If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Well, for me it's be South America for a football tour, but Jesus, that's far away. Luckily Ryanair do cheap flights to Italy, so it's a decent alternative. I looked at the fixtures and realised, with the midweek cup fixtures, I could take in 6 games in just over a week. Which single manchild who loves football wouldn't do that?
(As this is a football themed edition, I'll be including quiz questions.)
Quiz Question 1: Which teams made it to the final of the 2019 Coppa Italia?
(As this is a football themed edition, I'll be including quiz questions.)
Quiz Question 1: Which teams made it to the final of the 2019 Coppa Italia?
Tuesday 14th January, 2020
Football Club Internazionale Milan 4-1 Cagliari Calcio
Things didn't go according to plan from the start. I had ordered a car and had planned to be driving around the northern Italian countryside in a Fiat 500, looking and feeling as suave as Andrea Pirlo. Instead, I got a Kia which made me feel out of place like Ashley Cole in a Roma team photo.
I arrived in Milan late, so all I wanted was dinner and bed. I had pictured a pasta dish and a glass of red, but the only restaurant I could find within hobbling distance from my hostel was a Peruvian restaurant. This wasn't the Italian adventure I had in mind.
Luckily, I was in for the worst night sleep I've ever had. In the hostel, I shared a room with 2 snorers, another who listened to music through headphones loud enough for me to sing along with, and an Italian who talked/shouted in his sleep. From 11pm until 2am I laid in bed as the loud snores filled the room, I tapped my foot along to the lyrics of Fatman Scoop and the fella above me would shout "Polizia! Polizia!" followed by more Italian that I couldn't recognise. I attempted to block out the noise by putting in my earphones, which worked somewhat but not effectively. I just couldn't sleep with them in. It was uncomfortable, just like putting in a buttplug and expecting to get a solid 8 hours in.
At 3:30am an alarm went off and the music man arose to pack his case and head off to the airport. For some reason he decided not to pack his case before he went to bed just to ensure more late night disruption.
Quiz Question 2: Romelu Lukaku has scored 14 goals in his first 18 games for Inter Milan. Who previously held the record for Inter with 13 in 18?
Milan is the fashion capital of Italy. It's the hub for all the luxury brands. If you're into shopping, you're in the right place. However, I was there for football and hardly fit in wearing in my Beijing Celtics hoody and wooly hat.
I first visited the Duomo Di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Two of Milan's hot spots which took about 8 minutes to walk around. My leg is still on the mend so I was cautious about overdoing the sightseeing. A visit to San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore would have suited someone with Christian virtues, but not so much for me. The paintings of torture were quite impressive though. I managed to kill the rest of the afternoon as I waited for the main event.
I made my way to the San Siro with plenty of time to spare. I was desperate for the toilet so went into the first bar/restaurant I can across which happened to be a Chinese restaurant. I ordered a pizza in a Chinese restaurant (so you know it was good) and I ordered in Chinese. It demonstrates how little Italian I speak if I opted to speak Chinese.
The Giuseppe Meazza was beautiful at night. When I walked to the stadium there was a mist in the air which made the arrival all the more romantic.
Quiz Question 3: The San Siro is home to A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. Which other club has used the stadium for their home European fixtures in 2019-20?
So many great games have occurred here, Arsenal's 1-5 win in 2003 against Inter comes to mind when Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick. Arsenal's 0-2 win against Milan in 2008 where Cesc Fabregas scored a 40-yard screamer comes into the reckoning. Another one was in 2018 in the Europa League round of 16 when Arsenal drew Milan. Massimiliano Mirabelli, Milan's sporting director said "I’m sorry for Arsenal, who I'm sure would have liked to have continued in Europe." Arsenal won 5-1 on aggregate.
It's truly a shame that they will be knocking the stadium down to rebuild a new modern stadium. I love the older 'run-down' stadiums so much more than the new modern ones. Maybe it's because I'm an Arsenal fan that I link their old ground, Highbury, with better days. Highbury was the first stadium I visited, Ian Wright scored a hat-trick at my first game, and to me it was a beautiful place. The Emirates is beautiful in a different way, but it still hasn't become a home because it hasn't amassed enough history yet. Sure, there have been a few. The great win over Barcelona in 2011, or Henry's goal against Leeds 2012, or the numerous thrashings of Spurs, but it's still not the same.
Maybe other supporters like the moves to modern stadiums, but I'm not one of them.
Inter won 4-1 with Romelu Lukaku scoring after 21 seconds. The game was over by that point. The real drama started when I tried to get back to the hostel. Despite their website stating otherwise, the Metro was closed by the end of the game. I didn't have any cash on me as no ATMs allowed me to withdraw any cash from my Chinese bank card. As I stood assessing my options a tram pulled up alongside the metro station. I jumped on it ready to play the old foreigner card "sorry, no Italiano." I blended into the crowd like Jason Bourne ready to obliterate anyone who came near me.
Things didn't go according to plan from the start. I had ordered a car and had planned to be driving around the northern Italian countryside in a Fiat 500, looking and feeling as suave as Andrea Pirlo. Instead, I got a Kia which made me feel out of place like Ashley Cole in a Roma team photo.
I arrived in Milan late, so all I wanted was dinner and bed. I had pictured a pasta dish and a glass of red, but the only restaurant I could find within hobbling distance from my hostel was a Peruvian restaurant. This wasn't the Italian adventure I had in mind.
Luckily, I was in for the worst night sleep I've ever had. In the hostel, I shared a room with 2 snorers, another who listened to music through headphones loud enough for me to sing along with, and an Italian who talked/shouted in his sleep. From 11pm until 2am I laid in bed as the loud snores filled the room, I tapped my foot along to the lyrics of Fatman Scoop and the fella above me would shout "Polizia! Polizia!" followed by more Italian that I couldn't recognise. I attempted to block out the noise by putting in my earphones, which worked somewhat but not effectively. I just couldn't sleep with them in. It was uncomfortable, just like putting in a buttplug and expecting to get a solid 8 hours in.
At 3:30am an alarm went off and the music man arose to pack his case and head off to the airport. For some reason he decided not to pack his case before he went to bed just to ensure more late night disruption.
Quiz Question 2: Romelu Lukaku has scored 14 goals in his first 18 games for Inter Milan. Who previously held the record for Inter with 13 in 18?
Milan is the fashion capital of Italy. It's the hub for all the luxury brands. If you're into shopping, you're in the right place. However, I was there for football and hardly fit in wearing in my Beijing Celtics hoody and wooly hat.
I first visited the Duomo Di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Two of Milan's hot spots which took about 8 minutes to walk around. My leg is still on the mend so I was cautious about overdoing the sightseeing. A visit to San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore would have suited someone with Christian virtues, but not so much for me. The paintings of torture were quite impressive though. I managed to kill the rest of the afternoon as I waited for the main event.
I made my way to the San Siro with plenty of time to spare. I was desperate for the toilet so went into the first bar/restaurant I can across which happened to be a Chinese restaurant. I ordered a pizza in a Chinese restaurant (so you know it was good) and I ordered in Chinese. It demonstrates how little Italian I speak if I opted to speak Chinese.
The Giuseppe Meazza was beautiful at night. When I walked to the stadium there was a mist in the air which made the arrival all the more romantic.
Quiz Question 3: The San Siro is home to A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. Which other club has used the stadium for their home European fixtures in 2019-20?
So many great games have occurred here, Arsenal's 1-5 win in 2003 against Inter comes to mind when Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick. Arsenal's 0-2 win against Milan in 2008 where Cesc Fabregas scored a 40-yard screamer comes into the reckoning. Another one was in 2018 in the Europa League round of 16 when Arsenal drew Milan. Massimiliano Mirabelli, Milan's sporting director said "I’m sorry for Arsenal, who I'm sure would have liked to have continued in Europe." Arsenal won 5-1 on aggregate.
It's truly a shame that they will be knocking the stadium down to rebuild a new modern stadium. I love the older 'run-down' stadiums so much more than the new modern ones. Maybe it's because I'm an Arsenal fan that I link their old ground, Highbury, with better days. Highbury was the first stadium I visited, Ian Wright scored a hat-trick at my first game, and to me it was a beautiful place. The Emirates is beautiful in a different way, but it still hasn't become a home because it hasn't amassed enough history yet. Sure, there have been a few. The great win over Barcelona in 2011, or Henry's goal against Leeds 2012, or the numerous thrashings of Spurs, but it's still not the same.
Maybe other supporters like the moves to modern stadiums, but I'm not one of them.
Inter won 4-1 with Romelu Lukaku scoring after 21 seconds. The game was over by that point. The real drama started when I tried to get back to the hostel. Despite their website stating otherwise, the Metro was closed by the end of the game. I didn't have any cash on me as no ATMs allowed me to withdraw any cash from my Chinese bank card. As I stood assessing my options a tram pulled up alongside the metro station. I jumped on it ready to play the old foreigner card "sorry, no Italiano." I blended into the crowd like Jason Bourne ready to obliterate anyone who came near me.
Wednesday 15th January, 2020
Juventus F.C. 4-0 Udinese Calcio
After a meander around Turin in the afternoon, I made it to The Juventus Stadium as the sun was setting. The mountains in the background and the pink sky made a great backdrop for an evening kick-off.
Quiz Question 4: Only 3 Englishmen have made first-team appearances for Juventus. William Jordan (1948-49), Stephy Mavididi (2018-19) and which other player?
The stadium itself was a major disappointment. The stadium only has a capacity of 40,000 or so (which for Juventus is incredibly small) and cost a mere €155m to build...and you can tell. It's not as if they can't afford it, they are one of the richest teams in the world in terms of revenue and are backed by the Agnelli family who also own FIAT. They spent €117m on a 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo for goodness sake!
The teams were released for the Coppa Italia game against Udinese. Ronaldo wasn't playing, but more annoyingly neither were Aaron Ramsey nor Wojciech Szczęsny! I was expecting a hat-trick from Rambo and a hat-trick of assists from Szczęsny. Was I not annoyed that Ronaldo wasn't playing? Not really, I've already seen him play. It was in 2005 when Manchester United played Peterborough United at London Road in Barry Fry's Testimonial, so not bothered.
I did get to see a true legend play that evening, Gianluigi Buffon. An actual legend of the game, not a legend like Nicklas Bendtner is a legend. His statistics and honours list speak for themselves and is in a calibre of players alongside Gordon Banks, Dino Zoff and Neville Southall. Buffon didn't actually make a save throughout the game, but the way he patrolled his area was sublime.
Quiz Question 5: Gianluigi Buffon has made over 1,000 professional appearances. Which 4 goalkeepers have made more than Gigi? (Hint: two Englishmen, one Brazilian, one Spaniard)
Juventus dominated the game from start to finish winning 4-0, they hit the woodwork twice and had a goal ruled out through VAR (the game's gone). I was stood in the Curva Sud with the Juve Ultras and they were in a jubilant mood. Here's a little fact for you, the Juventus fans love a bit of weed. And by a bit, I mean shitloads. The lads were blazing through the stuff quicker than the bush fires in Australia. After 90 minutes I felt higher than Ross Kemp.
Two games in and 9 goals. Who said Italian football is boring?
Answers:
1. Atalanta vs Lazio (Lazio won 2-0)
2. Christian Vieri
3. Atalanta
4. David Platt
5. Peter Shilton, Rogerio Ceni, Iker Casillas, and Ray Clemence
After a meander around Turin in the afternoon, I made it to The Juventus Stadium as the sun was setting. The mountains in the background and the pink sky made a great backdrop for an evening kick-off.
The stadium itself was a major disappointment. The stadium only has a capacity of 40,000 or so (which for Juventus is incredibly small) and cost a mere €155m to build...and you can tell. It's not as if they can't afford it, they are one of the richest teams in the world in terms of revenue and are backed by the Agnelli family who also own FIAT. They spent €117m on a 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo for goodness sake!
I did get to see a true legend play that evening, Gianluigi Buffon. An actual legend of the game, not a legend like Nicklas Bendtner is a legend. His statistics and honours list speak for themselves and is in a calibre of players alongside Gordon Banks, Dino Zoff and Neville Southall. Buffon didn't actually make a save throughout the game, but the way he patrolled his area was sublime.
Quiz Question 5: Gianluigi Buffon has made over 1,000 professional appearances. Which 4 goalkeepers have made more than Gigi? (Hint: two Englishmen, one Brazilian, one Spaniard)
Juventus dominated the game from start to finish winning 4-0, they hit the woodwork twice and had a goal ruled out through VAR (the game's gone). I was stood in the Curva Sud with the Juve Ultras and they were in a jubilant mood. Here's a little fact for you, the Juventus fans love a bit of weed. And by a bit, I mean shitloads. The lads were blazing through the stuff quicker than the bush fires in Australia. After 90 minutes I felt higher than Ross Kemp.
Two games in and 9 goals. Who said Italian football is boring?
Answers:
1. Atalanta vs Lazio (Lazio won 2-0)
2. Christian Vieri
3. Atalanta
4. David Platt
5. Peter Shilton, Rogerio Ceni, Iker Casillas, and Ray Clemence
