa plejers li qatt rat il-logħba. George is Best but there is only one Alex. Il-blurb tal-ktieb fih kwotazzjoni minn ta’ Alex:

Mi chiamo Alessandro Del Piero e gioco a calcio. Tutti i miei sogni da bambino si sono avverati. Non credo che a un uomo possa toccare una sorte migliore.

Ma jistax ikun hemm spjegazzjoni ikbar ta’ x’inhu futbol. L-aspett ludiku tal-logħba tal-ballun huwa bissa maskra għall-ħolm ta’ kull wieħed u waħda minna li qiegħdin hemm imsaħħrin  mal-iskrin jew ngħajtu minn fuq l-ispalti ta’ xi grawnd  – hux il-Camp Nou jew l-iSchreiber. U meta l-ħolm isir realta bħal ma ġara lil Alex allura hemm ma jistax ikollok xejn aħjar mill-ħajja. (Alla faccia dell’amaro Lucano).

Il-bijografija ta’ Alex laqtitni doppjament għax jien u Alex ko-etanei. Waqt li Alex kien qed jipprattika iqabbeż ballun tat-tennis minn fuq sufan għal bejn saqajn siġġu, Jacques (sena u jumejn iżgħar minnu) kien qed jagħmel l-istess bis-siġġijiet ħodor tal-kċina. Min f’Conegliano (Veneto) u min f’Paceville (San Ġiljan) mitluf fil-ħolm tiegħu. Mill-appelli lil ġenituri biex nibqgħu barra dik in-nofs siegħa żejda ħa nispiċċaw il-logħba (last goal wins – later to become the ill-fated golden goal… Trezegol) sal-ossessjoni fuq Captain Tsubasa (Olly e Benji). L-istess ħsibijiet, l-istess tip ta’ ġenituri jaħdmu u jitħabtu biex iġibu l-hobż fuq il-mejda u jwasslu l-valuri tagħhom lilna.

Wieħed spiċċa jilgħab logħba diskreta five-a-side kultant u l-ieħor laħaq l-ogħla quċċati ta’ l-Olimpu kalċistiku. Iżda it-tnejn jisiltu mill-ħajja sodisfazzjonijiet umani. Avversari sempre, nemici mai.

Parte Seconda: La Tragedia del Calcio Moderno (Realta)

Qisu sitt snin ilu għaddiet bufera fuq il-futbol taljan. Hawn min għadu isejħilha calciopoli, aħna nippreferu insejħula farsopoli. Taf tkun kwistjoni oħra partiġġjana – araha kif trid. L-għira għal tim li kien sar imbattibbli, il-bżonn li inħass miċ-ċittadina Meneghina illi isir xi ħaġa biex jitnaqqas id-distakk, is-sensazzjonaliżmu stile OJ Simpson illi iwassal għall-qrati pubbliċi li jiddeċiedu skond il-qalb u mhux skond il-moħħ. Always cheating, just like Juve.

Minn dejjem smajniha. Dejjem kien hemm min ried jgħodd il-penalties, il-presunti favuri arbitrali jew xi sitwazzjoni oħra biex jipprova jispjega għalfejn il-Vecchia Signora minn Turin baqgħet tirbaħ u kienet l-ewwel tim fid-dinja li rebaħ kull ma kien hemm x’tirbaħ. Fid-disgħinijiet il-qagħda ħraxet meta dak l-imbierek ta’ Tabacchaio sar President ta’ tim provinċjali fil-Lombardia. Ried jirbaħ bilfors. U nefaq. U nefaq. U xtara ħmir u xtara lil Ronaldo. U għalxejn.

Il-futbol taljan tul dawn is-snin mit-tmeninijiet baqa’ jġaħġaħa. Issib xi Berlusconi jitfa l-miljuni u jibni tim li bil mod il-mod jreġġa lil Milan fost il-kbar. Xi Ferlaino li iġib lil Maradona u Napli tiskopri l-quċċata. Callisto Tanzi jilgħab bi flus in-nies u fost kawżi ta falliment u suwiċidji jibni tim ġmielu ġo Parma. L-istess il-Lazio ta’ Eriksson, il-Genoa ta’ Skhuravy, is-Sampdoria ta’ Mancini u oħrajn. Ani ir-Roma ta’ Andrade u Aldair jaslu biex jirbħu kampjonat (u jissieltu għal oħrajn). U hi dejjem hemm. Il-Vecchia Signora tal-gobbi. L-imħittba. Dan iċ-ċirku kellu regoli strambi.

Il-Presidenti, despoti eċċentriċi iċemplu -l hawn u l-hinn biex mingħalihom jgħidu tagħhom… il-poter fil-qasam sportiv. Min iċempel. Min ibagħbas passaporti. Min jagħmel it-tnejn. Min igorr għax l-ikbar inġustizzja dejjem kontrih. Min jitlef kampjonat minħabba logħba waterpolo li qatt ma missa intlagħbet. Cosi fan tutti. Min jibgħat rolex lil referees. Min ifotti fil-garanziji ekonomiċi li suppost jagħti qabel il-kampjonat min ifotti waqt billi jittarokka bilnanċi u plusvalenze. Dak mard żgur. Dik hi r-realta tal-futbol taljan. Imma sitt snin ilu lagħbuha tax-xadini. Qishom qatt ma raw, semgħu u qalu dan kollu…

Fis-saħna ta’ sajf pre-Mondjali iddeċidew li jagħmlu tabirruħom li l-futbol kien nadif pinna u li dawn l-affarjiet ma jagħmilhom ħadd. Anzi jagħmluhom biss it-Triade. La terza stella a Moratti gliela metterei sul fronte. Ivvintaw babaw. Skattaw il-gazzetti tat-Tabbachaio li irrapurtaw għażla ta’ telefonati (lanqas deċimu) li kienet ipprovdiet kumpanija telefonika tat-Tabacchaio. Il-qrati bil-labar f’sormhom lanqas ma ħasbuha darbtejn. X’għarukaza… iċempel referee. Bilfors hemm xi ħaġa. Fl-ebda mument ma ħasbu illi forsi dan kien kif isiru l-affarijiet għax in-nies tas-Sudeuropa kollha morda. Kienet tajba wisq l-okkażjoni.

U sallbuhom. Filwaqt li injoraw eluf ta’ telefonati ta’ Giacinto u sħabu. Lil Milan tal-Presidente ġabruhom minn xaharhom u tawhom ċans imorru fl-Ewropa li tgħodd. Il-Ħadd nibdew. Juventus – Rimini.  U lit-tarbija li kienet ilha tibki u tolfoq għax ma tirbaħ qatt ħbewla il-mimmi E morto Facchetti. Un simbolo di interismo. Tawh il-ġuġu biex forsi jibda jirbah kontra l-ħajbu. Biex zgur ma jnewwaħx tawh scudetto tal-kartun. Bħal dak li qallu meritatissimo. Imbagħad bdew l-incucio. Bdew erba snin ta- tifħir li l-futbol reġa sew għax bil-catenaccio u mingħajr avversarji kollox tirbaħ. Campioni di Serie B. Issa żgur irbaħna kollox.

Issa. Ħames snin wara ħarġu veritajiet oħra. Preskritti jew mejtin. Federazioni b’wiċċ imħammar tammetti li inkompetenti u ma tassumi l-ebda responsabilta. U issa anki Blatter il-qaddis qisu qamlu. Mur obsor. Niftakkruh lil Blatter li ħares in-naħa l-oħra sakemm ħammġu idejhom l-assassini fl-2006 u qajla kellu saħħa jippreżenta tazza lil Juventus Campione del Mondo 2006. Għax lanqas Alla ma ried hux. Dan it-tim li kellu daqshekk bżonn iċempel l- hawn u l-hinn biex ma jirbaħx l-Inter ta’ Centofanti u Pandev rebaħ it-tazza tad-dinja. U ħalluna.

Buffon, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Grosso, Camonaresi, del Piero. Ma jistħux. Imma l-futbol marid. Imbagħad ġew u xtrawhom il-players  li suppost rebħu biss għax megħjuna. Zambrotta. Viera. Ibrahimovic. Cannavaro. Emerson. Allajbierek ħaduhom u bdew jirbħu. Tifimha issa l-I N T E R I S T A P E Z Z O D I M E R D A? Għax dak mhux kumbinazzjoni. It-tabacchaio jibqa ħati li biex jasal għal ħolm tiegħu qatel il-ħolm ta’ ħafna nies. Meta ħa lil Zlatan ħallieh jilgħab xorta mingħajr ma staqsieh kemm jaħseb li rebaħ kampjonati. Ma staqsieħx jekk iħossx li rebaħ skudetto 28 u 29. Ma qallux li dik provokazzjoni. Imma Zlatan bħal Del Piero (mhux daqsu imma bħalu) u l-ħolm tiegħu jgħożżhom ukoll. U bejn l-2004 u l-2006 jaf ħafna iktar minn Massimo il Tabacchaio b’liema ħila rebaħ il-kampjonat.

Daqshekk ieħor Cannavaro u Vieira. Għax it-Tabacchaio ġietu tajba bl-għajnuna tal-ħbieb bħal Guido Rossi u ir-Rosea iżda konvint li ħolmtu bil-lejl huwa biss ħmir il-lejl. Tajba din ħmar bi nhar u ħmir bil-lejl. Xieraq.

Parte Terza: Guerre Stellari (Kostellazjoni)

Għalxejn nibqa ngħid dwar l-2004 u l-2005. Illum irrid nispiċċa bi storja oħra. Storja ta’ fatti li seħħew ftit iktar minn seklu sħiħ ilu. Correva l’anno 1908. Il-kampjonat kien għadu żgħazugħ u kien għadu kif interebaħ mill-AC Milan għat-tieni sena’ konsekutiva (1906, 1907). Dak iż-żmien ir-rebbieħ tal-kampjonat kien jingħata tazza li kien jisimgħa Spensley Cup. Għas-sena l-ġdida l-Federazzjoni xtaqet tnaqqas l-influenza tal-barranin fil-futbol taljan u iddeċidiet li m’għandux ikun hemm barranin. Ħafna kienu li ma qablux (u din id-deċizjoni ħolqot bosta xiżmi fil-futbol li minnhom twieldu timijiet bħat-Torino u ċerta FC Internazionale – li dejjem kellhom propensita jixtru balla barranin).

Ġara għalhekk illi inżammew zewġ tornej:

L’Assemblea delibera che il Regolamento organico sia modificato in modo da comprendere due gare di campionato: la prima chiamata Campionato Federale, libera a tutti i soci appartenenti alle società iscritte alla Federazione, anche se stranieri…, e la seconda chiamata Campionato italiano e riservata ai soli giuocatori italiani o nazionalizzati… Alla prima sarà assegnata la Coppa Spensley… Alla seconda sarà invece assegnata la Coppa Buni…

Milan, Genoa u Torino ma lagħbux dik is-sena bi protesta. Il-Juventus lagħbu fiż-żewġ tornej (Federali u Taljan). Rebħu dak Federali filwaqt li fit-Taljan ġew eliminati mir-rebbieħa eventwali Pro Vercelli. U hemm jibda l-babaw. Il-Milan li kellhom suppost jgħaddu t-tazza Spensley lil Juventus irrifjutaw u fost polemika ikkonsenjaw it-trofew lil Genoa (eħe). Sadattant minkejja li ż-zewġ kampjonati huma  rikonoxxuti mill-Ferderazjoni fl-Albi tal-Kampjonat jidru biss il-Pro Vercelli bħala rebbieħa tal-kampjonat. 1908 – Pro Vercelli.

Is-sena ta’ wara intlagħab l-ewwel il-kampjonat federali li intrebaħ mill-Pro Vercelli. Il-Juventus illi inqalgħu mit-Torino f’dak il-kampjonat rebħu il-kampjonat taljan (jiġifieri dak li rebħu Pro Vercelli is-sena ta’ qabel u li hu rikonoxxut fl-albi d’oro). Għal xi raġjuni li jafu biss huma għas-sena 1909 ir-rebbieħa tal-kampjonat huma imniżżlin bħala l-Pro Vercelli. 1909 – Pro Vercelli. Aħdimha.

It-taħwid tal-FIGC ma jibdiex illum b’Abete. Huwa ċar li fis-sentejn 1908 u 1909 il-Juventus kienu leġittimament ħaqqhom żewġ scudetti. Anki jekk taċċetta torneo wieħed biss minn fost federale u italiano kien ħaqqhom wieħed. Sadattant kif aċċennajt qabel waqt dan il-perijodu ta’ kaos kien hemm xissjoni mit-tim ultrasportiv tal-Milan li ma kienx radd it-tazza lil Juventus u min din ix-xissjoni twieled it-tim li jiffavorixxi plejers internazzjonali. Ossija l-Internazionale.

Fl-1910 l-FIGC irimodellat il-kampjonat fuq mudell Ingliz b’rawnd waħdani. Il-kwistjoni taż-żewġ skudetti misruqa lil Juventus qatt ma ssolviet pero il-fatti huma ċari. Għada mhux 30 misshom għandhom fuq il-baġġ. 32.

Finale: Heysel (Tmiem)

Dalgħodu rajt dokumentarju dwar King Kenny Dalglish. Plejer kbir. Staqsewħ kieku seta jbiddel xi ħaġa fil-karriera tiegħu x’kien jagħżel. Ma damx jaħsibha. Qallhom Hillsborough u Heysel. Ma kellux għalfejn jispjega wisq. Għadhom stampati f’ moħħi il-filmati ta dak il-lejl traġiku. 39 ħajja intemmet hemm ħesrem. Intemmet waqt li kienet qed issegwi l-ħolm tagħha. Hemm ġewwa stadium fil-periferiji ta’ Brussel intraddmu 39 persuna ħatja li xtaqu għal ftit mumenti jaħarbu mir-realta u jgħixu il-ħolma tagħhom imdawrin bil-kostellazzjoni ta’ stilel. Il-penalty fieragħ ta’ Platini u r-rebħa qarsa ma tfewx id-dieqa u ma jnessew qatt il-weġghat.

Iva Heysel ukoll huwa simbolu. Tifkira tal-linja li tifred il-ħolm mir-realta. Tifkira ukoll li umani aħna u maħluqin differenti bħa; Kajjin u Abel.

“L’uomo allo stadio di Bruxelles è stato tremendamente offeso anche dopo che i tanti Caino, sparsi sulle gradinate, lo avevano ammazzato. Per calmare i Caino non si è rispettato il sangue degli Abele: si è giocato mentre i morti erano ancora lì scomposti nella violenza appena subita; si è tifato; si è gioito. In una giornata in cui tutti e tutto sono stati sconfitti, è assurdo pensare che alcuni si ritengano vincitori ed è amaro vedere volti sorridenti per una vittoria senza senso. Nella serata di mercoledì 29 maggio 1985 lo sport è stato sconfitto e mortificato”. Giocare, lo sappiamo tutti, era necessario, esultare no.”

Avversari si, ma nemici mai. Ridt b’xi mod nispjega staġun sħiħ ta’ rabja. Sitt snin ta’ rabja. Din hija apologia bil-Latin mhux apoloġija bil-Malti. Nittama li tifhmu minn fejn joħroġ it-tifo, il-passjoni, il-ħolm. Jiena u dan is-sit li tant ma nifilħux il-partiġġjaniżmu qed nispjega ghalfejn u minn fejn sibna mod biex niżvugaw fil-partiġġjaniżmu san.

Campioni. I campioni dell’Italia siamo noi. Tre stelle sul petto. Un capitano, c’e solo un capitano. Simili a degli’eroi. Chi non salta… 

Għalhekk baqagħli darbtejn oħra. Nofs siegħa qabel il-logħba kelma waħda fuq status “Vincere!”. Il-gear iffirmat ta’ Buffon jinħareġ għal buon augurio u imbagħad inlestu ħa ngħajtu bħat-tfal. Terġa taqbdek il-febbre a novanta…. Il-futbol huwa ossessjoni. Imbagħad f’Malta fejn il-partiġġjan huwa normali u l-oġġettivita hija illużjoni… hawn min isejjaħlu mard. Ma naqbilx. Il-futbol huwa parti mill-ħajja daqs l-alarm li jdoqq filgħodu u jfakkrek li wasal il-ħin li terfa’ sormok mis-sodda u tmur għal dawk it-tmien siegħat xogħol. Il-futbol huwa realta li timla t-tedjanza tal-odjern bil-ħolm ta’ tfulija eterna. Pele is good. Maradona is better (diskutibbli) but George is Best.

Fino alla fine!

 

Dedikat lil kull min fil-futbol ma jifhimx akka.

Vuol dire anche te – I N T E R I S T A P E Z Z O D I M E R D A.

Categories
Sport

Rueing Ribas da Cunha

Photo of Diego-Ribas-da-Cunha
Image via Wikipedia

I’m back and normal blogging service will resume shortly. In the meantime we take the first punch of the football season. The real test is not some lost pitch in Ireland or against Sturm Graz but against strong Serie A third tier teams like Bari (10th last season). A machinated Juventus deservedly lost to Bari’s well-oiled passing team. My suspicions were live long before the game – who the hell is going to create the moves? Will this team depend on Chiellini’s angry runs every now and then?

Why, why, why do you sell Diego Ribas da Cunha and buy no replacement. Do not mention Aquilani. Do not even try mentioning high flying wings crossing from the three-quarters pitch. Do not, above all mention Felipe Melo and Sissoko in the same sentence as creativity. So. With two days to go where will Juve go and fish for a regista? We have thrown away such greats as Corini and Pecchia (to mention but two) – is there any creative mind ready to step into the heart of a team that is in search of a new soul?

I’ve said it once. I will say it again. Juventus will rue the decision to sell Diego Ribas da Cunha.

P.S. How can Krasic (not bad) cost 15 million while Alvarez (gigantic) cost 4.5 million for the second half of his cartellino? Look out for Giovinco tonight – who knows he might suddenly grow into a regista himself.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Sport

Seleção – updated

Insofar as support is concerned, this corner of the web has two hearts that beat blindly. One is coloured black and white and the other, more fanatic one, is coloured green and gold. We held back from commenting the early forays of the seleção especially since we rarely believe that the first three matches of a WC offer any verdict other than IN or OUT.

Dunga’s Brasil are light years away from offering the “jogo bonito” that he tough Brasilian supporters expect year in year out. I too have given up on really “watching Brasil play”. Instead we are regaled with fiammate of genius interspersed with solid, pragmatic displays that take the best of what football has to offer with a very pragmatic perspective. Dunga’s Brasil would take a 1-0 victory home any day but time and time again it has offered unexpected goleadas even when the usual suspects where not around.

Forget O Fabuloso and Robinho (who has a magnificent track record vs Chile – 5 games/6 goals) – the man to watch is Juventus’ Felipe Melo. It has become more and more evident that he is the metronome of the team. His presence as a dam infront of the defence allows Kaka and the forwards to weave their magic one-twos and bursts. Melo and Dunga are like man and God… the former has been formed in the shape of the latter and that is probably why the Brasil coach has so much faith in the much maligned Felipe Melo.

Melo plays with a swollen ankle tonight. He has been Brasil’s Dr Jekyll to Juve’s Mr Hyde. Juve fans watched him in desperation as they hoped he would justify his 25 million tag only to be disappointed time and time again. In the first few matches with the seleção he has become an insurmountable figure on which the goal machine falls back when the going gets tough (true there is the not too ignorable presence of Lucio and Juan behind him).

Will Melo & Co overcome Chile with the same ease as the last eight encounters against los Riojas? It remains to be seen. Brasil are normally at their most worrying when they enter a match that seems to be a foregone conclusion. Also it remains to be seen how many Brasililan feet will get kicked about by a desperate second choice Chilean defence. Fingers crossed and lets hope that the ghosts of 1950 and 1982 – when Brasil was meant to be the inevitable victor – do not return to haunt Dunga’s braves.

Go Brazil!

***
UPDATE

So they won. Melo did not play in the end but Ramires replaced him well enough. The early forays into Brasilian territory where not enough for Bielsa’s plucky XI and Brasil built their victory with bloks of European cynicism coupled with moments of individual flair and strokes of magic. Kaka is slowly filling in the shoes of unsung maestro of this team distributing the passes with nonchalant tempo.

Hats off to Chile though. Like the Americans before them, they had the neutrals thrilled with their pluckiness, their enthusiasm and their unwillingness to play to some unwritten script. Well done Chile and it really is a pity that the knock-out round had to come about at some point. We cross our fingers as we wait for the Oranje next Friday.

Categories
Sport

Gufi on Record

Seeing how we have been taken to task on our objective reporting of superstitious elements we will set the record state. We will grant that Intercettati were Champions in 1938 before Mussolini‘s XI lifted the cup. (Mussolini’s XI won both 1934 and 1938 so Inter and Juve get an ex aequo in the not too sporty pre-war editions).

1930 – Inter (3) – DNQ

1934 – Juventus (6) – Campione

1938 – Inter (4) – Campione

1950 – Juventus (8) – 1o turno (superga)

1954 – Inter (7) – 1° turno

1958 – Juventus (10 *) – DNQ

1962 – Milan (8) – 1° turno

1966 – Inter (10 *) – 1° turno

1970 – Cagliari (1) – Finalista

1974 – Lazio (1) – 1° turno

1978 – Juventus (18) – 4° posto

1982 – Juventus (20 **) – Campione

1986 – Juventus (22) – Ottavi

1990 – Napoli (2) – 3o posto

1994 – Milan (14) – Finalista

1998 – Juventus (25) – Quarti

2002 – Juventus (26) – Ottavi

2006 – Juventus (29) – Campione

2010 – Inter (17) – 1o turno

The Record.

With Juventus as champions (9 times) Italy performed as follows: 3 times winners, 1 time fourth place, 1 time quarter-finalist, 2 times eighth-finalist, 1 time exited first round, 1 time DNQ.

With Inter-cettati as champions (5 times) Italy performed thusly: 1 time winners, 3 times 1st round exit, 1 time DNQ.

Other teams have too low a record to compare probabilities. The only other team who won more than one time before a WC is Milan and their record is still too low for probability: 2 times champions before WC and 1 time exit first round, 1 time finalist. A 50% chance of a good WC I’d say (or of a bad one if you saw it from the Intercettati point of view.

The facts are clear. Try as they might Intercettati will attempt to wriggle away the 2006 campionato claiming it as their own. While we still await the further developments on Moratti & il Defunto’s phonefest we will simply remind them that Italy’s 2006 world championship team was built on the team that won the campionato on the pitch. It is a glaring inconsistency to wave the flag for Italy singing Seven Nation Army one minute then claiming that that very same team would not easily have won the campionato without much help.

So back to the issue of objective reporting. First of all we never claim to be (objective). But even if for a second we tried to be so, the facts as shown above are obvious. With Juventus Champions 7 times out of 9 Italy obtained a decent result for a team of its stature. With Inter Champions that same nation got a decent result 1 time out of 5.

We said it once. We say it again.

Inter – Gufi d’Italia.

La realtà dei fatti è che quando la Juventus vinceva, la Nazionale volava. L’ultima volta, appunto, nel 2006. Oggi, che la Juventus ha fatto uno dei campionati peggiori di tutta la sua storia, la Nazionale esce quasi in silenzio, quasi dalla porta di servizio, quasi senza dignità. E forse il “quasi” andrebbe tolto.

I politici del calcio hanno voluto distruggere la Juventus e innalzare l’Inter a bandiera nazionale; l’Inter ha ripagato i politici del calcio perseverando nella sua politica esterofila, e abbandonando i suoi benefattori al loro destino. C’è della giustizia, in tutto questo; la Juventus non ha mai tradito l’Italia. Vinceva e proponeva blocchi vincenti. Però si sa che tutti i nodi, prima o poi, vengono al pettine, e oggi, con la questione Calciopoli 2, c’è la possibilità di ricostruire la storia, prima di svegliarsi un mattino e scoprirsi irrimediabilmente calvi.

Quella odierna, difatti, è solo l’ultima delle umiliazioni subite; quelle precedenti sono storia recente. Se dico “Blatter e la Coppa del Mondo 2006”, se dico “Europei 2016”, se dico “coppa del mondo restituita da un giocatore francese” penso che possa bastare.

source

Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Arts

Inter-cettati (contd)

Juventus have officially presented a request for the revocation of the league title that was awarded off the pitch to Inter-cettati. The 29th league title won by Juventus on the pitch had been assigned to Inter-cettati after Juventus were found guilty of violating the principles of loyalty and propriety and correctness for having nurtured links with the refereeing class.

Following the emergence of evidence previously kept in the dark it transpires that Inter-cettati (non abbiamo mai chiesto lo scudetto) were just as thickly involved in the refereeing mess. While many could argue that Moggi’s Juventus were champions in the parallel league of dark practices off the pitch there is no denying that Inter were also losing participants in that category too. Such participation should automatically disqualify them from claiming the scudetto di carta of 2006.

There’s more. The victories of Mourinho’s Corazzata di Intercettati celebrated over the past four years will remain tainted forever by the way Inter-cettati first acted with disdain as though it was a victim and then proceeded to enjoy the fruits of having handicapped the only team that had kept its murky hands off the silverware for so long. The hypocrtical vultures had already fed off Juventus’ sinking ship in 2006 – Ibrahimovic and Viera – and then continued to build a (relatively) strong team while Juventus had to cope with the setback of being the capro espiatorio of the sick system that is Italian football.

2010. Inter-cettati win the scudetto (Siena permitting) and still cannot garner any respect from their adversaries. Like the sick King they can only be happy with the yes-men milanese press and their delusional ideas of grandeur defeating real football by reviving the catenaccio. Yes, we do remember that it takes the pretenders to the throne of football’s greats an hour of ugly catenaccio football to get to the final.

Throughout the eighties and nineties Inter-cettati had the sweet tag of “simpatici perdenti” almost loved by all except their Milanese cousins. Now under Moratti and Facchetti (God rest his soul) they have become an imposing symbol of all that is sick in Italian football.

“Nell’esposto presentato oggi si fa esplicito riferimento alle novità emerse nel procedimento penale in corso presso il Tribunale di Napoli, che rivelano l’esistenza di una fitta rete di contatti tra esponenti della società beneficiata dell’assegnazione a tavolino dello scudetto 2005-2006 e tesserati del settore arbitrale. Tali contatti rappresentano, secondo i criteri adottati dalla Procura Federale nel giudizio a carico della Juventus, la violazione dei principi di lealtà, probità e correttezza sanciti dall’articolo 1 del Codice di Giustizia Sportiva. È convinzione della Juventus, pertanto, che venga meno il presupposto della decisione assunta dal Commissario Straordinario della Federcalcio nel 2006: l’inesistenza, cioè, di “comportamenti poco limpidi” addebitabili alla squadra che risultò prima classificata dopo la penalizzazione delle altre” – Juventus FC

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]