19:32. we arrive at the Inter Club London. 200 people. The place is exploding with nerazzurri, the last time I saw as many Interisti was in S.Siro 10 years ago. 100 chairs, the rest have to stand. I drag Polly, my wife right up to the first raw. In front of the bar. I stand there, look around. nobody complains. Good, this tile is mine, standing alongside a chinese girl boarded up in black and blue. Perfect. I've waited 45 years and I'm not prepared to move. It's like being in Italy anyway, so my move is legal here. Polly is delighted to find an empty chair at an impossible angle, she may see 1 inch of monitor from there. But she's not bothered, in fact, I think she's already on facebook.
15 minutes to go to kick off. Now that I've solved my 'spot' situation I can start stressing about the game. Boy I'm nervous. This time we're close. really close. So close it feels it's there for us to reach out and take it. Nobody says so in the room, but, deep down, we all know it. In a fraction of a second I go through the history of 40 years of Inter history, from Altobelli to Zanetti through Bini, Oriali, Beccalossi, and hundreds of other nerazzurri. I snap out of it and realise I'm huffing and puffing, I'm a mess. I look up and see that one of the leaders of the fan club is looking at me. He sees what a mess I'm in. He's probably around my age so he's been through a fair amount of suffering in his Inter lifetime. (OK, he may be younger, but I have more hair than him). But he's in control. He's relaxed. He looks at me, he doesnt' say anything, but rather sends me a sublimal message by means of a single hands motion and simultaneous facial expression: 'dontcha worry 'bbout a thing'. I feel better already.
The game? Oh yes that. Twice mi wife sees me disappear in the depths of an abnormal mass of legs, arms, sweaty hair, black and blue scarves, beers and dozens of pulsating jugulars. Milito take 1 and 2. Twice I emerge with only minor injuries. We're in control. Only few minutes left on the clock. I keep my scarf well hidden. I'm superstitiuos. Polly - happy that extra time seems out of the question and we'll save few bobs on the baby-sitter -keeps on saying : 'it's in the bag, it's in the bag'. In a frenzied attempt to chase off any UK or Italian bad spirits I knock wood, touch iron and grab testicles (mine, of course, it's not that kind of party), you know, just in case, better safe than sorry, cover all your bases and all that. I implore her, 'stop saying that, please..'.
Minute 89, 90. Injury time. And then it happens. With 2 minutes of injury time still to play Mourinho stands up, walks across to the other bench and shakes hands with his counterpart. And than - and only then - I believe it. If Jose thinks it's over, then it is over.
Out goes the scarf. We've won the Big Cup.
giovedì 27 maggio 2010
venerdì 7 maggio 2010
Mourinho forever
When few years ago the rumour started that Mourinho may join Inter Milan I thought: NOW Jose, you'll have a chance to prove how good you are. Since 1965 Inter reached one CL final (1972 - 0-2 to Cruyff's Ayax) and just 2 other semis (1980 2-0 0-1 REal Madrid) and 2003 (I erased that from my memory, look it up). If he was after a challenge, he surely walked into one.
When Jose joined Inter they were finally winning leagues, but were still struggling in the CL. In the past few years we were kicked out in the quarter finals twice (Milan and Villareal) and in the second round three times (Valencia, Liverpool and Man U). While Milan, Villareal, Valencia and Liverpool left us neroazzurri fans with a bitter taste in our mouth due to the poor image and abysmal performances.
Last year was slightly different as I thought we did give Man U a game or two and we left the competition with our head high (well, maybe half mast). This was the first year of Mourinho at Inter and he hadn't completed his revolution. The squad was still largely Mancini’s and in the Man U tie he had to play Adriano and Viera which proved very costly. Plus Ibra pulled a typical Ibra from his hat (a bad Ibra, that is) and he fluffed his line at Old Trafford.
This year, good old Mou off-loaded Ibra to Barcelona and with the money earned he signed: Eto’o, Sneijder, Motta. Plus he got Lucio for free and then signed Pandev later. Now he could face the Chaaaaampiooooons with his own squad. It took the team few months to get going, but when they did Inter fans were in for a pleasant surprise: a team with character, experience and class like we haven’t had for decades.
Beat Chelsea home and away playing with 4 forwards. Professional with CSKA. Then his masterpiece with Barcelona. Created multiple chances in the first leg (scoring 3 goals)(I know, I know, thank you ref), coming from behind against the reigning champions, something nobody has managed to do all year. In the second leg, had to re-shuffle his cards with 10 minutes to go due to Pandev sudden injury, lost Motta after 30 minutes to a silly red card (bad ref) and resorted to the most classics of catenaccios.
To defend like Inter did in the second half is not something anyone can do. Inter players managed to hang by their fingernails thanks to their experience, resilience and concentration.
Inter transformation is, quite simply, astonishing. Until 2 months ago Mourinho didn’t have a lot of fans in Italy, not even amongst Inter’s. Now, he may have few more enemies but Inter fans all over the world are happy to celebrate this great Portuguese. And in two weeks they may celebrate him even more.
When Jose joined Inter they were finally winning leagues, but were still struggling in the CL. In the past few years we were kicked out in the quarter finals twice (Milan and Villareal) and in the second round three times (Valencia, Liverpool and Man U). While Milan, Villareal, Valencia and Liverpool left us neroazzurri fans with a bitter taste in our mouth due to the poor image and abysmal performances.
Last year was slightly different as I thought we did give Man U a game or two and we left the competition with our head high (well, maybe half mast). This was the first year of Mourinho at Inter and he hadn't completed his revolution. The squad was still largely Mancini’s and in the Man U tie he had to play Adriano and Viera which proved very costly. Plus Ibra pulled a typical Ibra from his hat (a bad Ibra, that is) and he fluffed his line at Old Trafford.
This year, good old Mou off-loaded Ibra to Barcelona and with the money earned he signed: Eto’o, Sneijder, Motta. Plus he got Lucio for free and then signed Pandev later. Now he could face the Chaaaaampiooooons with his own squad. It took the team few months to get going, but when they did Inter fans were in for a pleasant surprise: a team with character, experience and class like we haven’t had for decades.
Beat Chelsea home and away playing with 4 forwards. Professional with CSKA. Then his masterpiece with Barcelona. Created multiple chances in the first leg (scoring 3 goals)(I know, I know, thank you ref), coming from behind against the reigning champions, something nobody has managed to do all year. In the second leg, had to re-shuffle his cards with 10 minutes to go due to Pandev sudden injury, lost Motta after 30 minutes to a silly red card (bad ref) and resorted to the most classics of catenaccios.
To defend like Inter did in the second half is not something anyone can do. Inter players managed to hang by their fingernails thanks to their experience, resilience and concentration.
Inter transformation is, quite simply, astonishing. Until 2 months ago Mourinho didn’t have a lot of fans in Italy, not even amongst Inter’s. Now, he may have few more enemies but Inter fans all over the world are happy to celebrate this great Portuguese. And in two weeks they may celebrate him even more.
martedì 4 maggio 2010
Lazio Inter Roma Caos... Mamma mia
Lazio - Inter 0-2 and all hell breaks lose. Mamma mia!!! Roma's chairwoman jumps up and down pulling her hair screaming "we woz robbed, we woz robbed" over and over again. Roma's radio stations are overwhelmed with phone calls from angry Roma fans. The Italian Commissario Tecnico cannot help himself and declares "Never seen anything like it in my life"...
Steady tigers..
let us all take a good old step back. Shall we? How about putting things in perspective?
Lazio: fourth from the bottom.
Inter: Top of the table. Just went past the little obstacle Barcelona to qualify for the CL final.
Inter struggle in the first half, survive a couple of minor scares in defence and only manages to score in injury time, when Samuel joins Eto'o upfront for a last assault.
Second half, Inter scores again. Lazio, reallytruly, don't have any good questions to ask.
Now, the crowd in the stand make it clear who they want to win. They want Lazio to lose because quite simply, they hate the fact that Roma may win the scudetto.
What do we all make of that then?
Roma have only themselves to blame. They slowlybutsurely ate into a 15-points deficit to overtake Inter at the top a couple of weeks ago. Then they won the derby with Lazio, having been 1-0 down at half time. And at the beginning of the second half Lazio had a match point from the penalty spot and missed miserably. What rivers would have been filled with words had that happened last sunday?
The truth is, Roma lost the following week - at home - to Sampdoria. And Inter regained the lead. And in spite of all attempts from niceguy Ranieri to keep the complaints out of his camp, as soon as Roma lost the leadership chairwoman Rosella went back to her we woz robbed broken record song.
what a shame.
plus, for those old enough to remember - and I'm not one of them (yes, I lie) - back in 1973, the now horrified giallorossi tifosi jumped up and down with joy when Juventus beat Roma 2-1 in the last game of the season - at Roma - having come from behind to nick the scudetto. second place was, yes, you guessed, Lazio.
you draw your own conclusion and I'll draw mine.
Roma, to quote one of your wisest fans Carletto Mazzone "shut up and you may still win"
Steady tigers..
let us all take a good old step back. Shall we? How about putting things in perspective?
Lazio: fourth from the bottom.
Inter: Top of the table. Just went past the little obstacle Barcelona to qualify for the CL final.
Inter struggle in the first half, survive a couple of minor scares in defence and only manages to score in injury time, when Samuel joins Eto'o upfront for a last assault.
Second half, Inter scores again. Lazio, reallytruly, don't have any good questions to ask.
Now, the crowd in the stand make it clear who they want to win. They want Lazio to lose because quite simply, they hate the fact that Roma may win the scudetto.
What do we all make of that then?
Roma have only themselves to blame. They slowlybutsurely ate into a 15-points deficit to overtake Inter at the top a couple of weeks ago. Then they won the derby with Lazio, having been 1-0 down at half time. And at the beginning of the second half Lazio had a match point from the penalty spot and missed miserably. What rivers would have been filled with words had that happened last sunday?
The truth is, Roma lost the following week - at home - to Sampdoria. And Inter regained the lead. And in spite of all attempts from niceguy Ranieri to keep the complaints out of his camp, as soon as Roma lost the leadership chairwoman Rosella went back to her we woz robbed broken record song.
what a shame.
plus, for those old enough to remember - and I'm not one of them (yes, I lie) - back in 1973, the now horrified giallorossi tifosi jumped up and down with joy when Juventus beat Roma 2-1 in the last game of the season - at Roma - having come from behind to nick the scudetto. second place was, yes, you guessed, Lazio.
you draw your own conclusion and I'll draw mine.
Roma, to quote one of your wisest fans Carletto Mazzone "shut up and you may still win"
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