ponsaelius

Udinese are building a new one. For a provincial club like them with a small fanbase thats a big deal, the current one was built in the 70s by the council for multi-purposes and its just ridiculous. http://www.udinese.it/portal/EN/handle/?page=redazione_nuovostadiofriuli Fiorentina, Roma, Inter and Sampdoria are all trying too but whether or not they happen soon is another thing, like I said the bureaucratic system in Italy is just something from a whole other world. Napoli are trying to buy the San Paolo from the council but are having difficulties, it would allow them to renovate it I guess. But tbh the thing is an absolute horror of a stadium, they might be better off just starting again.

I think the most pertinent example I can think of this season is comparing Cardiff's win over City with Verona's win over Milan, both early on in this season. Very similar occassions, sold out venues and brilliant wins for two promoted clubs but watch the highlights of the two and see the difference. The atmosphere for Cardiff's goals contributes the spectacle, but Verona's sold out crowd are in the upper tier with a running track between them and the pitch and thus barely noticeable to a TV audience. It takes a lot away from the viewing experience, seeing Toni celebrate to a running track instead of the fans.

The league is far more interesting now with the fall from grace for both Milan clubs. You're getting the intrigue of their rebuilding process while opening the door for other teams. Less quality, but far more open race than in recent years. The low scoring stereotype doesn't ring true anymore either, for example compare the goals per game in Italy (2.95) with that of the Prem (2.22) this season. The stadium issue is the real elephant in the room for Italian football. The clubs don't own them and they're decrepit and oversized pretty much across the board, leading to empty seats for various reasons. Most clubs are desparate to follow Juve's lead in building 'proper' football stadiums that are suitable for the club's size and can generate income by actually owning them, but the bureaucratic system in Italy is farcical which makes doing it very difficult. The success of the Premier League is marketing and intelligent business sense, Italian clubs are miles behind in that sense and the stadium problem contributes to that. One of English football's biggest selling points is the backdrop when football is on TV, the crowd are close to the pitch and the stands are full. Sky for all their faults are brilliant at bringing forward the ambience of the stadium and putting it in your front living room, or more so front living rooms in Asia, USA, South America etc. Italian ultras are great with the tifos and atmosphere but it doesn't ever translate to being on TV apart from the odd pre-match shot, most of the time they're at two ends of the ground with a bunch of empty seats in the middle because the stadium is so ludicrously oversized. Or at grounds like the San Paolo and Bentegodi (teams renowned for their strong fan support) the lower tier is closed completely because of the poor state of the stadium, which is even worse again. It may seem like a small thing, but it's pretty crucial to marketing the game and thus generating more income collectively. Another major problem is allowing teams to sell their own TV deals, a terrible idea that has threatened to rear its head over here a few times. It means every game is televised so long as you subscribe to your club's channel. Why go sit in a decrepit cavenous bowl with no roof coverage when every game is televised anyway? Why take my kids to a game with the dangers a small minority of ultras cause when you can watch it round the TV at home? Kills attendances, particularly in an economic situation like the Mediterranean countries are in. Would hate to see it happen over here, not least because if you started televising 3pm Premier League kick offs it would end lower league football in this country for good which is for me the greatest trait of English football. So yeah, decline of Serie A is more or less an economic situation facilitated by poor bureacratic process and outdated marketing. Compounded because of the match fixing scandal in 2006 which put off many fans for good. It'll be interesting to see over the next few years if anybody else can start to break ground on new stadiums, that's the necessary turning point.

Easily my favourite manager, would kill to have somebody like him at NUFC.

This Everton hating us thing seems to be an internet thing that has developed since we signed Emre. Very bizarre, considering the total indifference I have for them as a club.

They didn't buy him in the end, trained with them but never actually signed. Tosic is the one they actually bought then got rid of straight away.

Mixed feelings from the Americkems no doubt after that game.

He was like a dog chasing a balloon today when he tried to dribble

Altidore is no better than Ji or Wickham, amazing they managed to scour Europe and splash out on somebody just as poor as what they already have.

Lol

Curtis

Have they still got the coaching staff in place or did Di Canio's Blackshirts retreat with him?

Considering how they play wouldn't it be a bit counter productive? Mata wouldn't be able to put in the work Simeone wants from his players either. I think eventually Oliver Torres will force his way in anyway. It'd be an option for certain games.

Still think Atletico are desperate for a creative midfield option. They could do worse than getting Diego back, or even Mata if his situation continues.

Atletico for the title.

Get in Atletico, shame Madrid got that scandalous win at Elche midweek.

Funny cos its true

Atletico players looking a bit tired now, think Madrid will knick at least 1 goal.

Diego Costa has gotta be pumping some kind of drugs into his body. The bloke is fucking crackers.

Donetsk. Didn't realise they had them in midweek, should be a laugh.

NWOAT

20 points from the last 90 possible for Boro. 1 win so far, could easily see them going down.

Born on the same day as me. He's scoring against Arsenal, I'm sat watching a stream scratching my balls.

Can't wait for Arsenal vs Napoli in midweek

Brilliant stuff