Bianconero Berlusconi Curse
Juventus supporters are unanimous in their fear of the Silvio Berlusconi Trophy, as the competition always seems to bring bad luck and injuries to the Bianconeri...
Milan won the 2008 edition of the pre-season trophy on Sunday, beating the Old Lady 4-1 at the San Siro. It has been taken as a superstitious coincidence over the past few years that the loser of the cup game winds up winning the Scudetto.
The superstitions don't end there, though, as some Juventini believe that the cup inflicts a major injury upon their side with each installment. In 2005, Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon picked up an injury during the match and now star defender Giorgio Chiellini has hurt his knee as a result of an innocuous clash with Alberto Paloschi.
The defender is set to be out until the end of September and this has infuriated Biaconeri fans, who have have been coming up with their own solutions to end the Berlusconi curse.
“We have to abandon our part in it, or send our youth team,” wrote one Juve fan on a forum for the Turin club. Another supporter proposed a petition be signed and sent to the Juventus management with a view to ending their participation in the event, with 85% of readers agreeing with the idea.
Finally, one fan decided that it would be useful to use the curse in Juventus' favour, suggesting: “If it brings so much bad luck, why not send Inter Milan in our place?”
However, the Juve supporters will be further upset to learn that the Bianconeri are contracted to participate in the cup until 2010, receiving very good monetary compensation in return. Thus, it seems as though the Juve faithful will have to deal with the curse for a while longer.
Peter Pedroncelli | goal.com