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How did Italian football fall behind?

AstroSchwarz said:
The whole ultra thing is bizarre.

I was on a stadium tour in Germany a few years ago and was walking through that section before the game. I walked past the podium and the lead ultra came running over shouting at me accusing me of trying to look at their “song order” that was written down near the podium :lol: :lol:
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Imagine that here. Accusing a random foreigner of trying to find out if we are going to sing the Brobbey on my mind chant before or after Sunderland till I die 🤣🤣🤣
 

DieselBert said:
Stadia judging by Fiorentinas match v Palace. People talk about the difference between Man United and Newcastles corporate revenue stopping the Mags progressing. Fiorentina looks like theirs wouldn't compete with most Championship clubs.
I've never been to Italy so ive got no great insights but they do seem to suffer as a country with infrastructure issues, bridges falling down, buses setting fire. Infrastructure is becoming unfortunately as important as part of your club as a decent forward or a good coach. Italy infrastructure seems like its hardly changed since watching Gazzeta in the 90s
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Actually went to watch Fiorentina v Como when in Florence last September

Was shocked at the state of their ground - ok they are trying to rebuild it when in situ but the stands which were not being rebuilt had manky broken and dirty seats nailed to the concrete and broken up stairs to get in place

On the pitch they looked like a peak Phil Parkinson Sunderland - aged, unfit, seen better days, apparently uncoached, Edin Djeko up front for them at 40…while Como had the air of Bournemouth and they duly won

The corruption and over spending has cast a long shadow over many teams in the Italian game

Could it happen here if the EPL bubble burst?
 
Blyth said:
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Corruption.
Mackem00 said:
Mental that. Ultras wouldn't last 5 minutes here. Nowt irks fans more than other fans telling them what the crack is. It's weird how it seems to go on even up in Scotland. Imagine the gonks on here trying to tell you what's what and how to behave? :lol:
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Unless you're smacking the shit out of the hordings on the back row. Then you can be politely asked to refrain. :lol:
 
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Kent Boy 2 said:
Yep. I was watching a game in Belgium last year on a football tour. There was an ultra section behind the goal, so a few of us joined in. They ‘tolerated’ us until one of the lads got their phone out to video it, and then they forced us back out to the normal area where the rest of our lot were sitting. There was 40-50 of us, so we started our own ‘ultra’ section singing random chants. The folk sitting around us told us that the ultras wouldn’t like it, and true to their words, at the end of the game a few of them came over to us and instigated a small ‘scuffle’. It’s just weird behaviour.
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Sounds like your lot were bang out of order tbh
DieselBert said:
Thats kind of my point. We built an amazing stadium thats bigger than all but 3 in Serie a in just over a year. Spurs and Arsenal built 2 incredible stadiums in the biggest city in Europe. United and Liverpools stadiums are almost incomparable to when you watch them in the 90s. Every time I watch an Italian match except for Juve it looks like a trip down memory lane.
I know they are other issues. Only 2 Serie A sides south of Rome is completely unsustainable for football in the south of Italy but the stadia thing for me just means that year on year other countries are pulling away or getting close.
Italy isn't even comparable to England and Spain anymore, they are so far behind Germany as well. Mental to even think this but I dont think Turkish football is that far behind Italian football
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Man Utd? Old Trafford is worse now than the 90s!
 
It's mostl TV money but Inter have made 2 of the last 3 CL finals.

They also gained the extra CL place last season as the 2nd best performing country in Europe.

Their national side won the euros in 2021 to boot.

So it falling behind is over the top.
 
tony_not_in_london said:
Actually went to watch Fiorentina v Como when in Florence last September

Was shocked at the state of their ground - ok they are trying to rebuild it when in situ but the stands which were not being rebuilt had manky broken and dirty seats nailed to the concrete and broken up stairs to get in place

On the pitch they looked like a peak Phil Parkinson Sunderland - aged, unfit, seen better days, apparently uncoached, Edin Djeko up front for them at 40…while Como had the air of Bournemouth and they duly won

The corruption and over spending has cast a long shadow over many teams in the Italian game

Could it happen here if the EPL bubble burst?
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Not sure about Florence but I think a big part of the issue is that the stadiums are owned by the city/region councils not the clubs and they aren't willing to spend whats needed to renovate them.
 
DieselBert said:
Stadia judging by Fiorentinas match v Palace. People talk about the difference between Man United and Newcastles corporate revenue stopping the Mags progressing. Fiorentina looks like theirs wouldn't compete with most Championship clubs.
I've never been to Italy so ive got no great insights but they do seem to suffer as a country with infrastructure issues, bridges falling down, buses setting fire. Infrastructure is becoming unfortunately as important as part of your club as a decent forward or a good coach. Italy infrastructure seems like its hardly changed since watching Gazzeta in the 90s
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Fioretina's stadium, like very many in Italy, is actually owned by the city council (which is why it's the Stadio Comunale). It's simply not on the priority list for cash strapped cities.
 
Grumpy Old Man said:
Fioretina's stadium, like very many in Italy, is actually owned by the city council (which is why it's the Stadio Comunale). It's simply not on the priority list for cash strapped cities.
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Thanks

That does kind of explain things - Fiorentina’s ground is in a very sad state

The other weird thing is the security - they make you walk miles (or should that be kilometres) around the ground to pass through about three search check points

Wasnt convinced there was that much prospect of trouble v Como but perhaps I was being naive
 
tony_not_in_london said:
Thanks

That does kind of explain things - Fiorentina’s ground is in a very sad state

The other weird thing is the security - they make you walk miles (or should that be kilometres) around the ground to pass through about three search check points

Wasnt convinced there was that much prospect of trouble v Como but perhaps I was being naive
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As said above, it's in the middle of a renovation (and with reduced capacity).
 
This lads absolutely fuming that Allegri is going to his club! 🤣
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