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Ciro Immobile Leaves Lazio, Alvaro Morata To AC Milan, Marco Violi - Donald Trump Chaos, Has Football Declined? & Much More (Ep. 436)
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From a breakdown of final of EURO 2024 which saw Spain beat England as well as the tournament as a whole, a post mortem and discussion on if quality of players and football has declined, the insane story of Roma YouTuber Marco Violi being wrongly accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump, the legacy of Ciro Immobile at Lazio after move to Besiktas, and AC Milan close to signing Alvaro Morata as well as Baggio, Premface and Serie Ass of the week and much, much more when Nima and Carlo break down all the main talking points from the crazy world of Italian football.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. Hello everybody and welcome to the Italian Football Podcast, the official podcast of Football Italia. I'm Carlo Garganetti joined as always by Nima Tavalli.
Spain's Euro 2024 Victory and International Football Debate
00:00:15
Speaker
On today's show we will react to Spain's victory at Euro 2024 beating England in the final 2-1. A deserved victory for the best team at the Euros but The general consensus is that this has been one of the worst international tournaments ever. um Has football declined, and is there less quality today compared to 20, 30 years ago, let's say? We're going to debate that as we close off the end of the Euros.
Transfer News and Player Moves
00:00:47
Speaker
In club football, we will honor Chiro Imoble as he leaves Lazio as a an all-time legend to join Beshiktas. Alvaro Morata looks like
00:00:57
Speaker
Following on from winning the Euros, he is set to join Milan. While Joshua Zixe, who had seen set to join Milan, has signed for Manchester United from Bologna, we also have, and I know Nimmo is going to love talking about this, the craziest culture story maybe be of all time. As an aroma fan slash YouTuber is wrongfully named as the attempted assassin of Donald Trump. um Yes, that is absolutely true. but and it It is the most insane story. That sentence. Yes, yes. The more I say it to myself, the more... I know. It's just insane. What is the world come to? We live in the simulation. I know. We really do. We really do. We really do. That sentence is
Podcast Support and Listener Engagement
00:01:48
Speaker
so bizarre. Like, it's just...
00:01:52
Speaker
ah And the thing is, especially when you find out who the actual Roman YouTuber is, and you know his background, it is even more bizarre, but we' it go we'll get we'll get to that, and Nima will definitely be the best person to explain all this, because, trust me. and Right, so we have that, ah that is definitely worth looking forward to. We'll also have our usual bad Joe Primface and Celia Ass of the Week. and For all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode that we usually do every Monday. Reviewing the weekend cellular action and all the biggest talk before it's in Italian football. If you want to support the Italian football podcast and receive all of our content that we do throughout the week, including a weekly Q and&A episode every Tuesday where we answer all of the questions from our Patreons, plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction and much, much more.
00:02:39
Speaker
then go to patreon dot.com slash T-I-F-P and become a subscriber for just $2.99 a month plus VAT. You can also sign up to be a paid subscriber on Spotify. We'll provide the link in the description. It's the same price, the same terms. And for all of you that do listen on Spotify, Apple, and ah iTunes Podcast, we'd really appreciate if you give us a five star rating, give us a follow and a like. And also subscribe to us on YouTube. Our YouTube channel is growing so, so fast. and We're now pushing on 3,000 subscribers. um So yeah, it's really really grown and we do we do good content on there as well. and So thank you everyone that has supported us on on YouTube. um all of All of the above really helps us to grow and do more quality content for you guys.
Spain vs England: Tactical Analysis
00:03:28
Speaker
Okay, so let's get into today's show and start off with the end of Euro 2024. So Spain win the Euros, they beat England 2-1 in the final in Berlin on Sunday evening. A late goal from the substitute Oyazabal gives Spain a deserved win ah and Nima This was a the right winner of Euro 2024, wasn't it? Spain were the best team in the tournament. Oh, there's no doubt about that. Spain were consistently the best team in this tournament. They they showed that from pretty much match you know from the first minute until the last that they were the best team. But as we know, sometimes you can. The best team doesn't always win the tournament, but here it did. I think just like Italy three years ago, they were the best team. There's no doubt about that.
00:04:19
Speaker
um and they deservedly won and it was a they they managed to, I think they showed, I think a little bit Southgate's technical deficiencies were really put on display after a very good first half by England where they managed to limit and curtail Spain and keep them safe, not allowing them to harm them um and and also stood up really well absorbing their pressure, their they press really well. um But then, you know, when you move Nico Williams from one wing to the other, you centralize Lamy Yamal a little bit more, you take off Rodri, you put in, you know, the match winner, and then you create these numerical advantages in midfield where England's, well, four midfielders were always outnumbered six to four.
00:05:08
Speaker
with three, basically three, four players on either three players on either side of them and then just sawing through and playing past them. That was the tactical change that Fuentes made and and that was the one that decided it because after that, you know Spain dominated completely and they sawed, they broke England, ripped England apart and that's how the first goal came. And I think England's equalizer was a good goal, but it was hardly You know, patterns of play, if you know what I mean. You think it was more of a more of a chance that it kind of ended up, you know, winning the ball there and and then harming Spain like that. Good finish, though. And then a horrible mistake, I think, by the English defense who we had questions going into. We had questions about going into the tournament.
00:05:56
Speaker
um in the 80 something minute you can't you can't be late to a ball like that. You just can't. You have to win that. You have to be first into that challenge. You have to be switched on. and And I think the individual quality of of of stones and others showed that it they're not as good as some english defenders of yesteryear to put it that way well it was the first time they were tested really in this tour and i think it's ah it's a it's a victory for football in this tournament as we'll come on in our next segment
00:06:28
Speaker
which we which will do a really deep dive on um this you know spain were one of, for me, one of only two of the big teams to really show quality in this tournament, the other being Germany, who I think actually were unlucky to lose to Spain.
Euro 2024 Reflection: Spain vs England
00:06:44
Speaker
um I think Spain overall were the right winners of this tournament, but I actually think Germany maybe deserved to win that game. Bit bit like Italy it's four three years ago, isn't it? Italy with the deserved the winners of the tournament, but actually maybe Deserved to lose to Spain. Yeah. So that's but that's tournament football for you. But, you know, I think they were the right winners. It was it was good for because if this England team, I mean, you know, i'm i I feel I really feel for my English friends, you know, to two finals in a row. However, those games and those tournaments when, you know, it's that's horrible. It's, you know, it's heartbreaking. But if this thing for football as a whole, if this in England team had won the tournament, you know, play in the way they have.
00:07:25
Speaker
with the route that they've had. I mean they've they've played no big teams to get to the tournament, ah to get to the final. um they've they've they've been I think if you actually look at how how long they've been ahead in 90 minutes during this tournament, I think it's like I'm just trying to think, they just just the just the Serbia game, ah after the first game against Serbia, I don't think England, ah but ah only the Denmark game for a short while. Other than that, I don't think they've been ahead in 90 minutes for the whole tournament. I mean, know late goals, I mean, they've shown they've shown resilience, they've shown team spirit, but they've been awful this tournament. No one can say that England has been good this tournament. no would be it would be miss It would be completely misguided. and i think
00:08:11
Speaker
I really think it's time to move away from Gareth Southgate now. um I think he's been, what, 10 years? Has he been there now? Eight years, yeah. Eight years. eight mean It's been quite a few tournaments. He's she's taste shown what he can do. He can get them to this stage, but he can't bring them over the line. And I think, look, I think, the you know, being able to play to your strengths and limit your opponent's weaknesses or strengths rather and play to your you know limit your weaknesses by by limiting ah the the opposition's ability to to harm you is something Italian football is traditionally very good at but Gareth Southgate to me just does not have what you need in order to win as well you need quality yes and he has quality bucket loads of it in in attack
00:09:02
Speaker
But the problem is that there's no idea. They look completely confused when they when they are trying to when they moot when they're trying to attack. And that is a concern. And I don't think he's the right man to unlock the incredible potential. color Again, Saka, Kane, Bellingham, Foden. you got to you you have to make that work. um You should be able to make that work, even if you want to play deeper and defend deep and whatever, but you still should be able to create when pushing forward.
00:09:34
Speaker
and not just vibes, you know, and and, and, you know, here, here, guys, here, lads have the ball, have some fun. I liked, I liked what's his name and the the Man United YouTuber Goldbridge called ah England ah ah Moments FC, which is basically, that's what they've been. 100% true. It's true. Yeah, that's what they've been. I mean, Jude Bellingham, nobody embodies that better than Jude Bellingham, who's had a fantastic season, and horrible tournament and had one moment of magic. Yeah, or one or two even. um But um and and that and that luck and that that that's ah unsustainable. You know, you if you look at all the goals that England have scored in this tournament, pretty much all of them have been off again after that first game, you know, they've they've they've been mostly like XGs of like 0.1 under 0.1.
00:10:25
Speaker
That's unsustainable. You know you can't, yeah again, first shot on goal against Switzerland, against Switzerland they scored. in In this game, first shot on goal, they scored. You know you can't, ah you know that's just unsustainable. and But I do think you know away from self-gate, we also do need to look at the players as well because you know it can't always be the manager. And this is this is you know having you know been born and grown up in England. ah you know I've seen it, the manager always get the criticism for, for 30 years, over 30 years, it's always the manager that gets the criticism. Yeah, but don't matter because they've got that agenda, don't they? Well, yeah, it is partly to do with the agenda, but you've got to look at the players. i mean The players work were abysmal. i mean you know I've said it before, Declan Rice, i've I've been saying for years, is the most overrated the overrated player in world football.
00:11:14
Speaker
this tournament I think for those that those that were fighting against that I think even they've now started to see just how overrided overrated Declan Rice is because he I mean Rafael van der Waar I mean my god did you see the quotes on him he absolutely tore into it I mean this guy he just passes sideways and backwards he cannot sideways dick. That's what I call him sideways. He can't receive the ball on the turn. He can't, receive the ball on the turn he can't he can't play under pressure. He moves in 90 degrees angles like a, like a robot yeah and he, and you he gets dominated by, by, by quality ball control in players like the Spanish, like the Spanish team, you know, and he showed the no one of them. Yeah. Yeah. and And that's exactly what happened in the second half. I thought he stood up well in the first half when England were balanced. But as soon as that tactical change came where you moved wings,
00:12:04
Speaker
swap La Miniamal and Nico Williams, you inverted La Miniamal a little bit more, you put in you took off Rodri and you put on, I can't i can't ever pronounce his name properly. Zubimendi was really good, it was really really good because he started breaking those but I actually think that was a tactical thing as well because Foden was man marking Rodri in the first half. When Rodri came off and it must have been an injury because I mean he's the best centimeter in the world, when he came off, Foden stopped manmarking his replacement, Zuby Mendy, and as a result, that created freedom for Zuby Mendy to push up, have the space and basically create that extra man. look exactly what i mean and That's exactly what I mean. but know agree I mean, that is partly a tactical thing. But also if we look at the players, you know, you can blame the managers say, are they, you know, they didn't, we didn't play to, you know, for example, even didn't play to Kane's strengths, not having the fast wingers, you know, but, but also, you know, the top players make it work in in the real world class place. We'll find a way to make it make it work. And Rice, just not good enough, overrated. Foden, I'm sorry, but Phil Foden, 007, seven games, zero goals, zero assists. What has he ever done for England? Phil Foden.
00:13:16
Speaker
the problem never does anything The problem is ah I really think that if you want to get the most out of Foden and Bellingham and you really should find a way to make it work, you really have to play Bellingham deeper and you have to play Foden as a 10. um And okay, then if you have Declan Rice, Declan Sideways, you can have Declan Sideways if you've got Bellingham next to him. And then you can put someone on on the left wing, whoever you want. I don't think, I agree that's the only solution, but i we had that when England were chasing the game when they equalised, that's how they were, but then they were completely just overrunning midfield afterwards and that's how they actually scored the, Spain scored the second goal because England's centre midfield was was just completely, you could put a but a London bus through it, it was that open. It was open but I think at that time the game was kind of
00:14:11
Speaker
very open itself because, you know, that goal, kind of the opening goal. Yeah, the point I'm coming to, Nima, is that I think that Bellingham, and Bellingham will have to develop his game in order to be a semi-field because I don't think he's, ah the issue that I have with Bellingham, he's still very, very young, right? And I think he's got an elite mentality for a player of 20, 21, 21 now. cru Incredible, elite mentality. He's got some great qualities. He's he's a great finisher. He's got a great shot. He's great in the air. He can shoot. His his understanding of making late runs into the box is better than anyone. But he's got like this ballerina kind of technique. He's a big guy, but he's really good at small space. But I'm going to say this. from He is also, I think he's overrated.
00:14:59
Speaker
by some people in terms of what he can do and what he can't do. He cannot, and this is a problem that English midfielders have nearly always had, nearly always, probably can count on one hand players that can actually do this. English midfielders cannot control the game, dictate the game, set the tempo, dominate the the center of the midfield. They can't and Bellingham is just another example. He cannot do that. He's, he's, he's a, he's a supporting actor. He decorates the game. He doesn't, he's not the leading actor of the game. And this is the problem with with Bellingham. He's, he's almost like a rich man's Frank Lampard in that sense. He's, he's great at making those late runs into the boxes, to the box, but he cannot control a game. So if you stick him in sentiment field, or if you stick him at a number time, and that's been shown throughout this one, I know he's been tired a little bit. That's also shown for Real Madrid, where Ancelotti has been playing him almost as a striker, because he realizes he cannot
00:15:51
Speaker
hes He's not, that's not what he's doing. And that's where Bellingham has been overrated. And that's why I think it might be an issue fitting Bellingham and Foven in the same team, unless Bellingham can develop his game to be able to play and send him a field deeper, which I don't think he can at the moment. At the moment, he can't, but he's young. he Maybe he can in the future. so I think that there are there are some tactical issues which I don't necessarily blame on Southgate, because I think it isn't easy getting all these players into the same team, partly because I think some of these players have been overrated as to what exactly they can do for England. And I think that was shown in this tournament. Southgate is obviously an average manager. We know that. We know that he's an average manager. But I think that some of these players ah ah been have been really vastly ah overrated, I think.
00:16:37
Speaker
No, I think that's fair. I think that's whether they've been overrated or underrated. I mean, for me, the the problem is there that tact it's there for everyone to see. Now, whose fault is it? How do you address it? but but That's, an and not you know, that you have to kind of I don't think it's just one straight answer. But for me, looking at my game in isolation yesterday, I see a Spain that and in England that defended really well, stood up well, absorbed really well in the first half. But then, when and Spain were getting frustrated and annoyed, but then Spain changed things around, and with Zoe Mendy coming in, um
00:17:12
Speaker
you know, pretty much at half time, I mean, after Roger's injury, that they, you know, that's a very, that's a more attacking minded ah substitution. And because they made them feel that, okay, we we'll sacrifice a little bit ah defensively, and we'll go for it a bit more. And they created these numerical advances, like I said, on on either side of the Englishman field, there were three Spanish players on either side and they passed through them, soared through them and that's how the first came. I think Southgate had no response to that at all. whatso I think also Nimr, at some point you can be you can be solid defensively, which England were in the first half, and but at some point you have to be able to create play and make chances and and keep the ball and England couldn't do that and they haven't been able to do that throughout this tournament. And and that's why I also think it is a victory for football because because you know generally, you know that that is the kind of football that has been rewarded. Again, we're going to come on to whether football's declined in in a little bit in ah in a minute. But um you know England, just their their chance creation in this tournament was absolutely absolutely abysmal. And in that first half, even though they're yes, they were solid,
00:18:23
Speaker
What did Inver do? They clearly barely got in ah barely got anywhere close to the penalty. I think Kane had one touch the entire game in the Spain penalty area and before before coming off. i mean you know So when when that is your level of chance creation and when you're always chasing the ball, I think Spain had 64, 65% of the possession. When you're chasing and chasing and chasing against a team, as good as Spain, eventually you're going to tire and eventually it's going to tell. And I think in the second half, that also was part of the case. I think you know Spain was so good in the second, so dominant. signal They should have killed off the game before that equals they had like three or four absolutely clear chances. But what I want to ask you now, just just to finish off on Spain, there is this Spain team, obviously, you know, there's been some comparisons to the 2008 team that won the euros and then went on to dominate international football, win the next two tournaments.
00:19:14
Speaker
Is this a Spain team that the the can maybe do that? What do you think? Is it is this a Spain team that can create some kind of dynasty and that Italy, for example, should be you know looking at Spain as being not the team to beat going forward?
Can Spain Build a Football Dynasty Again?
00:19:28
Speaker
What what do we think? I think Spain, you know, you look at, you know, Rodri's 28. He's got a good couple of years in Impedri when he returns. Gavi, you know, they've they've got some players, I think. Olma. Olma, especially. And the two wingers. Fabian Ruiz is 28. Nico Williams is was like 12. I mean, Yamal is 11. So I mean, it's like they've they've got they've got youngsters. Yamal's dad. Do you know how old Yamal's dad is?
00:19:56
Speaker
34. How scary is that? how How old does that make you feel? Do you know what I mean? Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it? um So, no, but I look at, but I mean, I do think they have problems in defense. for na fernande's thirty four danni carva carvaal thirty two laporter Jesus Navas, you know what I mean? Older than your mother's dad. Older than your mother's dad, literally. So, you know, they do have problems in defense. I think, so I do think that, you know, I don't see what that Spain team did was there was a world-class player in every position.
00:20:36
Speaker
essentially, um if you look at it, at that that's Spain from... fernande or Yeah, 2000, 10, 12. I mean, that was every single... person they They were spoiled with world-class players. yeah um So I don't think they're going to open up a dynasty like that. um and But I do think that they have positioned themselves as together with Germany, and And also France, once they get rid of decha as the the three main contenders from Europe to to to to to to fight for titles now. Yes, I do think that I think I think they showed um maturity as well in key moments. And the fact that they're much more direct now also kind of shows that they're also developing their football, you know,
00:21:22
Speaker
They have their identity, yes, but they also develop tactically. And I think you know time ma waits for no man. you You can't just keep playing triangles you know forever. you can't play You have to develop, because at some point, you know your position will find you out. And I think we saw that in that final. they They really hit a brick wall in the first half, made some really interesting tactical changes, then completely dominated the midfield and deservedly won. So, you know, it's it's um it's an interesting one. But yeah, but I got to say, I don't i have to have been watching Cop America and Euros. I don't really see anyone dominating because I think it's like... Well, that brings us on nicely, Nima. That brings us on nicely to something that that that we want that I want to discuss in in in depth here.
Has Modern Football Declined in Quality?
00:22:09
Speaker
um see I put out a tweet about a week, 10 days ago, which went completely viral. We've got about 6 million views. ah I'll read out the tweet. and What I wrote was, Euro 2024 is the worst quality Euros or World Cup in my lifetime. All the big teams, except Spain and Germany, have been unwatchable. Where are the superstars, the attackers, the dribblers, the patterns of play? Football has declined massively the last 20 years. Players, rackets, robots, are fitter, that's it. Now this sparked numerous debates elsewhere um and the replies to my tweet.
00:22:48
Speaker
almost kind of a little bit surprisingly for for me, um almost unanimously, everyone was in agreement with me. Honestly, there was very, very few people who actually responded and said, no, football hasn't declined, football is is better, or football is is the same as it was in the past. Pretty much everyone was in agreement that that football, if not necessarily that this is the worst euros, that that but that football has really really the quality and we're talking about the quality of football here we're not talking about you know whether you enjoy it or the entertainment so much because that's more subjective we're talking about the quality the quality of the teams the quality of the players the depth of of of of ah you know certainly among more among the big teams i i would say so what i want to do now name is i want us to to to answer this question and debate it really has the quality of football declined as we are now uh compared to let's say
00:23:45
Speaker
the 2000s, the 1990s, the 1980s, let's say those decades um you know from modern times. So what I'm going to do is what we usually do is we're we're going to break it down into just some some some subheadings, let's say, and go through each area and and and try and answer the question. So first of all, I want to look at are there less superstars today and like less less world-class players today compared to 30 years ago um what do you what do you what do you say to that newer look superstars there's there's always going to be stars of football for me it's about technical ability i think there's it's undisputable it cannot be disputed it's there's no discussion but the level of technical
00:24:33
Speaker
the the overall level of technical skill has declined dramatically the last two decades. I don't think there's any debate about that. um is it is Football has become like ice hockey. I've seen this in other sports, in ice hockey as well. The technical players, the skilled players have all pretty much disappeared as the NHL, which is the you know juggernaut of ice hockey, has decided they want system players. They want robots that can follow a system. And that's exactly what's happened to football. it's It's all system players, specific players and specific roles. And you see it all over Europe. Denzel Dumfries would not even have played in the championship 20 years ago. Look at the career he has.
00:25:18
Speaker
I mean, up no, no, but like it's it's a fantastic example. he He has won so many trophies. This guy would never even win, wouldn't even win a Dutch Cup. Robotic athletes. Yeah. Robotic athletes. They all are like that. And and and it's it's, you know, you know, I think Jue Belling is a fantastic talent. I think he's technically very skilled, but he would not have been able like technically he wouldn't have been anything 20 years ago. you know, and he's one of the biggest stars in the world right now. And I think that on an individual technical level, I don't think that's even a debate. No, you know, I honestly don't even think there's a there's a debate. No. and And the reason for that is and we've spoken about this many times on the pole that that kind of a player, the number 10, the Fantasista, it if there's no room for it in Italian, in in world football at all, unless
00:26:06
Speaker
It's a number 10 role that ahol you know evolves and becomes, also that becomes, yes, you you can have fantastic skill and creativity and vision, but you also have to be a good presser, you have to have play with high intensity and so on and so forth. It's not just number 10s though, because i mean if we if we if i look at I go back 20, when between 20 to 30 years ago. Just read out, but go through the major the major nations and look at some of these superstars names, right? Italy, Totti, Del Piero, Baggio, Vieri, Pirlo. And then if you want to look at superstar defenders that we had as well, Maldini, Cannavaro, Nesta, Buffon as a superstar goalie, Brazil, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Caffu, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Caca, you know Argentina, Batistuta, Richelma, Veron, Ortega,
00:26:52
Speaker
The Tevez, Redondo, you know France, Henri, Zidane, Papain, Vieira, Cantona, Ribery, Holland, Birkamp, Seadorf, Davids, Clyver, Overmars, Van Nistelroy. And if you want to go back to the early 90s, Milan, you know, Reinhardt, Gully, Van Basten. Maradona, Argentina. Yeah, Maradona, if you want to go back a little bit further. Portugal, you know Figo, Ruicosta, Deco, Paolo Fultre, the young Cristiano Ronaldo, not the old one now. Germany, Clinsman, Batheus, Bremme, Bola, Zama, Mola. Kola, phallic, you know, Croatia, Suka, Bob-Bam, Progenetsky, Serbia, Savicevic, Stojkovic, Miatici, Miatici. I mean, um just just one after the other after the other. i Now, if you look at those same big nations I've gone through and and you tell me, pick up your superstar. Who's your superstar for Italy right now? Well, there isn't one. Who's your superstar from Brazil? isn' Maybe Vinny Jr. That's it. That's your only superstar. Argentina. Who's your superstar from Argentina? Messi, who's 36 years old. France.
00:27:48
Speaker
Mbappe, Mbappe maybe. That's their one superstar from France. Holland, they don't have a superstar. Portugal, I mean, they do have some quality, but I don't know if they've got a world-beating superstar. Germany, where's their superstar? Maybe Museala could maybe be one. Croatia, Serbia, where are their superstars? you know the's the superstar names, that they're they're they're just not there. There's no one ah so few players that you would actually describe as a superstar, whether they are a number 10, like you said, or whether they're a winger, or whether they're a midfielder, or whether they're even ah you know like a superstar defender, like a Maldini, or a superstar goalkeeper, like a performer. There isn't superstars in the game. And in addition to that, Nima, where are the attackers now?
00:28:38
Speaker
this was the worst this is this I mean you can we can debate over whether this was the worst tournament in history for me there's no debate at all that this is the worst tournament in the history for for attackers and strikers yeah yeah there's no doubt about that there there's absolutely no doubt about that um and this is the result of what again this kind of robotic false nine and you have to be able to do this and the other and yeah pep yeah you know and and and it's you know everyone has wanted to follow suit and and i think that has cost i mean look at it you got hawland
00:29:13
Speaker
Mbappe is not really a number nine. Osseman, you had Lukaku for two years. Kane, who else have you got? I mean, this is nothing there. Well, the top scorer in the Euro scored three goals. I mean, does that not tell you everything you need to know? Yeah. That there is no, like I said, the the the individual skill has gone down. The decline has been off a cliff. It's been off the Grand Canyon. Um, and it's been, it's been really, really sad to see. Um, I think, you know, I, but we seen that trend at club level too. It's not just international football. I, we've been saying it for a couple of years now that club level now they're better trained.
00:30:00
Speaker
the they're better, they're they're you know, the the medical the the medical advances are better than ever before. You know, this is a whole sports science that at a level that's never been better. They're fitter. They're fitter. They're better trained. Psychology has developed really well. All of that. Planning as well. Preparing preparing against opponents, what they're going to do, knowing what they're going to do. yeah Tactical astuteness has improved by everyone. Overall has been improved. But the skill is lower than at any point in my lifetime. I really believe that. I think on an individual level. like yeah There's no individual difference makers now. We've killed them. yeah and i mean What we're saying is, is you know what we're saying, Bielza says, Ronaldinho says, Caffu says, all of them say that, yeah essentially. that there are no so like like your kid The football's been killed.
00:30:52
Speaker
There are no individual, everyone is, ah you know, they're system players. They're robots that know how to how to read the game and interpret instructions and and run, you know, movements between the lines and and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And the dribblers as well. Like where are the dribblers? I mean, that's what for me, that's why I was so happy that Spain won the Euros because Spain are probably the exception. They actually have two wingers that dribble and take on their players and try and eliminate their men. But how many, how many teams have these players now? Not just international, but but even a club football, you know, where are the players that beat their man, that dribble past their man? Again, in the past, you know, some of those players that I mentioned, you know, Badjo, Del Piero, Ronaldo, the Brazilian Ronaldo, Overmars, Figo, Futre, Savicovic, I mean, these players, they would take on their men, they would beat them, you know. who No one takes on the goalkeeper anymore. this This drives me mad. You know, you get a one on one with the goalkeeper nowadays.
00:31:43
Speaker
No one takes on the goalkeeper ever. Whoever takes on the goalkeeper, you know, again, in the past, the best players in the world would dribble past the goalkeeper. Baggio, Ronaldo, Carreca, these players would go past the goalkeeper. I remember when I used to play, if I was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, when I was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Right. And I'm not comparing myself to any of these players. But but when I was one one with the goalkeeper, I would almost feel like if I didn't try and take on the goalkeeper, that made me a lesser player. That was my that was my thinking because because it was kind of thought that you know the best players they take on the goalkeeper. Nowadays, no one even thinks to dribble to dribble past the keeper. They all do the same thing. they They think they slide it past the keeper or they or they try and think it over him. You know, that's all they do. And it's just like,
00:32:29
Speaker
Where is the skill? Where is the magic? The creativity? You know, no one does through balls anymore. No one does chicken through balls anymore. I know, you know, those are extinct from the game. No one, no one chips or lobs the goalkeeper anymore. When do you ever get people from, when I say chips, I mean like chips from outside the area where you, you know, like Totti's Kukayo against, um, peruzzi, that's against, um, inter, uh, I can't remember. Yeah. Like that got that, or the one he did against peruzzi, you know, those kinds of goals or hodl, Glenn hodl once did a famous one against Watford. you know, put that on YouTube. but You don't see that because I know the balls are a big reason for that, you know, the plastic synthetic balls that they don't get up and down like the older, the older balls do. But these kind of pieces of technical beauty, we're talking about quality in the game and beauty in the game, these these things have been removed. And yeah that's what made football so, so amazing and enjoyable as, as you know, when we were, you know, in the past, because we got these moments of magic in games, and we just don't make a When things were locked, the ones that took the game by the scruff of the neck and made the difference, dribbled past two, three players, you know create ah created something out of nothing. yeah um and and and And that's kind of gone missing a lot in football. It's exactly like what's happened in ice hockey, and that's why it's it's just boring. I almost stopped watching ice hockey completely.
00:33:44
Speaker
is It literally is like walking walk walk watching robots skate around. It's not fun. you know the and And that's what's happening with with football as well. And i think that I hope that this is something that players, that that they and the powers that be in the different federations understand. and I think it's all become very nemo. It's all become like you like you're saying about the preparation. It's all become so analytical using analytics using stats things like XG working out the probability of doing this and doing that minimization Yeah, exactly. So for example, long range shooting, I remember getting actually getting quite excited in the first week of this tournament because we actually got quite a few long range goals and it was like, wow, we don't see long range goals anymore. And then that all stopped soon after that we stopped getting any long range. I think the Yamaha one in the semi final was, was but I mean, these are rare exceptions now. But generally, if you if you look over football in the last 10 years, we just don't get long range goals anymore like we did in the past. Players are shooting, I mean, where are the free kick experts today?
00:34:46
Speaker
Where are they? Namely, who's a free kick expert in football nowadays that regularly scores free kicks from outside the area? Even the ones that you think are good, like maybe a chalanogli or a demato. He's horrible. He used to be good, but he's absolutely dreadful. I know, but those are the ones that maybe might come to mind, actually look at their stats and how many goals they've scored from free kicks. I mean, it's pathetic. I don't think he's, well, he's scored quite a few chalanogli, but he hasn't done it in the last five years. That's what I mean. obviously well Where are the free kick experts today? There's basically none. When we were growing up and we had so many, you know, geniuses from free kicks, Mihailovic, Kuman, Del Piero, Pirlo, Joninho, the Brazilian Joninho from Lío. Probably the best of them all, Joninho. Yeah, I mean, and him and Mihailovic from me. I mean, you know, Zico. I mean, where are they? Which of free kicks were magical to? Oh, yeah.
00:35:35
Speaker
I mean, where are they nowadays? how is you no listen I mean, I think the reason for that, Nima, is like we were saying about the the risk, minute that that they look at the numbers of, and I'm speaking to coaches about this, but they look at the XG, the the probability of scoring a long range goal is so small that they're basically players are told not to shoot for a long range anymore. because because you know That's what I mean. Like everything, that's exactly the point, that thing, you know, they've sacrificed Like, you they ba everything, you know, science is good when it's used properly. Here it's an issue of using data to minimize, to be like, okay, well, the probability of scoring there is so low, let's not even do it. Which I think is silly because it removes, it has also removed skill from the game, individual skill, skill and quality.
00:36:23
Speaker
um and And I think it it sucks the joy out of it too, because if you remember what was fun about football, it was the individual skill. Yes, there was system, there were tactics, there were lineups, all of that ah that I loved, and I'm sure many listening did too. But at the end of the day, you still marvel at the artists, you know? Absolutely. And I don't think it necessarily proves more successful anyway. I mean, I think that and that's also another reason why I'm glad England didn't didn't win it and that Spain did win it because that would have been a so ah victory for this type of way of playing football with
00:36:57
Speaker
because that is Southgate. He's completely based on analytics and science and and you know this risk minimization that we've got to do this. And that by playing in this condition is the same for France as well, that playing in this way gives us a better chance of of going all the way. And um yeah, like you said, I mean, there's better science, there's better nutrition, there's better professionalism, um but definitely not better you know better preparation as well. I think one thing that we can say is better is the smaller teams are better. um No, no, of course, look the level, the overall level, I think there are more, more quality footballers today overall in total than there were 20, 30 years ago, you know, um but.
00:37:42
Speaker
the technical individual level has dropped. like it's it's it's it's um you know It's two separate things. um there are better The number of good footballers today grossly outweigh the ones that there existed 20 years ago. There's not a big gap between the no the elite and the... and yeah and But the individual skill at the very top has fallen off a cliff of of of the players at the very top, and I think that's a bit... It's a bit sad, but I also think that, you know, it goes in. I think everything goes in cycles, really. And I think that with, you know, because of the fact that international football is the quality is lower.
00:38:22
Speaker
It's only natural that a Deschamps and a Southgate want to risk minimise and say, well, we can actually get to a final. We can win. Do you know what I mean? i agree I agree. I do agree with that. But at the same time, I think two things can be same true at the same time. I do think that it is because I see people saying this a lot. Ah, club football is better than international football and
Club vs International Football: Quality and Monopolies
00:38:44
Speaker
all this. I think that that is partly true, but it's also false because I think that there's an illusion that club football is is better than it is because nowadays in 2024, and it has been the case for the last 10 to 15 years, the biggest clubs, the super clubs, the Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Juventus, Inter, all the big Premier League clubs now, let's say, PSG, they monopolize all the best players in the world, not just in their teams, but in their squads.
00:39:13
Speaker
And to such an extent that when you get to the quarterfinals of the say the Champions League, you see this, it's ah it's amazing. Football is incredible. You've got all the best players in the world basically playing for these eight teams. And the level is very, very high because you've got all the best players. But actually, if you go further down, you know, further down and you look at the the teams that are you know in the domestic leagues from, you know, fifth or sixth down into the mid table and down to the relegation teams. These teams are um ah much, much weaker um because all the best they don't have any of the best players. Whereas 20, 30, 40 years ago, all the best players in the world were were spread over all teams in all leagues. They weren't condensed within just a small group of ah players. And that's why international football, for me, is the true litmus test for how strong football really is.
00:40:07
Speaker
And when you look at when you compare the international teams, the level of players for the international teams today to the the same and top international teams from 20, 30, 40 years ago, then it's then that you realize just how much football has dropped off because you then do the the whole, well, how many of the the Italy team would have got into the Italy team 20 years ago? How many of this Holland team would have got into the Holland team 20 years? And then you suddenly realize, well, actually, not many of them, if anything, with get into them. So that's where club foot was actually an illusion is because all the best players are monopolized by by eight, you know, eight to 10 teams around Europe that youth that everybody thinks, Oh, it's amazing. It's only amazing from the Champions of League quarterfinals onwards. Yeah. Amazing anywhere else. You know what I mean? So that's, I think that is the, that is where we really are. but i think really look i I think that's true. I think, but but then again, at the end of the day, I don't think it really matters for, for the growth of the game at international level, because
00:41:02
Speaker
the people who don't care about club football tune in when it's international football and they will always do that. um We've seen this, whether every time it's a Euros or a Copa America or World Cup or a Asian Cup or whatever, people the the casuals turn in. and then tune in. So I don't and don't see a worry for the interest there, but i do I do have concerns for the interest at club level. I do, because it's not, it's like you said, it only gets good from the quarter semi-finals onwards in the Champions League. One or two games, maybe in three games, four games in the Premier League, ah yeah in the entire calendar. Yeah.
00:41:42
Speaker
um and And other than that, it's just a long transport from September to May yeah in between that. And and and that's the and again, and and that's big again and you know the individual the decline in individual quality accentuates that even more. um And yeah, I mean, you know we'll see for what happens. But for international football, I'm not worried because You know, you know, I don't watch international football for to watch the best, like, you know, for the quality. I watch it because they are the stories. I think the stories are more interesting than the national stories of each each club, of each player, of each country.
00:42:24
Speaker
ah qualifying for the first time, you know, these these these sagas, you know. Yeah, and it's a festival, isn't it? It's a festival, exactly. It makes everyone happy. People come together, they, you know, from all kind from all walks of life and, you know, they meet up and, and you know, it's it's and it's it's a story. I remember growing up and the thing that I was fascinating, I learned so much as a kid, from collecting these panini sticker books and and learning different names and learning about them different places and clubs and cities and different countries all over the world and you know you you you you know I fell in love with Uruguay in 1990 I didn't know anything about Uruguay until 1990 you know what I mean like that that World Cup Uruguay stole my heart um and and I started you know I fell in love with them and and and you know those stories that's the kind of thing that I think is beautiful by the World Cup Copa America Euros and so on but
00:43:14
Speaker
But so that will never really disappear. But I do think that um then football needs to start, you know, don't copy Spain, but but, you know, return to to to to trying to develop skillful, technically skillful players, allow children to dribble. Don't yeah you know, there's a balance between only dribbling and never dribbling you know what i mean like if you have the decision making you know that not and doesn't have to be so extreme and and because that that's the thing it's always all or nothing isn't it it's yeah everything so yeah but yeah everyone's so you know bipolar in their decision making it's either this or that it's like no it doesn't need to be like that if there's
00:43:57
Speaker
You know, you can strike a balance of that. And and like what I used to love about Italian football at an international level was exactly that. You had fantastic skillful individual players and you had players and you had the coaches who were the smartest and played with their brains. You know, that's what I want a little bit get back to. That's what I like. That's what I love, the balance, you know. Yeah. So, um you know, but but we'll see. I mean, and I tweeted out yesterday, look, that Spain won the Euros because they were the best team. They deservedly wanted to do that about that. But I really hope that Italy don't start copying them or anyone else. I think what's good about this Spain team is that they they they weren't the classic Spain. They did have that direct. They had a bit of everything, you know, like you said, that they yeah they do still have that. They could still.
00:44:40
Speaker
you know dominate possession as they did in the final or if they want to but they also have that direct nature with the wingers but they also showed that they were good the good defensively ah they improved defensively as the tournament went on and they and they also were strong mentally as well you know they conceded that goal to England and they still came back and they dominated the rest of the game and won the game so you know I think they're In that way, there's maybe more to copy of this Spain than, and like you said, doing all or nothing, as they as as many teams did, you know, when they spain with dominant before, and everybody just tried to copy them, and but these which is partly led to. I'm not going to blame it all on Pep. I know a lot of people see a lot of people say, oh, it's all Pep's fault, but
00:45:20
Speaker
when everybody plays the same way everybody tries it and i actually think that that was something that england tried to do yesterday that they just decided look we're not going to try and play out of the press in the first time we're just going to hump it long and try and play for the second balls and try and play ah which okay it's it's it's awful to watch it's it's like 1980s sunday league football from bedford but it kind of like In a way, it kind of was sort of half effective in the first half. off so but and the lesson The lesson from that is that there are other ways of playing football. you know There are other ways of playing football and it would be nice to see a bit more diversity in football. Different styles, different ide ideologies clashing. That's the beauty of it. I remember Skolari in Euro 2004, when Greece won.
00:46:07
Speaker
yeah um yeah before the final, everyone was moaning about Crease paying defensive football and Scolari said it best. He said, look, there's no, if they play defensive, you know, tight football, then it's up to us, the so-called attacking teams to unlock them. Yeah. But that's only going to happen if, if, if footballers develop and emerge from the youth to the seniors the um that have these attributes and qualities to do all this stuff that it seemingly none of them can do anymore. Otherwise it will just be everyone playing the same way which is what's happening at the moment and then you get Spain who are the best at it. Well that's exactly what I mean and that's another aspect why I didn't want Spain to win.
00:46:48
Speaker
is the last twenty two or three, two two and a half decades, ah across club and country level, 23 finals Spanish teams or national teams have been in and they've won all three. That's That's a dominance that is not healthy for the game. Like, it's fantastic. Let's, you know, praise Spain. Seems almost impossible, that stat. Yeah, it's it's mental and it's like 23 finals, 23 finals won. That's a level of dominance that is just not healthy for the game. And having, you know, in England is a traditionally big country, footballing country with ah with ah with a long history and they
00:47:27
Speaker
you know, have they won the Euros? I think it would have been good for the game, you know, new blood, fresh in the, you know, open the windows a little bit. Do you know what I mean? It's just watching Spain win, now their fourth Euros is just three in the last 16 years. Yeah. It's just... Although to be fair, it's their first tournament won in 12 years. No, but since 2008, they've won three Euros. Oh yeah, there's no doubt about it. It's been a period, it's been a great period. Not just for Spanish football, Spanish sport. Yeah, it has. I mean, Alcaraz, Alcaraz won Wimbledon. It was a great day for Spanish sport. ah Yesterday, he destroyed Djokovic. Absolutely. um so Just final question before we move on to club football. um Again, I've seen some people try to explain this. I'm not sure ah I agree, but I do agree that it is a problem that that needs to be looked at. Too much football. There is too much football. and And as a result, some of these players have gone to this tournament exhausted, especially the top players.
00:48:25
Speaker
Harry Kane, I think is a good example. I'm a big big fan. I'm a huge fan of Harry Kane. Out of all of those players, you know, I criticize Rice. I've said he's overrated. I've said Bellingham, I think is a little bit overrated for what what he actually does. Foden's never done anything. Harry Kane is somebody that I've always thought, I always believe is is an absolutely well-class player. He had a horrendous tournament. I don't think he was fit. He didn't look, he looked, he just looked he looked burnt out. Yeah. He looked burnt out. Yeah. And it's like it's it's like but a lot to like you you remember what's his name was a pay three who when he was seventy seventy games yes seventy games like this is insane. That's too many games it's way too many games.
00:49:06
Speaker
And next summer, we have the Club World Cup, i mean we say which will take place into July. um So that will mean not understand that. the I mean, it's it's I get that you I get money, money, money. But for goodness sakes, no. Bellingham said it as well. Actually, the end of the game, he said that, that you know, we played too many games. But the issue I have is that we're going to go into the 2024 World Cup, basically having played the the Club World Cup in 2025, the Euros in 2024, we then had the Mid-Season World Cup in the 2022-23 season um and then we had the Euros obviously in 2021 because it was pushed push the year back but then also the season before that in 2020 we had a summer
00:49:48
Speaker
summer summer champions league and summer leagues going because of the kind of the pandemic. So basically since 2020 until 2020 and including 2026, we basically had football every single summer. ah What does everybody expect is going to happen in 2020? In 30 degrees heat, it's going to be searing heat as well. So yeah I'm just saying Yeah. And and I'm going to be honest, the absolute scandalous scenes that we've seen from Copa America. Oh, God. The United States needs to get its shit together. That is not going to work. That's shocking. Yeah. Well, usually you wait for a fee for rewards. Bad, to bad organization and bad behavior. I mean, it's I've spoken to journalists who've covered the game. It's been they they they say it's been chaos in Miami.
00:50:35
Speaker
like it's been absolute chaos and they were expecting it to be killed. It was like the opening scene from from Scarface when they're all in the the refugee camp and Tony Montana got the knife and he he went and stabbed someone didn't he? Was it somebody else that did the stabbing? But it was like that. It was crazy. Did you see the children crying? you know but Did you see the the fans i rushing? No one no one in their space places. you know Fans attacking players' wives and children. i mean come Did you see the fans crawling through the air vents? yeah means like
00:51:09
Speaker
like a hell's going it was like blooming a diehard with ah with bruce williswiis going through the airb bens insane like what the hell's going on now they they need to i don't know what i know con my ball were the were the well it was their tournament but shook him But it was still in the United States and yeah they you know they they needed to do it. The Americans are going to save us, saying this is who the who the saviors of Serie A guys. No, it's not. It was really, really bad, man. It was really, really bad. It was it was it was shocking scenes and and it was it was not good. It did not fill me up with confidence at all. And and and now, we've you know before before you know two years now until that World Cup,
00:51:55
Speaker
Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Please learn draw the learn you know draw the right lessons from this so that we don't go into We don't go into that tournament with a tragedy because it could happen. like i don't I don't want to see ever again see people being crushed to death at football games. like direct Well, it wasn't a good weekend in America for security, let's say. and That brings us on nicely to
00:52:26
Speaker
Marco Veoli Gates.
The Marco Violi Mistaken Identity Saga
00:52:28
Speaker
Never. Do you want to talk about that now? not Let's talk about that now because we've got a nice little segue there. so Let's talk about Marco Veoli Gates. this is In all my years of covering Italian football, I have never seen a more insane story than this. And there has been many insane stories in it's Italian football over the years. This is definitely the most insane story. So and I'm going to let Nimmer take it away. Can you just explain exactly what happened, starting from donald obviously what happened with Donald Trump, and then explain what happened next? Well, we all saw that he was shot.
00:53:03
Speaker
um in and at a right campaign rally and in in Pennsylvania. But this really should not, I mean, I can't believe that this, ah so, okay. um There's an account, there's a troll account, a Roma Twitter troll account ah called Mussolini, okay? Which is, he's married together, Mourinho with Mussolini. It's a complete troll account. um And all he does is you know make fun of Italian football and and Roma and Lazio and and everyone. and And of course, those of you who have listened to this show from the beginning, we did an mix we did an episode about Violi because he was harassing John Solano at the time. Really, really harassing. And we we went into the details of who Marco Violi is.
00:53:54
Speaker
it's It's on our Patreon um we back then went when the Violi nation went viral on spaces. And we thought that was like the weirdest. Just for those that don't haven't seen that, who is Marco Violi? Marco Violi was a journalist. early I think it was somewhere around the late 2000s, 2010s. a Roma journalist, very good, very successful, run a site that was very successful. But he he he had a he had a mental episode, an actual mental episode. And he started stalking a woman who he was working with.
00:54:34
Speaker
um and And according to the reports at the time, it was one of the worst stalking recorded events of stalking ever. um But he is ill. He's mentally ill. he he's you know He's talked about it himself, about the the heavy medication that he is on. And so he has severe delusions of grandeur. And he, you know, he started picking fights with John, insulting him, his family, his mother, his grandmother, his aunt, like all of these... That's our former podcast co-host, John Solano. Yeah, John Solano runs Roma Press, right? And he insulted him and harassed him.
00:55:14
Speaker
uh with making songs about him doing covers of favorites i love those songs as well they're amazing that's the thing that they are catchy i'm sorry but they are but they are very very rude he he he made a song about one guy uh which is called Grande Filio di Putana. I mean, you know. Well, this one about John was that was there was was the the most famous. What was it? yeah So, like yeah, Chuchame Lumpo, which is very, very rude. It's basically telling someone to suck you off. I mean, that's the kind of guy we're talking about here. He's very, but the songs are are are ah completely crazy. he He can't sing, so he does these covers of really famous songs, where sometimes it's football related.
00:55:58
Speaker
um Sometimes it's just people who he thinks are you know harassing him. And they've become a sensation because on that space is that you said, Fedez, the famous Italian pop singer. Oh, Bertini, what's her name? Sara, the from female um tennis player. Irani, yeah. Yeah, she was there. Everyone was there. Everyone was like, that's when that's when we did the episode because that when you went completely viral. It was the most listened to space ever for a short period. um this guy Mussolini then you know he's the one who put it up um but created it and and all just all these songs one after another and and his mental breakdowns on whatsapp where he tells people that
00:56:42
Speaker
he's well he he He's faked his own death about two, three times, pretends that he's died and returned back magically. He's he's lied that his mother has died and then she comes back to life again repeatedly because he wants sympathy. like We were talking about a mentally ill person, right? So this is the person this is the person and and so Mussolini or this account as for the third time every time there's a terrorist terrorist attack Basically what he wants to do is to prove that with this culture I think you can fool anyone with anything as long as you tweet it out and no one will fact-check it and it's the third time there's been a horrible event the first time which absolutely ended me was when he took a photo of the only and
00:57:28
Speaker
which he published online, and it was the worst Photoshop job I have ever seen in my life, with him wearing some sort of ah a traditional Arab garm, just glued on his head whilst he's wearing it, whilst he's got a Roma shirt on, and and said, you know, and tweeted out, said, ah, the terrorist that did it was Marek Al-Viyal. And they always joke with his name, like Mark Purples was another time they came up with it. And this time, He tweeted out a photo ah from one of a video from a screenshot from one of his videos on YouTube saying that, you know, ah the shooter was an Antifa member named Mark Violet's or something. This is then picked up. OK, this is where it gets a little bit. This is where it gets actually pretty gross because, OK, he does that.
00:58:21
Speaker
It's retweeted, because everyone in cultural Twitter knows it's a joke, right? And that is, and I mean everyone, English-speaking cultural Twitter, Swedish, cat like speaking cultural, everybody knows about this joke. It's a good, it's a it's it's on on on Italian football Twitter, regardless of language, everybody knows that this is a joke, right? This is this is the running joke. So, but what happens is that this big political ah account, a conservative account in the United States picks it up, quote tweets it as fact. Who was that? Which account? Wall Street, something. Silver silver or something, isn't it? Yeah, something like that. Yeah. He does it. And then Dave Rubin quote tweets that. And then Simon Atuba, I think his name is, the the the White House correspondent.
00:59:09
Speaker
I mean, it's just, are you serious? It's just... And that's, it doesn't stop there because then all the TV stations start, start running with it. And you and you have Marco Violi's face, like on the TV screen, shooter. Yeah. The shooter. And the funny thing is they can't, Simon Aterba, sorry, Simon Aterba is his name. um And and he he says breaking Mark Violet's, who uploaded a YouTube video saying justice was coming, identified a strump shooter. That's complete nonsense. that was That never happened. The police never said that. And we know they never said that because why would they say that? The whole thing was invented by a troll account. oh my god It's just insane. And then you see these and and whilst the police are actually giving actual information to people,
01:00:02
Speaker
These people are just going on. It's a photo on Mexican TV. I've seen it on Chilean TV. I've seen yeah I've seen it on some American conservative network. Like it's just absolutely insane. And so, you know, then, you know, CNN, I think there were there were NBC, CNN, some other, you know, outlets were like, stop it. Like this, this is this is this is wrong. Like you've got there's no like, no, stop. You know what I mean? and And the story just gets, you know, it just goes on. I've seen it on your own news. I've seen it in love La Republica. Corriera de la Sera. Like everyone is talking about this now because of the fact that a few people, but because look, they've exposed themselves here. I think the broader point here is exactly this. If you're a journalist,
01:00:54
Speaker
and you just pass off other people's information without fact checking it, you're going to expose yourself as an idiot on an international scale and you're going to blow all your credibility out of the water as all of these people I've mentioned have done. Because there was no one, no, it is an absolute lie that anyone working for any government official that that was that was investigating this situation spoke of anyone called Mark Violets. Like it just did not happen. What it was was an internet rumor given given legs by people who claim they're journalists, but essentially are nothing more than just influencers. That's all they are.
01:01:33
Speaker
and they don't even bother with the slightest bit of care and skill. And I think at this point, I think he might have a case legally to sue these people. Well, I think he he already said he's going to, didn't he? where he put out the I think he should because it's one thing if somebody, a troll account on Twitter tweets something out. It's a completely different animal when actual news stations without fact checking start reporting this as fact. It's insane.
01:02:07
Speaker
and he's just he's definitely he's definitely got a case definitely okay with again you remember if we're using a football example equivalent just think of Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup with um with Zinedine Saddam that they reported what he supposedly said and he went and sued multiple multiple media ah outlets and and one so i think he and this is this is much more serious they called him a They're calling him an assassin of but of a presidential candidate. He's in Rome. not even in the like He's on the other side of the world sleeping at 2 a.m. it It's insane. like The reason why we're laughing is because this is so insane. I love it. that And also so so the best was I saw some people putting out... There was a video that Marco Veoli did a few years ago where he's kind of he's simulating shooting a gun and kind of put does this. Yeah, that's when he was talking like he was a gangster. he's got That's the photo he used, like of the of the sunglasses and and wearing some hat like inside.
01:03:11
Speaker
and and Again, it he is we're talking about someone who has you who himself has published on his website. That he the the medicine. Well, that's where it's also a serious side to it because you know that is this is the kind of thing where somebody is, you know ah Unstable and yeah and vulnerable um that that something like this can can you know push someone over the edge? You know depending on the person everyone's different how they handle with these kind of things. But can you imagine like? yeah I mean, can you imagine if you if you just you two o'clock in the morning? Which is he said you just you know you wake up in the middle of the night you check your phone and and you see a limit of value. You see your face all over social media. Yes. Well, I would have my reaction to that is I would have loved it because I would have been laughing all the way to the bank. I mean, I would have been very, very calm. I would have just collected, recorded everything and then contacted a lawyer and I would have sued the shit out of everyone. Like with that, like for me, that would be that would be payday. So by all means, go right ahead.
01:04:14
Speaker
Like that, you know, I have no problems doing for defamation and libel. Absolutely none. So, you know, I would have been pretty cool about it. But the biggest take away to take from this moment. But what I do want to say is what I do feel bad for him is because they are a family with mental health issues. They've gone through some difficult things. he He is not the nicest person on Earth, absolutely. He's not. ah He does harass people. He stalked a woman to the point where, I mean, as I said, the report, the newspaper report I read, said one of the worst instances of recorded stalking ever. He is unhinged, but he's also a human being. And to have his name plastered like this,
01:04:55
Speaker
yeah is this It's insane. i've never come i mean I've never come across a story like this, like that the number of failings across from start to finish. I mean, again, rest in peace journalism. If it was any anybody thought that journalism actually still existed. ah Yeah, mainstream journalism for sure is dead. It's completely dead. It's just rumours on social media. It's just in interaction farming. on on social media. And I think at this point, um um I'm switching over. I really think that social media platforms should take more responsibility when it comes to these events because people's lives, like it's one thing that the journalist tweets it out, but the platform itself should also be be forced to take responsibility because again, this is a man with a history of mental illness, sleeping at 2 a.m., having his name dragged through the mud globally.
01:05:52
Speaker
without having done anything. Culture, the final takeaway in this Nimmer is that culture, Twitter is undefeated and culture in general, this is the reason why and I know you know maybe we shouldn't joke about it as much as we have but and because is there's a serious side to it. But if there's a reason why Italian football will always be popular, even when Italian football is in the state that it's in, that we have no money, the clubs and the league are run by Indians and we've just had seen just had the worst performance by the the national team, you know, maybe ever.
01:06:25
Speaker
in ah a tournament, why people will still love it and watch it and listen to our podcasts and others, but because you know these are the kind of this is the kind of stories you're going to get. It's genuinely, in my 12, 13 years in general, I have never heard of and such an insane story as this Marco Violi thing. And just when I think that it reaches the summit, that we've reached peak madness here. Something happens that propels it into the next sphere. It's insane, it's insane. Let's, ah before we finish off, let's just talk about a couple of ah couple of club club
Tribute to Ciro Immobile's Lazio Career
01:07:02
Speaker
matters. First of all, Chiro Imobile, we have to honor him. He leaves Lazio eight years to join Beshiktas. What an amazing ah legacy um for Imobile at Lazio.
01:07:17
Speaker
um All-time top scorer of the club. um Three-time Capo Cananeda winner, one European golden shoe winner. um He called the record with Higuain, I think, and someone else whose name eludes me from back when, 36 goals. In one season, a look, he scored over 200 goals. One of them, yeah, one of only eight players to score over 200 goals in Serie A. i always I've always said about him and I will always say that I think he was he's unlucky to have been born in the era he was born in because had he been but born some 5-10 years earlier
01:07:57
Speaker
he would have been playing for all the big clubs. The problem was, is that as we kind of become full circle now, what we've spoken about, the the death of strikers. Cirodoni Mobula is technically actually pretty good. very he's He's a fantastic finisher. And had he played some years earlier, he would have played for the Inters and Milans and Juves and have would have won far, far more. The problem was the error that he played in was false nine, sole number nine, and he just wasn't that player. he just was not able to do very well playing as a soul striker. But playing off of players and ah in a system where he had a support behind him or in a two-man attack, I mean the numbers speak, they speak for themselves.
01:08:41
Speaker
yeah absolutely absolutely he he will we will go down as as one of the greats greatest lecture players of of all time no doubt about it um he did i think it is the right time though for the for the divorce to happen you know thirty four now he did start to show his age last season and i think he said that himself now his quotes when he left you know it was a choice made with serenity stories have a beginning and an end it was right it's no one's fault i hope it's not goodbye um so So I think it was the right time. um The question will always be, away from Lazio, does he deserve more respect from Serie A and Italian fans in in general? um Probably on ah on ah on a club level, yes.
01:09:25
Speaker
um you know one of only eight players to score over 200 Serie A goals of course the level of Lazio isn't the level of a one of the big three let's say so there you know there's that and also he never was great for Italy but having said that though you know he did win the Euro 2020 without playing physically well in that tournament but Look at the Italy forwards since it's in. Are they better than him? And if you look at that Pescara team, Zeeman's Pescara team, he's the last of those three, the Insinias, the Verati and the Immobula, that amazing Serie B team in Pescara. End of an era, yeah. Yeah, it's an end of an era. I mean, that's one of the best Serie B teams to have ever played.
01:10:11
Speaker
under Zeman and and the amount of goals they scored and and the brilliance that they showed. Oh yeah, and developing those three players you became. Developing those three players who then, you know, now he's the last of the guard, isn't he? I mean, you know, for all intents and purposes, Verati and Insini have essentially retired. Immobile is the last one. And he goes to Bishiktas and in Turkish football is fantastically brilliant. I mean, he's from Naples himself. He's played for, you know, he's won four Capo Canemieri playing for Lazio and Torino, which is unbelievably impressive. And I think he's just one of two together with Paolo Rossi to have been top goal scorer in Serie B, Serie A and Serie C, I think. read something I think I remember it. Yeah, I think I remember that as well. Which is also, again, speaks of the consistency of goal scoring in his career. um and And as we spoke about, you know, the death of the number nine, well,
01:11:05
Speaker
The fact that Chi-Ri Mobula could not have a top level career further shows the problem of strikers and in attacking, you know, and and you know attackers in top level football. But yeah, I mean, he, I think Lazu should have probably let him go a year ago when they sold Sergei Milinkoitsavich when they had a huge offer. I think they, so they hung on to him a little bit too long. um But look, it's Chi-Ra, he's the captain, he's in talisman. And what he means to Lazio fans is, I mean, I don't know if you saw that beautiful video at the airport, um which I retweeted. It was Lazio fan. It was absolutely devastated that he was leaving his in tears and they were hugging and, and and you know, it was very, very beautiful.
01:11:52
Speaker
Yeah, it was. It'll be interesting to see who they replace him with as their as their their main number nine. ah Next season, whether they sign someone to be the main number nine, whether it's Castellanos, whether, you know, it's because he will take, you know, it will be a big, some big shoes to fill. Absolutely.
Morata's Move to Milan: Pros and Cons
01:12:09
Speaker
and So that is, the that's another reason why it's gonna be very difficult for Lazio. Next season, talking about eras, Milan, Alvaro Morata, fresh from captain captain he was the captain wasn't he also yeah he was the captain of the spain national team yeah captain in spain to the to the euros is ah it looks like he is set to join milan we're recording this on on monday um as we're recording this and most of the main uh sources are are confident that he is going to join milan four-year contract
01:12:44
Speaker
ah Milan will pay probably pay the release clause in his Athletic Open Madrid contract, 13 million, and medical probably this week, Zlatan and Monzada were in the crowd actually in the final. um So it looks like Morata is going to join Milan. um interesting Interesting one, interesting one whether this is a good sign. I think he is a very underrated, I think he has been a very underrated player. If you take away his Chelsea smell, which was bad, apart from that, I think he has had a very underrated career. I think he ah think his strength is that he makes those around him play better, especially the wingers, which we saw, of course, during the Euros for for for Spain. He drops deep, he links the play, he's got good movement, he's good in the air. um He he
01:13:30
Speaker
he's 30-while, he's going to turn 32 later this year, but he is still playing well. He had a brilliant first half to last season, then he did have a fantastic Euros. Generally, he's not that prolific, but I think what he will do is he will make Liao and Poulasson better. I think that's i think that's the that's the ah positive for Milan. Exactly. Like that's what, you know, people are getting all upset. oh morat look Listen, he's not being brought in to score 30 goals. He's being brought in to help Leow and Pulisic score 20-25 goals each. Like that's what he's doing and he's ah I think he's incredibly underrated. I think he's a fantastic player. I think he's an intelligent player. He's technically very, very good. His his read of the game and exactly like you said, being able to make those around him better, putting them into goal scoring positions.
01:14:22
Speaker
Liao, if he can unlock Liao and help unlock his full potential, but that's that's stand out that's a lot one for Milan right there. And we saw what Pulisic can do as well when he's in a team, that system that works. So no, he knows he has so much experience from the biggest clubs in the world. I think we can call that now the Milan model. The number nine at Milan is supposed to be someone who's a little bit of a senator, a little bit older. and to guide the young guns. Yeah. my my My only, my only, yeah, I agree. I agree. And and he also loves Italy's wife's Italian. He won't take any time to settle. He'll get, he'll be straight into it. And my only doubts over this is, like I said, he's going to turn 32 later this year.
01:15:10
Speaker
um You know, you can age quickly. I know at Milan that the strikers have generally aged quite well. If you look at Giroud, Salatán, so Milan will be hoping that's the same for Maratta. But, you know, you're given a four-year contract to a third someone who's going to turn 32 on quite high wages. You know, it's a little bit of a risk from that sense, whereas you sign Zixe, which was Milan's first choice, it looked like that was certainly going to be done. and for for really for what is quite very much we've removed the commission which is another talking point we'll come to but you know 40 million and you're getting a 22 year old you know in terms of the long-term project for Milan you're looking at well you're looking at a team that can be together and really build together you know whereas Maratta you can't do that so I think still despite praising Maratta I still think that probably ZXE
01:15:59
Speaker
it could end up being a regret for Milan, not not not getting him. We'll come on to that in
Milan's Transfer Strategy and New Dynamics
01:16:04
Speaker
a minute. But in terms of Morata in general, i think it's um I think he's been very underrated. And i think yeah I think he can do well. And I think that Milan's transfer market is shaping up Shaping up now cuz they're in talking for fauna from Monaco. They've agreed to personal terms with the the Serbian center backs rahini at Pavlovitch who there is not a scarier center back in Europe in terms of just looking at him than Pavlovitch. He's like the Gemma three fun even of
01:16:33
Speaker
Yes, three for Bulgarian, Bulgarian, who was scary to look at, like, that's Pavlovitch, like, he's scary to look at. He's a mean s SOB, as you would call him. and You know, so we'll see. There's still work to do on that day. I think Chelsea are are interested as well. And then they're looking for a right back as well. Talk to a continuum. It looks like a bouncer in a nightclub, like a scary bouncer, scary bouncer that's definitely taken a few punches, you know, and dished out even more, dished out even more. Yeah. Like yeah when I look at him, I think I automatically look at his waistline to see if he's hiding a pistol. like That's the feeling I get from him. Definitely. But yeah, but he's only 23. So, you know, that it's it's an interesting one. though No, I think we announced Mercato shaping up well now, to be honest. and And I think the fact that they I think what Morata also provides is stability. They don't have to worry about someone coming in and try to buy
01:17:27
Speaker
It's the Maratha next summer. yeah
Ziyech's Manchester Move and Transfer Economics
01:17:30
Speaker
sure yeah so So it kind of gives them some sort of stability. And and I think that's a calculated risk that they prefer to take. um And with Liao and Pulisic, it makes Milan's attack far more, if you remember with Giroud and Zlatan, they didn't have any mobility up front at all. There was no dynamism at all. because those plays don't There is still at the moment with Barata, yeah, currently. that's But the question is, when does that, yeah does he become old and older and that that mobility starts to to to disappear and when it does then that's when it becomes a problem especially if he's on a big wage and a contract but you know we'll see. um Just a point on Zexay though who was going to go to Milan he has now joined Man United that is now official. um They've actually paid more than a 40 million release because it's it's reported that it could be between 42 and a half to 46 and
01:18:20
Speaker
that Man United are paying more so that they they can pay in installments rather than all in one chunk. And of course, Buy Munich get 50% of it. um So 50% of the salon fee. So really Bologna are not really making much, like twenty just over 20 million um plus the bonuses. So it's not not great for Bologna, to be honest. He's going to be a ah massive, massive loss, isn't he? And we'll have to see him wait and see what happens with Calafiori, because we've not seen anything happening there for a few days.
01:18:56
Speaker
Yeah. Calafuri has been held up a little bit um at the moment, but if they lose Calafuri as well, they're also not going to make much on him. They're only going to make about 50% of that as well. So that that's something that, yeah, with Bologna is is ah is it makes it even bigger, like losing these players because they're not really going to get much money from them so it's ah so to reinvest. And so, yeah, big loss for Serie A as well. I think losing six. If you'd have gone to Milan, we keep him in the Serie A. Same with Calafuri if he goes to Arsenal. Same, yeah. Yes, it's a bit the only difference, of course, being Calafiori is Italian and that just, you know, that thing that hurts a little bit more. But yeah,
Humorous Football Management Blunders
01:19:32
Speaker
no, it's but we knew this is going to happen to Bologna. You know, this is their place in the food chain. The question is, can they find a Gasperini? Is Vincenzo Italiano? Can Vincenzo Italiano be their Gasperini and they can build
01:19:49
Speaker
around him and his football and then be able to sell but still maintain quality. Do you see what I'm saying? like That's them what they will hope to be able to do. um and and we'll see if they can but you know if if anyone can do it it's authority yeah definitely no doubt no doubt about that um yeah just a final point on zx8 um yeah it time will tell whether milan made a mistake taking the moral stand on the on the commission and you know that's why they didn't sign him they'd agreed to personal terms they'd agreed
01:20:23
Speaker
on paying the release clause of 40 million. They took the moral stand of not wanting to pay the 15 million euro commission demanded by Zixi's agent, Kia Derapchin. In the end, Man United actually only ended up paying 10 million in commission. They managed to somehow, managed to negotiate that and to pay to pay less. um So Milan, I don't know. i my My opinion is that if football is going to take a stand against these obscenely high commissions that agents are asking for. It needs to be collective. If only one team does it alone, like Milan have done here and how Milan done, then really like nothing is gained and it's only that team that loses. And I think that's how I feel about Milan. I feel like they have taken a stand against the high commissions, a moral stand, but they're actually not going to gain anything out of this because if everybody else is just going to continue paying these commissions,
01:21:15
Speaker
Then then the nothing changes um So I feel like Milan are almost cutting off their nose to spite their face here And they're missing out on on on a player that like I said before could have been you know a huge player for them um for the next few years potentially and so we'll see time will tell time will tell uh he could you know like most man united signets flop there so but i mean if they also get delicked it's starting to shape up pretty nice for him isn't it tenhag he's got like
01:21:48
Speaker
He's a player. Well, possibly, yeah.
Football Madness: Comparing League Craziness
01:21:50
Speaker
I'm not the biggest fan of De Likt personally, to be honest. No, but I mean, De Likt was unbelievable for Tanag at Ajax. Yeah, he was at Ajax, yeah. But we will see. and Let's finish off with Badgio, Prem Face and Sadia Ass of the Week. Okay, this is our first show in a couple of weeks. So we've got a couple that are left over. ah My one that I had was Luca Gotti. and This is a story that's a little bit old, and that's a couple of weeks old, um about how Lecce's transfer chief Pantaleo Corvino explained how ah he hired Gotti.
01:22:27
Speaker
because it was Gotti who actually saved Corvino's life while they were staying in a hotel together. The hotel was ah caught fire and was burning down ah and Gotti got basically got Corvino out of the building to save his life. So he yeah so he yeah he hired him as coach. So well done to Luca Gotti for saving Corvino's life and for getting a job as a result of it. Yeah, and of course Roberto da Versa, the former leg chips manager, was sacked because he tried to headbutt a Hellas Verona player. Yeah, as you do. Yeah, um it's um yeah, it's it's crazy. Yeah. And they're not the craziest story this week in selling football. Yeah, but that's you see this is what I always say, like, there's this different. I always differentiate in crazy like Italy, Greece,
01:23:24
Speaker
Like Italian football, Greek football, Turkish football, Iranian football. It's like, it's old crazy. Do you know what I mean? Like it's the kind of crazy where you appoint your horse as secretary of state. Like, do you know what I mean? Like that kind of madness, like Roman empire. Yeah. Like, do you know what I mean? Like it's, it's, I differentiate
Serie A's Transfer Chaos and Organizational Blunders
01:23:41
Speaker
Latin South American crazy is, is, is, is something else. It's what you saw in Copa America. People going through AC events to get into a football game. Like I differentiate the level of madness that exists on this. Looney Bin known as Planet Earth. um And it's um yeah with with with this story, it doesn't even crack the... like you have vili mark over your right it's a great It's a great story there. It's a fantastic story. It's a fantastic story and it's very like it's almost a bit...
01:24:11
Speaker
It's a bit heartwarming, isn't it? He saved his life and and all that. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. a Prem face. I mean, obviously Marco Violi Gate wins by a mile, but we've already talked spoken about that. and We do have a couple of others. Joshua Zixe, well, not Joshua Zixe, Manchester United, who upon announcing Joshua Zixe on their official website, misspelled his name, according to Kirk Zixe.
01:24:38
Speaker
I remember West Ham did the same with Skamaka as well when they announced it. Oh yes, they did, didn't they? Yeah, it's very funny. yeah Yeah, I mean, of all the time, I mean, Jesus Christ, um I mean, come on. Yeah, but it's it's it is amitsis it' a mistake. And then Kunal had as well Fox Sports. They put a headline ahead of the quarterfinal. Turkey without demerol as in the cream roll isn't the candy not demerol but demerol Alexei Lalas as well I've seen he's had a lot of nominations well while this whole chaos was going on which we'll come into with the copper america um he he was basically and talking up
01:25:24
Speaker
American soccer is saying, don't let anybody tell you that ah American soccer isn't great. Just look at this. And basically, this was all like everything. It was like it was like the the the famous ah the image of the burning building, you know. and Yeah, nothing to see here. to see you Things from Naked Gun. I can't remember. Leslie Nielsen. I think that's him. And enemyy of course, she's the Jean Jose Enrique story is amazing. Yeah, like,
iShowSpeed's Controversial Milan Collaboration
01:25:56
Speaker
yeah, including involving Luca Gotti again, he yeah he so Jose Enrique is now a football agent. And he offered two of his players, including the Rangers player Todd Cantwell to Luca Gotti, the lecture coach. um He he tried to send him a message on Instagram, but he accidentally sent the message to the wrong Instagram account. Just a random guy named Gotti.
01:26:20
Speaker
Yeah, he sent it to somebody called Gotti, for some reason he thought that was Luca Gotti. He's probably didn't say it's a John Gotti. And yeah, he... He had this random dude on cultural Twitter, screenshot it and put it on Twitter and it went viral. Yeah. Pederson. Pederson was the other player. Marcus Pederson. Yeah. Yeah, it's been a crazy week. It's been a quick crazy couple of weeks. Celia asks of the week, Nimr. First of all, Copper America, Final, Chaos. um All of it, the entire tournament has been an absolute madhouse in terms of organization. I've spoken to so many colleagues who've been like, it's been crazy. They weren't even, like, that some of the stuff was dangerous. Like, they didn't even offer water to people. Like journalists, they had to buy.
01:27:11
Speaker
Well, in that heat in Miami, like that, that shit is just, you know, and then the parking was a complete mess and people couldn't find, it was it was absolute chaos. I've spoken to people and said it's the worst tournament they've ever covered. It's been absolutely amazing. Yeah, some of the scenes were, were were they made they made the Euro 2020 final at Wembley look look like. Yeah, but Uruguay players defending their families against the onslaught of Colombia fans and shit. I mean, come on. In 2024, how are you not, how do you not have better security? Like, come on. Yeah, start with Nunez holding his doing his fists, holding his fists. I mean, they were that was ah that was an image.
01:27:49
Speaker
And Bielsa's press conference yeah went absolutely ballistic. Wow. Well, yeah, I mean, you can understand why. I mean, you know, security for players and their families should be. Insane. Second, Celia Ass of the Week, I have to go AC Milan. um the the Their collaboration with this guy. I show speed. Everybody knows what I think of this this guy. I mean, If we're talking about the death of journalism before, I mean, if this guy, iShow Speed, is is regarded as a celebrity, he's like the Kim Kardashian of, I don't want to say sports media, but what is it? What is this guy, basically? Just a YouTuber and streamer. I mean, oh my God. what is can i All the kids watching this, just listening to this,
01:28:40
Speaker
What is it about iShowSpeak? Can someone might leave a comment and just explain like the attraction of iShowSpeak? Why, if you like
Roma's Tracksuit Color Blunder
01:28:48
Speaker
iShowSpeak, and I hope that you're smart enough not to, why why what what do you like about iShowSpeak? What is great about him? What is his talent? What what is it about him? I don't get it. I cannot get it. so I think ah like to think that I've got like an eye for talent, hopefully. I just do not get this guy at all. And I don't believe it's just because I'm getting older. i just This guy is just a stupid idiot. um Well, anyway, he he does this collaboration with Milan. um It's just the most embarrassing, cringe-worthy thing I've ever seen in my life. he's in ah He's in a car or a taxi or something in the back of the car with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
01:29:24
Speaker
And he's just, that he's he's like he's kind of asking his Latin kind of random questions. um But one of the questions he asks is, he starts playing a game, and the game is called First One to Move is Gay. Right. That's the name of the game. He shouts it out. And then they're filming this. And that there's the the video that they that they they put out of this Milan was about three minutes, maybe three minutes long, about two minutes or two and a half minutes of it was literally just silence of Zlatan and an eyeshow speed just just sitting there not moving. And then the video ends.
01:30:04
Speaker
And it's just like, what is this? Like, what is this? not And that's before we get to the whole homophobia side of it, playing a game, first one to move his game. I don't think it's homophobic. I think it's just childish. The whole thing is just childish. It's just unbelievable. And all of it, like if even when they were doing that, the thing they were doing too with the backflips and it was just, it's just, it's just a circus. And, and to me it's like, I'm going, okay, you want to reach me, I'm going to reach a new, new younger audience by that.
01:30:37
Speaker
I don't know, how many million, how many hundred or thousands of new Milan fans do you think were created by by this this circus that the that we saw? What it did was it gave this guy more credibility and he got lots of, you know, views. But what kind of a new audience did Milan reach and how sustainable is it? Do they actually think that they grew their brand by doing this collaboration with this guy? No. Do you know what I mean? Like, it's it's just all so cringy, really. um And it's like, you know, how many people have watched it? has i I mean, I'm biased a little bit because I just don't get this guy. I just think he's a complete clown. No, he is a clown. There's no, you know, he he this is who he is. and And apparently, you know, I can understand if children watch it like small children, because he's so hysterical and he does crazy shit and backflips and, you know, it's entertaining for kids. I get that.
01:31:32
Speaker
But I don't know why Milan are engaging with it. That's what I don't understand. I don't get why, like, I can understand if, you know, you have these podcasts that the Premier League do as well, don't you, with these guys who just sit there and shoot the shit and don't know what they're talking about, and Rory the Tory's there and says Puyolo's overrated and stuff like that. But, you know, but yeah, I mean, that's for that audience, you know, good luck with your, it is what it is. But this is just, this is circus. This is just a circus. And I don't understand what the point is. Oh, he's got 26 million subscribers on YouTube, okay? How does this grow your brand? Do you reach a new audience? Do you find new fans that way? And how many of them do you do? Or is it just one of those things where you are on his channel? He gets a lot of views. That's it. Do you know what I mean? There's no long-term PR strategy at play here.
01:32:27
Speaker
Do you know what I mean? And and it's like, i don't I don't get it. I really don't get it. And I don't understand why Milan entertained it. Yeah. And talking about own goals, ah commercial own goals, Roma. Roma, this this is this is this is unbelievable. So Roma have ordered Adidas to withdraw a tracksuit design from sale and suspended their brand officer, this as of two weeks ago, following an outcry from fans because it had the colors of their arch rivals, Lazio. The tracksuit top had the Roma logo on, but otherwise had very little to suggest it represented the gelorosity. This is from football Italian story. Although the top part was in dark red, there was a white stripe and the majority of the front was a light blue colour, colours of city rivals Lazio. Fans were outraged their owners the freedman group responded by ordering Adidas to remove the design
01:33:17
Speaker
from the sale. Coriello Delasco report that the club are prepared to suspend suspend or even s sack chief commercial and brand officer Michael Wundell who oversaw the project. He is the subject of disciplinary proceedings and could well be removed from the rug. The tracksuit was not going to be worn by the players but rather part of the collection for fans. um You know how for years I've been saying, Serie A Titanic lifejackets couldn't sell a life jacket on the Titanic. Serie A clubs are so clueless. The league is so clueless. Everyone associated with Serie A is so clueless when it comes to marketing their league, their clubs, commercially useless.
01:34:01
Speaker
This, I mean, this, how is this even possible? You are Roma, everybody that is is that supports Roma hates Lazio. You do a piece of, ah you do a tracksuit that's Lazio's colours. I mean, I've got no words. It's so funny. so um because it's so crazy. It's literally the only color they shouldn't have used. You know what I mean? It's literally the only color they should have stayed away from. I remember back when Morati, when Inter first had a deal with a Chinese potential investor, Morati, he was, you know, and he said he, in honor of that, you know, that partnership, he what he he allowed Inter's Awaken to be red.
01:34:57
Speaker
But he was very, very keen on not allowing the black to the black on the shirt to touch the red. And he said that when he... Do you know what I mean? like There was those actual communication and thought there, and it was actually one of the more like iconic inter-away shirts that we've had. But this is just so dumb. literally the only color they should have stayed away from and it's such an own goal too because you know now that lots of fans are going to take the rip the piss out of them at the next derby over this I can already see the banners I can already see the but this is no matter what's so crazy about this is this like with all commercial campaigns that are
01:35:37
Speaker
generally always a disaster. And it goes through so many different layers so layers, so many different people, so many board meetings. This isn't just, you don't just turn up one day and someone goes, Oh, I've got this idea today. Okay, yeah, let's do it. Whack it out this afternoon. And you know, it's not like that. This is, this is, yeah this is something, but this is something that takes days, weeks, months to, to, to put into process, you know, and, and they, and, and, you know, this is the TCO, this is the chief commercial officer. this is quite suppose american He's American, isn't he? I would imagine so. yeah ah emergency so It's an English speaking name. so I mean, this is somebody that's supposed to be like ah like one of the top people in their field when it comes to, and they and they do this. I mean, what hope what hope? There is no hope. There is no hope. it
Serie A Chaos Wrap-Up with Humor
01:36:23
Speaker
did the chief is If the chief commercial officer is is coming out with this, then what hope is there?
01:36:28
Speaker
I mean, it's just, it's just, it's just, there's no hope for League. There is no hope god no hope. The Americans are coming to save us. but yeah definitely to save us yeah Yeah. Oh my God. No, it's, it's, it's a crazy story. And, and it's, Again it's Roma, this is what I mean Roma is the most entertaining club right now in all of Serie A, whether it's their fan base, whether it's the club itself, Rome is cray cray and it's um no it's it's it's never a dull moment in this league, and never a never dull moment with
01:37:05
Speaker
with Roma and Napoli. Napoli's been, so like, they've actually, surprisingly, it's off to a really good start, isn't it? Like, De Laurenti's gonna stay, he published that letter, content, you know, everything's going well. It's it's actually smooth sailing right now. And Bonjournos, you know, Dan. Yeah, absolutely. Right now Roma are literally number one on the crazy list. When it comes to the madness, Seria, they are top of the league.
01:37:36
Speaker
clear by 10 points. They sure are. There's a lot of competition. Let's leave it at that. Thank you everybody for listening. We will be back within a Q&A episode later in the week, probably Wednesday or Thursday, and then we'll also have, we'll just confirm it, we'll also have another of our club ah transfer Mercato deep dives like we did for Juventus last week which if you haven't listened to give it a listen where we go through all the the transfer activity that is being planned and is being done um both in terms of incoming and outgoing players and between now and the end of the summer transfer window so we'll have another club um this this week and which we will which we will push out during this week okay have a great week everybody see you soon ciao ciao