posted
I think Moitie has nailed this, but do happen to think that this kind of wannabe behaviour is more common in the UK (and the US) than in continental Europe, and that it would not at all surprise me if a significant number of the guys in question also own Blackburn Rovers tops of a certain vintage.
And Spearmint, you might want to consider "wankazzurri".
Posts: 18670 | From: mediolanum | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
The reason people support Italy is because we admire their beautiful Meditteranean lifestyle, their large, unruly familes sat around big tables eating pasta and quaffing Chianti (with water in it for the bambini), their uncomplicated love of children, their beautiful, historic cities, their alluring olive skin and their realistic approach to corruption.
We also love their 'technical' football, their ability to defend and their unflappable on-field demeanour. This contrasts nicely with their off-field exuberance, their wild-eyed romanticism and their delicious, fluid language.
I think I've covered most of the important factors there. I wouldn't worry too much about it - some of them quite like us too. For example, last night I saw a programme about Mods from Rome. What a weird concept, Italians pretending to be English who were heavily influenced by Italians. I guess you could call that self-love, but Italians don't go in for that. They're too busy rutting away at each other, the olive-skinned sexpots.
Posts: 1161 | From: Peckham | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Personally, I do it just to wind up hysterical Italophobes.
Posts: 3576 | From: a factually and morally wrong perspective | Registered: May 2002
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Brilliant, KOTR!
Posts: 23907 | From: the Naughty North to the Sexy South, we're all singing 'I HAVE THE MOUTH!' | Registered: Jun 2002
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quote: Why do Italy, in particular, earn the slavish, sycophantic devotion of so many people who aren't even Italian? I'm not just talking about the likes of Moitie-Moitie, Ganja and Dalliance (who also has dual Pseudo-Argentinian nationality, I believe?) on here, although they'll do for starters.
I hadn't really noticed it being something peculiar to Italy, though I do have one friend who fits the profile. He has Italian ancestry way, way back in his family tree so he'd always had a soft spot for Italy but he'd never pretend to be anything other than English.
He tells me that it wasn't until 94 that he became a full-on supporter - no England, an Italian team doing well - he's never looked back. Mind you, he didn't watch in his local - he went to Berlin to take his chances with the touts. No idea whether he got a ticket or not.
But it's not a million miles away from those who adopt a club team without any local or family connection, is it? I work with a Liverpool fan from Shrewsbury, one Spurs fan from Cardiff and another from Bristol and a Man Utd fan from London.
What you're talking about is just the international version of the same glory-hunting.
posted
Aside from a few ultras crews (one had an Italian flag with "Alcohol and whores" on it...) who like a piss-up, most Italian fans don't drink much and the big city centre meetings are not really high on the list, especially if notoriously fond of booze opposition is in town.
That explains everything - they were playing France the first time I saw them. When in Kaiserslautern, I didn't see many Italians near the bars. Just presumed they'd gone to the main square.
The Italians I was drinking with at the Euro 2000 final were hammered though, especially the Gattuso lookalike. That was the day I became an Italophile, I must admit.
I think Moitie has nailed this, but do happen to think that this kind of wannabe behaviour is more common in the UK (and the US) than in continental Europe, and that it would not at all surprise me if a significant number of the guys in question also own Blackburn Rovers tops of a certain vintage.
That day, everytime I spoke to someone wearing an England shirt, they were not only Dutch (which initially threw me a bit, Brazil, Italy, etc I can understand, but if you're choosing a foreign team, why England), but they all seemed to support Ipswich, and congratulated me on the fact we'd just got promoted. Is it Mühren, Thijssen, Reuser, Wilnis and Zondervan, is the fact we're just over the road, or are the Dutch misery hunters?
[ 10.07.2006, 12:41: Message edited by: Il Visionario Tecnico ]
Posts: 14959 | From: the heart of a deviancy amplification spiral | Registered: May 2002
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posted
I suspect the joy of pasty-faced English lads at Italy's victory yesterday was more to do with Ladbrokes than love of la dolce vita. I know quite a few people who headed to the pub to watch the game to cheer on the Italians, simply because they stood to win decent sums of lucre should that result come to pass.
Copious lashings of alcohol probably helped, too.
Posts: 8617 | From: the safe house | Registered: May 2002
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More details here and there are quite a few ultras crews calling themselves Mods XXXXx (Roma, Bologna, etc)
Posts: 16714 | From: Outskirts of Manchester | Registered: May 2002
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At the pub last night, I wore my Italia t-shirt, and cheered madly for Italy. So much so, that many patrons presumed I was Italian.
And the reason for that was exactly what morgan pointed out: last night I was Italian because Italy is not France.
Posts: 22308 | From: one floor to another | Registered: May 2002
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Globally, Brazil, England and Italy are the three most supported countries. Three different brands that appeal to different "racial tranvestites". France was an emerging brand that would have cemented its position at the top with a win yesterday, but instead it will remain in the "RT" B league along with Germany and Argentina.
Italy is the prototypical Eurotrash country/culture. It's reflected in the preponderance of cheezy hairstyles, tatoos on its team and the veneer of virtue bonded with hypocrisy on a body of darker values and a football culture derived from the most corrupt sporting landscape in the industrialized world.
Posts: 1376 | From: afar | Registered: May 2002
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It's reflected in the preponderance of cheezy hairstyles, tatoos on its team and the veneer of virtue bonded with hypocrisy on a body of darker values
But enough about England.
Posts: 3576 | From: a factually and morally wrong perspective | Registered: May 2002
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