For those not invited to celebrate the birthday of Robert Pires
The U17 World Cup continues at 3pm on Eurosport 2, as Italy’s nippers attempt to take revenge for 2002 and all that, by beating some South Korean children.
Three matches this evening covering a range of footballing competition. If you like your football young, catch Wales vs Scotland in the Victory Shield at 7:40pm on Sky Sports 1. If you like your football second-rate, Man United reserves try to take their own revenge against the Liverpool counterparts, MUTV from 7.
And finally, if you like your football preening, the Special One hosts Walter Zenga’s Palermo, looking to go four points clear at the top of Serie A. The game is on ESPN at 7:45.
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:
Is the Special One honing his act to replace Fergie?
Inter Milan will almost certainly win Serie A this season. Their two biggest rivals, Milan and Juve, are both managed by men who before August, had taken charge of a hefty zero matches in their managerial careers. The challenge should come from Sampdoria, Fiorentina and Genoa, none of whom are likely to have the staying power or experience for a long Serie A season.
Yet since Calciopoli, Inter always win the title. Its like being named the tallest dwarf. So Jose must do better to keep his job, and that means the Champions League, which Inter have started badly by drawing their first two matches. If Mourinho is fired at the end of the season, he will be casting his manly eyes to Old Trafford, where Sir Alex may soon be vacating the throne.
And what better way to ingratiate himself with the United faithful than having a pop at the bête noire of choice, Rafa Benitez, and the 2005 version, Arsene Wenger. Mourinho commented yesterday when asked if he feels pressure at San Siro:
“[Arsene] Wenger has been Arsenal’s coach for 15 years but he hasn’t won even a Carling Cup for six years. [Rafa] Benitez hasn’t won a league title in six years but they continue to keep him as Liverpool’s coach.
This is not the Italian mentality. To stay here I must continue winning and do well.”
No doubt about it, all of a sudden Chelsea are a joy to behold. Last season, we watched through bleeding eyes as they so nearly ground their way to boring successes, but this season, they look like worthy and spectacular contenders.
Begging the question, is Scolari a better coach than Mourinho was? Glen Johnson thinks so, but what do you think?
Something about Paul McCartney taking his Beatle’s stage show to Anfield suggests that people all over Europe might be standing back and hailing Liverpool as the European Capital of Culture around thirty or forty years too late. That said, anyone who doesn’t erupt into tears at the thought of drunk Liverpudlians weeping Yesterday in their thousands should be seriously investigated. In other moving news…
Mark Hughes to Manchester City
Suddenly everyone wants Mark Hughes to take care of their boys - first Abramovich, now these guys. His white hair demands respect, but could a man destined to manage United really do a job at City?
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Surely not.
Michael Essien to Inter Milan
Of course, everyone has been bigging up the chances of Lampsie, Drog-drog and Carvalho heading East to spend quality time with his special highness, but now it seems young Essien has bounced to the front of the queue brandishing a big red apple.
Goaty old European clubs long to tell Jose how much they love him, but they’re all still married to another!
In counting his suitors this week, handsome troublemaker Jose Mourinho finds a wealthy new Italian making googly eyes across the room, while long-time enthusiasts Real Madrid can barely contain their desire to be with him. Current standings in the race to win his affection are as follows:
1) Inter Milan (new entry!). “I want to leave,” said manager Roberto Mancini a week or so ago, then a couple of days later, “I don’t want to leave.” What to make of this flip-flop? Presumably this is just some fancy window dressing, as Inter have apparently made Mourinho an offer to take over but don’t want to confirm Mancini’s departure until the next manager, (Mourinho, they pray), has responded favourably to their invitation.
2) Real Madrid. Relations between Madrid and her current husband, ill-mannered teuton Bernd Schuster, have reached their chilliest depth so far, and this marriage is unlikely to last the summer. Madrid have now lost seven of 19 games, including a 3-2
The Spoiler’s guide to saying naughty things in foreign
Reportedly, Jose Mourinho would swear at referees in Portuguese so he could deny his aggravated language if questioned (”Honestly, ‘Lambe-me os colhes’ means ‘I agree with your informed choice’”). Javier Mascherano, on the other hand, chose an English four letter word to express his dismay, instead of reverting to his native tongue. This makes the Special One ‘smart’, and the Argentinean one ‘stupid’.
The Premier League’s vast array of imports would do well to take a leaf from Mourinho’s book of sly cussing, so here’s our top ten booking-free-guaranteed foreign insults. Let’s kick it off with one that could have helped Javier safely vent his spleen on Sunday:
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