Euro 2012 Discussion

[Champ]

Big win needed today over Croatia.

 

[kyhadley]

Again, Croatia's kit is beautiful. C'mon you Croats!

Also, I feel like a move to Italy would be the best thing for Balotelli. He seems to prefer playing with his countrymen. God damn imagine him with Juve.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

The Irish appear to be content to play the long-ball game.

 

[JayDizzle]

Thanks for filling in Ireland.

 

[DDRGuido]

If Netherlands dump out, I'm on the Croatia wagon.

 

[kyhadley]

Apparently all anyone wants to talk about after the Spain-Ireland game is the wondrous glory that was the Irish fans, but fuck that, Torres should be the story.

 

[Rudi]

Apparently all anyone wants to talk about after the Spain-Ireland game is the wondrous glory that was the Irish fans, but fuck that, Torres should be the story.

I think it's fair on the media's part to wait on the Torres praise until he performs like he did today on a consistent basis against better competition. Sure he played fantastic today, but then again it was Ireland. He needs to keep it up once they reach the knockout stage.

 

[calgaryballer]

All the media wants to talk about today is that a 2-2 draw between Spain and Croatia sends Italy home. Has them worrying about the 1982 WC or Euro 2004, when the matches felt 'arranged' (though it's ironic that it's the Italians worried about match fixing...)

 

[BigHouseUSA]

Yohan <3

 

[NAHSTE]

Again, Croatia's kit is beautiful. C'mon you Croats!

Also, I feel like a move to Italy would be the best thing for Balotelli. He seems to prefer playing with his countrymen. God damn imagine him with Juve.

He left there in the first place because he did not much enjoy being repeatedly told by fans to go back to Africa and that he wasn't a real Italian.

 

[Rudi]

I think Mario enjoys Manchester. I've read numerous stories of fans chatting with him around the town and they say he is the nicest guy ever off the pitch, has no problem sitting down and hanging out with fans/signing autographs and stuff.

 

[Rudi]

What a match this England/Sweden match as been thus far. Great stuff

 

[Rudi]

Walcott has been brilliant since coming on. What a clever finish from Welbeck on that pass from Theo. This match has been incredible. INCREDIBLE.

 

[NAHSTE]

Match of the tournament.

 

[1ke]

He left there in the first place because he did not much enjoy being repeatedly told by fans to go back to Africa and that he wasn't a real Italian.

When did he ever say this? Was it a story? He loves Milan, and hasnt said no to going back to play with the Red side.

England and Sweden was a good game. I love love love me some Zlatan.

 

[NAHSTE]

When did he ever say this? Was it a story? He loves Milan, and hasnt said no to going back to play with the Red side.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/15/mario-balotelli-italian-racism-book

Mario Balotelli has praised the way "the Premier League has declared war to racism" after being spared the possible ordeal of playing in front of the Juventus crowd that has abused him in the past.

Balotelli will not be involved in Manchester City's Europea League tie in Turin tomorrow, partly because the team have already qualified for the next stage of the competition, but also because the manager, Roberto Mancini, is mindful of the problems that occurred there when the striker was playing for Internazionale.

The issue of racism in Italian football resurfaced last month when Balotelli was repeatedly booed playing for his country against Romania and the 20-year-old, despite his recent disciplinary problems, has concluded he did the right thing leaving for England, where "the culture of integration is much more widespread than in Italy".

He said: "The day I arrived at Manchester City it was three black boys who asked for my first autographs, and I presented them with my white cap. I am proud to be black and Italian. I've learned from my family that no one is 'upside down' simply because he speaks, prays or thinks differently."

Balotelli recalled that the first time he was abused came on his debut, at the age of 15. "It was 2 April 2006, I was playing for Lumezzane at Padua and, as I was still not 16, the club had to ask for special dispensation from the Italian FA and the authorisation of my parents.

And later ...

Juventus supporters once held up a banner about Balotelli with the words: "A Negro cannot be Italian." Another bearing the message "No to a multi-ethnic national team" was confiscated at the international match against Romania.

"I do not know what more I can say about these things," Balotelli said. "Maybe these people came to the game because they do not even have a television set at home. I've learned through experience that it is better to ignore them and pretend nothing has happened but thank God I do not have to know the people who are insulting me."

Hilarious that of all places, kyhadley suggests Juve for him.

In April 2009 Balotelli scored Inter's goal in a 1–1 draw with Juventus and was racially abused by Juventus fans throughout the game, including chants such as "Black Italians do not exist". This led to Massimo Moratti saying that he would have pulled the team off the pitch if he had been present.[23] The racist chants were also condemned by Juventus chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli and Juventus were given a one game home-fan ban because of the incident.[24] Inter won Serie A for the fourth time in a row.[25]

In his second season with Inter, Balotelli had a number of disciplinary problems, most notably involving head coach José Mourinho who excluded him from the first team in the second half of January 2009. Earlier that season Mourinho had accused Balotelli of showing a lack of effort in training[26] stating "as far as I'm concerned, a young boy like him cannot allow himself to train less than people like Figo, Córdoba, and Zanetti."[27] Balotelli continued to be the subject of racist chants throughout the season, becoming the focus of Juventus fans even during games not involving Inter, leading to Juventus being fined twice and the club ultimately punished with a partial stadium closure.[28]

 

[1ke]

Ahh ok then.

Speaking of racism......Welbz with no arm around JT Lol...

And speaking of Welbz......:drool:

 

[kyhadley]

He left there in the first place because he did not much enjoy being repeatedly told by fans to go back to Africa and that he wasn't a real Italian.

Ah, well then.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

Watched the Sweden/England game last night off my DVR. What a FUCKING game! I loved the Welbeck goal off the Walcott pass. What a finish! Looking forward to today's games. I just wish they didn't play both games at the same time. Either way, I decided to play the Greece/Russia game this morning for shits and gigs. I controlled Greece and played to a 1-1 draw with Russia...let's see if the Greeks can piss in the Russians cereal IRL today. Here's hoping!

 

[Goober]

Watched the Sweden/England game last night off my DVR. What a FUCKING game! I loved the Welbeck goal off the Walcott pass. What a finish! Looking forward to today's games. I just wish they didn't play both games at the same time. Either way, I decided to play the Greece/Russia game this morning for shits and gigs. I controlled Greece and played to a 1-1 draw with Russia...let's see if the Greeks can piss in the Russians cereal IRL today. Here's hoping!

Why are they playing the games at the same time? So no team knows their fate before their game even begins? This blows, I thought I would have something to watch in two hours.