I was just reading a couple of threads in the Euro 2004 forum and it reminded me of the infamous Denmark-Sweden game. I began wondering whether modern football had become a game you win by making deals rather than having a good team.
Now let me take the Italian national team and the Italian club teams for an example:
Euro 2000
Zambrotta gets a red card after receiving his second yellow card against Holland. IMO it was pretty clear that Zambro should never have been sent off. You can say whatever you want, but we all now it's very doubtable a Dutch player would have received red as well.
Furthermore the penalty Holland were gifted against the Czech Republic was a joke as well. But hey, Holland are the home nation after all, right?
World Cup 2002
Half of the goals scored by Italy are disallowed. All five of them were perfectly legal. In total three goals scored against Corea were disallowed. All three of them were perfectly legal.
Instead of getting a penalty, Totti receives his second yellow for an alleged dive. Later on the linesmen would admit he had initially flagged for a penalty.
Even when it came to something as simple as taking penalties rules weren't applied as they should. The Corean goalie came out of his goal three times against Spain and none of the penalties were retaken.
To make things worse it seemed as if making Italian players bleed was an act as noble as whiping Queen Elisabeth's ass.
Euro 2004
It's the final group game. A lot of speculation is being made about whether or not Denmark and Sweden would deliberately tie 2-2. Before the game both teams do their best to stress the fact they will try to be sportsmanlike.
The game ends 2-2. Period.
Champions League
Being an avid Juventus fan I have witnessed some strange things along the way when we were playing CL. Like Davids receiving various discussable red cards to say the least. And every time everyone reacted by saying "well, it's his reputation". I wonder in how far his reputation was created by referees deliberately trying to get him a red card.
As for Roma, things are just plain disgusting. Roma haven't received a fair treatment for years now and something has to be done.
Like Totti getting sent off against Arsenal a couple of seasons age while it was obvious he didn't do anything wrong. He didn't even do anything in fact.
Or this lighter-incident Roma had this season. Are we seriously going to chase clubs for not forbidding their fans to own lighters?
And the various red cards Roma had this season. How many of them were justified? Just one (De Rossi).
And last but not least: Inter.
How about getting a three match-ban for hitting an opponent after he made a nasty foul and hit you in the face? Oh yeah, I forgot to add, your opponent doesn't get to be sent off.
Every season I ask myself how on earth it is possible that Real Madrid doesn't win the CL every year. Just look at the advantages they get from referees.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS: "As a football player I would like to believe it's human incompetence.."
(Fernando Hierro, after Corea-Spain)
Now let me take the Italian national team and the Italian club teams for an example:
Euro 2000
Zambrotta gets a red card after receiving his second yellow card against Holland. IMO it was pretty clear that Zambro should never have been sent off. You can say whatever you want, but we all now it's very doubtable a Dutch player would have received red as well.
Furthermore the penalty Holland were gifted against the Czech Republic was a joke as well. But hey, Holland are the home nation after all, right?
World Cup 2002
Half of the goals scored by Italy are disallowed. All five of them were perfectly legal. In total three goals scored against Corea were disallowed. All three of them were perfectly legal.
Instead of getting a penalty, Totti receives his second yellow for an alleged dive. Later on the linesmen would admit he had initially flagged for a penalty.
Even when it came to something as simple as taking penalties rules weren't applied as they should. The Corean goalie came out of his goal three times against Spain and none of the penalties were retaken.
To make things worse it seemed as if making Italian players bleed was an act as noble as whiping Queen Elisabeth's ass.
Euro 2004
It's the final group game. A lot of speculation is being made about whether or not Denmark and Sweden would deliberately tie 2-2. Before the game both teams do their best to stress the fact they will try to be sportsmanlike.
The game ends 2-2. Period.
Champions League
Being an avid Juventus fan I have witnessed some strange things along the way when we were playing CL. Like Davids receiving various discussable red cards to say the least. And every time everyone reacted by saying "well, it's his reputation". I wonder in how far his reputation was created by referees deliberately trying to get him a red card.
As for Roma, things are just plain disgusting. Roma haven't received a fair treatment for years now and something has to be done.
Like Totti getting sent off against Arsenal a couple of seasons age while it was obvious he didn't do anything wrong. He didn't even do anything in fact.
Or this lighter-incident Roma had this season. Are we seriously going to chase clubs for not forbidding their fans to own lighters?
And the various red cards Roma had this season. How many of them were justified? Just one (De Rossi).
And last but not least: Inter.
How about getting a three match-ban for hitting an opponent after he made a nasty foul and hit you in the face? Oh yeah, I forgot to add, your opponent doesn't get to be sent off.
Every season I ask myself how on earth it is possible that Real Madrid doesn't win the CL every year. Just look at the advantages they get from referees.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS: "As a football player I would like to believe it's human incompetence.."
(Fernando Hierro, after Corea-Spain)
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