The Italian fans of Manchester: "Stars are not for us"
For the older lads, it was meeting in the 70's with the English fans chanting "blue Moon", City's anthem. For Filippo and the other fans from Siena, it's been love at first sight through Sky. For those from Veneto it's the charm of the Sky Blue shirt. For those from Lecce it's a choice in the name of Jimmy Grimble and romantic football. There is in Italy a community of fans, all mad for the other side of Manchester. It's 127, between 20 and 60 years old. They communicate through the internet and as soon as they can they fly to England. And for this, they can't stop thanking the low cost flies. Roma and Lazio fans fly separated though, some football distances can't be overcome. Even if the common enemy is called United, "the club of the fat sons of rich butchers and the club which does marketing for foreign support". But today, thanks to the Sheikh's money, don't our Citizens feel like the nerd going to the school ball with the hottest girl? "No, because he promised not to ruin City's history: a young team, English or British" Renato explains (is that our Renato?) We don't want a team of only stars. We are not Inter Milan" and he doesn't say this because he is a rossoneri fan. (definitely our Renato then, lol) For him, the Kakà saga was a "Kramer versus Kramer". "I see it differently from the other rossoneri. I would have preferred Kakà going to City because Milan would have been able to deal with the technical and financial troubles" but with the money saved in the Kakà deal, other stars can arrive to City. "As long as they don't behave as stars. We don't like that. Of course we want a growing side, to enter the Champions League, but without losing the club philosophy". So you cna make them dream Messi, Aguero, but their heroes are those players discarded elsewhere and then become legends at City. One over everyone else: "Georgiou Kinkladze, a Georgian footballer (at city from '95 to '98), often injured, but when he played he always put his heart in it" or the Scottish Paul Dickov, "the Bee", scoring the equaliser in 1999 in the play off to go back in First Division. In Wembley, losing 2-0 to Gillingham with six minutes to go, City equalised and then won at shoot out, supported by 75000 fans, Noel Gallagher and the other Oasis amongst them. "We are the fifth fans in England as numbers go" those from "Italian blue Moon", organied with even a board, want to let us know. "In these days we have been depicted as a little club, but we won two titles. We are just like Sampdoria or Firoentina" But the best comparison i another, "we are similar to Torino fans, proud of not being Juventus just like we are of not being United". To read "My life ruined by Man Utd" by Colin Shindler to know more. "We - the Italian City fans say - call them rags. Because the red of their shirts is the same of that of women' absorbers". There are things in football that even the credit card of a Sheikh can't change.
I lifted this from Mancity fans.net. Its good to know we have a few supporters in Italy and am even more suprised they publish this lads article in the papers!. I know there is a long standing City/Torino connection. Particularly like the rags explanation!!
For the older lads, it was meeting in the 70's with the English fans chanting "blue Moon", City's anthem. For Filippo and the other fans from Siena, it's been love at first sight through Sky. For those from Veneto it's the charm of the Sky Blue shirt. For those from Lecce it's a choice in the name of Jimmy Grimble and romantic football. There is in Italy a community of fans, all mad for the other side of Manchester. It's 127, between 20 and 60 years old. They communicate through the internet and as soon as they can they fly to England. And for this, they can't stop thanking the low cost flies. Roma and Lazio fans fly separated though, some football distances can't be overcome. Even if the common enemy is called United, "the club of the fat sons of rich butchers and the club which does marketing for foreign support". But today, thanks to the Sheikh's money, don't our Citizens feel like the nerd going to the school ball with the hottest girl? "No, because he promised not to ruin City's history: a young team, English or British" Renato explains (is that our Renato?) We don't want a team of only stars. We are not Inter Milan" and he doesn't say this because he is a rossoneri fan. (definitely our Renato then, lol) For him, the Kakà saga was a "Kramer versus Kramer". "I see it differently from the other rossoneri. I would have preferred Kakà going to City because Milan would have been able to deal with the technical and financial troubles" but with the money saved in the Kakà deal, other stars can arrive to City. "As long as they don't behave as stars. We don't like that. Of course we want a growing side, to enter the Champions League, but without losing the club philosophy". So you cna make them dream Messi, Aguero, but their heroes are those players discarded elsewhere and then become legends at City. One over everyone else: "Georgiou Kinkladze, a Georgian footballer (at city from '95 to '98), often injured, but when he played he always put his heart in it" or the Scottish Paul Dickov, "the Bee", scoring the equaliser in 1999 in the play off to go back in First Division. In Wembley, losing 2-0 to Gillingham with six minutes to go, City equalised and then won at shoot out, supported by 75000 fans, Noel Gallagher and the other Oasis amongst them. "We are the fifth fans in England as numbers go" those from "Italian blue Moon", organied with even a board, want to let us know. "In these days we have been depicted as a little club, but we won two titles. We are just like Sampdoria or Firoentina" But the best comparison i another, "we are similar to Torino fans, proud of not being Juventus just like we are of not being United". To read "My life ruined by Man Utd" by Colin Shindler to know more. "We - the Italian City fans say - call them rags. Because the red of their shirts is the same of that of women' absorbers". There are things in football that even the credit card of a Sheikh can't change.
I lifted this from Mancity fans.net. Its good to know we have a few supporters in Italy and am even more suprised they publish this lads article in the papers!. I know there is a long standing City/Torino connection. Particularly like the rags explanation!!