…is ‘Thank Goodness we are drunk’ apparently

The tifosi (oooh, get us) banner has long been a mainstay of Italian football culture, along with flairs and female presenters who aren’t necessarily on television due to their knowledge of the Bari back-line. Such banners have been employed for sinister purposes down the years, as the fascist-leaning clubs use them to ill-effect. Lazio even received a one match ban back in 2001, when their ultras held up a banner aimed at Roma supporters proclaiming, ‘Team of Blacks, stand of Jews.’

More happily, the annual Sandro Ciotti award has just been allocated to Torino fan Eleonora Ingrassia, for the banner he displayed (above) throughout Torino’s relegation campaign, loosely translated as:

 Thank goodness we are drunk

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In second place was a Milan fan, making fun of President Silvio Berlusconi’s relationship with teenage model Noemi. The aforementioned strumpet had earlier revealed in the tabloid press that she referred to Silvio as ‘Papi’ and how he loved to shower her with gifts. Hence the Rossoneri banner:

‘Papi, buy me Adebayor. Signed Noemi.’

Jose Mourinho unsurprisingly proved a popular target for banner humour, and another Milan banner proclaimed:

‘Mourinho learned Italian just so he could talk c**p.’

Finally, the resurgence of Antonio Cassano didn’t please everyone. Revelations in his autobiography that the striker had slept with 700 women, elicited the following from fans of Sampa’s nearest rivals, Genoa:

‘700 women for Cassano, but his brain is virginal and untouched.’

Do you have a favourite banner from a football match? Tell us below