La vecchia donna

With the football season just kicking off here, and without any English football to watch, I have decided that it's time to get myself an Italian team to support. Also, I've been told on more than one occasion that a man in Italy isn't fully dressed without the 'pink paper' under his arm and, at 1 euro, it represents a very affordable fashion statement.

Where I spent my first few years, in Malta (a tiny island 50 miles south of Sicily) everyone supported Juventus - I'm not sure why. Perhaps there was a certain magic or mystique or simply a natural appeal to one of the oldest clubs in Italy, set up by a bunch of English, Italian and Swiss lads who used the latin word for 'youth' to name their team and played in their, now legendary, black and white vertical stripes. I remember my brother and I collecting the stickers for our Panini football albums, always happiest when unpeeling a Juventus player. Their first Championship winning team in 1905 was, apparently, made up of a mixture of painters, poets and factory workers - wow, that's my kind of team!

However, living in Italy (but not in Turin where Juventus are based) it won't be easy to become one of the 'juventini' as all over the rest of Italy there exist a vast majority of 'anti-juventini'  who have no time at all for 'la Vecchia Donna' (the old lady) of Italian football.

So, after a lot of soul-searching, I have decided to turn instead to my 'local' team, Siena, who have come good in the last few years and play in the top division. The advantage is that they are a smallish team who play in a smallish stadium near the city, less than an hour from here, and so I might be able to get a ticket to a game.

The other advantage is that they also play in black and white vertical stripes, so I can buy the shirt, wear it and yet continue to secretly still support Juventus, on the inside. You see, there is a saying in football which goes something like, '...you can change your job, your car, your name, your religion, your partner, even your sex, but you can't change your football team...'

The stupidest thing I did today;
Probably deciding to get involved in the murky world of Italian football - great players, financial corruption, violent fans, drugs, the Mafia, the World Cup. It's an opera played out every weekend and the obsession of every Italian.

Comments

[Amanda @ A Tuscan view...]

Ahhh! Football shmootball! Let's all go to the beach.

[Antonina]

congrats on choosing a team, a word of caution be prepared to argue all points and mistakes on or about opposing teams with as much passion as possible while eating a cannoli and running with a glass of wine, and using appropriate hand signals as well.
Best of luck to your team.

[anne]

Very good to support a local team, and Casalba's right you could be a Newcastle supporter as well.

Siena, Juventus, Newcastle...you choose!! :-)

[Jeff]

I'm trying to stay away from it. The way the ultras are acting I feel I cannot support any team right now. I've vowed not to go to another game and I'm sticking to that.

Couple that with the fact that if watch calcio on pay per view you're giving money to Berli's Mediaset. It's a no win situation in my opinion.

Jeff

[Sue]

The only team I agree to support is my son's - have just spent a fun Sunday morning cheering on him and all the other lads. Now that's the best side of the sport ...

[casalba]

You could be a secret Newcastle United supporter too.

[nyc/carribean ragazza]

Look forward to reading more about your journey into zee world of calcio italiano.

A friend promise to take me to a Roma game this season. Cannot wait!

[Maryann]

Move that paper aside so I can see what you're drinking! ;)

[Brit' Gal Sarah]

Ok LOL, I have no idea where that 2nd comment came from me!

[Brit' Gal Sarah]

I thinsk a wise decision, at least you have a chance of getting a ticket. Football Italia cannot be ignored if you live there, they have a passion like the Brit's.

Across the pond I am trying to do the same with American Football, I think you're task maybe easier!

Amanda, thanks for dropping in today :-)

[Judith in Umbria]

But that's just so predictable!

[Lorenza]

Well Done, man! Apprezzabile la tua scelta del Siena, ma se avessi scelto la Roma avresti avuto un compagno di avventure...e la Roma gioca solo ad un'ora e mezza di distanza!!