Nothing can stop it! The blobs of the week rear their ugly heads once more. La Gazzetta dello Sport has jazzed up the weekly feature to include a picture gallery, so hope for more ripe quotes from Italian WAGs in the future.
Rafa Benitez probably had the best outburst this past week with his defiant press conference tirade. Everything has seemingly calmed down for now and reports that Benitez is out at Inter have been rejected by the manager. But Italian journalist Mario Sconcerti used Il Corriere della Sera to fire back at Benitez anyways with some harsh words:
“The error is months past, this tournament (the Club World Cup) should have resolved it definitively in any case. To wait instead for the first day of light to claim rights is a little cowardly, and he has certainly made a mistake. Benitez gave Moratti an ultimatum that Moratti never gave to coach Benitez. An almost vulgar gesture.”
Again, Rafa appears to be safe once again after this minor cup victory and even despite his tantrum. But I think this could still have sealed his fate. As I mentioned early in the Cassano case, things like this are not taken lightly in Italy and those who have offended each other do not often work together very long. Regardless of what both Rafa and Moratti say in the coming days, I’m more convinced than ever that Inter will have new manager before the end of the season.
Careful Adrian, a repo man is always intense.
On to a blob that is either very sad or very funny. I’m leaning towards the latter because well, it’s about Mutu:
“I have heard the news also, but I don’t believe that they can take Mutu’s houses.”
La Viola’s Romanian striker is a limitless source of amusement. That’s a quote from Mutu’s agent, Victor Becali, after questioned about reports that 2 of his client’s houses in Miami could be seized in connection to his rather large debts to Chelsea. Mutu owes about 17 million euro to the London club after being charged with breach of contract in 2004 for testing positive for drugs. House repossessions are a touchy subject in the United States these days. Here’s at least 2 that we can all get behind.
Hernan Crespo chose to honor a different drug addict in his blob this week:
“The first time I went to the San Paolo, I made myself cry because it is where Maradona had played”
Unlike baseball, there is crying in football. Yet somehow, I feel that makes it more manly. Crespo is enjoying some good form for Parma right now and has really been their only weapon in the fight against relegation. Maradona will always be the bigger name around the world. It probably will be in Italy too, despite the fact that Crespo has scored over twice as many goals there.
And finally, a blob worthy of being a headline. Some folks here at UF have taken up Napoli’s banner which seems quite natural. Walter Mazzarri’s squad play attractive, attack-minded football and have kept the momentum rolling after a hot start to sit just 3 back of league-leaders Milan at the break. Lately they’ve been the cardiac kids of Serie A, not exactly the kind of exciting their fans may want. Their manager summed up their feelings best after the latest last-gasp victory over Lecce:
“The goals in injury time? Napoli is born to suffer.”
Napoli did put themselves in that position due to some poor finishing, so Mazzarri can look no further than his own dressing room for the source of his “plight”. But to be fair, which one of us has never felt exactly the same way about our team?
No tearful eulogy for Enzo Bearzot?
@BG – While I am well aware of Bearzot’s legend and contributions to the game in Italy, he won his greatest triumph when I was still 4 years from existence, so I thought it might ring a little hollow if I tried to post a sort of second-hand tribute.