I'm experiencing a slightly odd phenomenon: whenever Italy play a match at the World Cup (as they did last night, beating a much-fancied German team with two late, late goals) I get a definite 'spike' in visitors to this site, most of whom seem to be looking for stories connecting Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon with fascism, and find that typing those search terms into Google brings them directly here.
Well, I blogged it back in December, and in honour of the Italians' progress to Sunday's final, here's the relevant bit again:
On a trip to Poland in 1997 the Italian players apparently refused to accompany federation officials on a visit to Auschwitz. Paolo Di Canio has frequently courted controversy by making fascist salutes at Lazio's notorious far-right 'ultras'. But the award has to go to the Juventus and Italy goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon (81 caps):
Gianluigi Buffon, the Italian national goalkeeper, has worn a T-shirt sporting the fascist slogan, 'Death to those who surrender'. Buffon also raised a few eyebrows last year when he picked 88 as his shirt number for the new season. The decision upset Italy's Jewish community, which pointed out that the figure is sometimes used as a neo-Nazi symbol - 'H' is the eighth letter of the alphabet, so 88 equates to HH, or Heil Hitler.
Buffon denied any knowledge of the link, claiming: 'I have chosen 88 because it reminds me of four balls and in Italy we all know what it means to have balls: strength and determination.'
Whatever. The fragrant Allessandra Mussolini was one of his few supporters after that incident:
Buffon appeared for a television interview with a right-wing slogan on his jersey which, roughly translated, meant: "Death to him who gives up." Buffon, who later said he had no idea that the slogan was a rallying cry for a 1970 right-wing riot in the southern city of Reggio Calabria, had merely sought to encourage his embattled teammates. "I don't know anything about politics," he said.
But by the time the lower house of parliament gathered on Tuesday, Buffon's gesture had become a national political issue, provoking the ire of Interior Minister Rosa Russo Jervolino and the praise of Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of "Il Duce."
Mussolini, a deputy for the far-right National Alliance party, caused uproar in the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday when she appeared wearing a T-shirt on which was written: "Death to him who gives up on Buffon." Chamber President Carlo Giovanardi repeatedly invited her to cover up her shirt, but Mussolini declined, sparking a boisterous row between deputies on the left and the right. Giovanardi was twice forced to suspend the session.
"This is a not a sports bar," Giovanardi told the deputies. "I'm ashamed of this parliament."
screw tonino i want dego and a harmonious dressing room
Wise words.
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