Roma-Manchester United Police incident

I shudder to even think about it!

Already this MB is so biased towards english teams (inspite of italian WC win, all italian and all spanish CL finals), it will become unbearable after an all english final!!

Rai Krol wrote:

DeanoTheEmo-WHUFC wrote:Some people are so Anti-English on here it's sad...

True ..

There would be a outcry if Manchester United progress.

Imagine a all English final !

bluenine wrote:I shudder to even think about it!

Already this MB is so biased towards english teams (inspite of italian WC win, all italian and all spanish CL finals), it will become unbearable after an all english final!!

Rai Krol wrote:

DeanoTheEmo-WHUFC wrote:Some people are so Anti-English on here it's sad...

True ..

There would be a outcry if Manchester United progress.

Imagine a all English final !

The English bias .. has not been alive for a while.

bluenine wrote:I shudder to even think about it!

Already this MB is so biased towards english teams (inspite of italian WC win, all italian and all spanish CL finals), it will become unbearable after an all english final!!

Rai Krol wrote:

DeanoTheEmo-WHUFC wrote:Some people are so Anti-English on here it's sad...

True ..

There would be a outcry if Manchester United progress.

Imagine a all English final !

I hate Chelsea and used to cheer on everyone against them. But due to this board I want Chelsea to win.

Bluenine...the only reason it would be unbearable is because of the slagging off English clubs receive in the first place...a bit like Humble pie for the others

I would be happy for Chelsea or Liverpool to win it.

One of the reasons why some people slag off english football is coz 80% of the people here are EPL fans, and most of them over rate english football and players a bit too much.

I am usually a level headed guy, but I end up defending Italian football so much over here that sometimes I sound biased to myself... how do you stay quiet to stuff like Neville much better than Zanetti or Lampard much better than Totti??? What sometimes appear to be wind-ups are actually opinions by (I suspect) people who probably haven't seen more than a handful of Serie A games in their lives. Which is normally fine, ignorance is always a common factor, but when a huge majority of the board is leaning towards a direction (which in our case is a HUGE EPL bias), I guess it makes all of us who are fans of other leagues a bit anti-EPL. The sad part is that I find the number of posts by non-epl fans reducing coz of this...

Nah, I hope its not an all english final. Its quite the opposite of humble pie (most of us appreciate that the EPL is a Top 3 league, and and all english final is a very realistic scenario - actually its long due)... but the english over-hype even before such an evatuality is so much on this MB, I would hate to contemplate how it will be after it.

So I am hoping for a Valencia-Roma final, even tho a Liverpool-ManU final is probably more realistic at this stage.

DeanoTheEmo-WHUFC wrote:
Bluenine...the only reason it would be unbearable is because of the slagging off English clubs receive in the first place...a bit like Humble pie for the others

I think most of the EPL posters on here gave up rating English players quite a long time ago...doesnt really seem worth the bother most of the time.

There are 2 sides to every story. Perhaps ManU fans were not as innocent as the media is projecting over here...

Rome officials again defend police in clashes with Manchester United fans

ROME (AP) -- Italian security officials defended the conduct of police in clashes with Manchester United fans, saying Friday the officers were defending themselves and that the visiting supporters started the violence. The government's top security official in Rome showed video clips from Wednesday's Champions League match against AS Roma at a news conference Friday, and said it was clear the English team's fans started the clashes.

Prefect Achille Serra was responding to complaints from United fans that the police overreacted. "The officers couldn't escape at this point," he said, showing one clip in which the police were pushed up against a barricade in the stands. "They were completely surrounded."

The Italian Interior Ministry said late Wednesday the British Embassy and the Italian police were working together to determine what happened. UEFA is awaiting reports from match and security officials on the clashes; both clubs could face a disciplinary hearing.

During the match, which Roma won 2-1, police in riot gear clashed with some of United's 4,500 fans. Police hit fans with batons as opposing fans taunted and threw objects at each other across the partition separating the rival sections. Serra said the injured included three United fans who were stabbed and another 14 United fans with lesser injuries. Four Roma fans and seven police officers were also injured, he said.

Three United fans were arrested on charges of violence against a public officer, Serra said.

bluenine wrote:There are 2 sides to every story. Perhaps ManU fans were not as innocent as the media is projecting over here...

Rome officials again defend police in clashes with Manchester United fans

ROME (AP) -- Italian security officials defended the conduct of police in clashes with Manchester United fans, saying Friday the officers were defending themselves and that the visiting supporters started the violence. The government's top security official in Rome showed video clips from Wednesday's Champions League match against AS Roma at a news conference Friday, and said it was clear the English team's fans started the clashes.

Prefect Achille Serra was responding to complaints from United fans that the police overreacted. "The officers couldn't escape at this point," he said, showing one clip in which the police were pushed up against a barricade in the stands. "They were completely surrounded."

The Italian Interior Ministry said late Wednesday the British Embassy and the Italian police were working together to determine what happened. UEFA is awaiting reports from match and security officials on the clashes; both clubs could face a disciplinary hearing.

During the match, which Roma won 2-1, police in riot gear clashed with some of United's 4,500 fans. Police hit fans with batons as opposing fans taunted and threw objects at each other across the partition separating the rival sections. Serra said the injured included three United fans who were stabbed and another 14 United fans with lesser injuries. Four Roma fans and seven police officers were also injured, he said.

Three United fans were arrested on charges of violence against a public officer, Serra said.

Bluenine- What do you think the Italian police will say? That United fans were innocent?

I don't doubt that they were complicit, but this article is a little too biased IMO.

bluenine wrote:One of the reasons why some people slag off english football is coz 80% of the people here are EPL fans, and most of them over rate english football and players a bit too much.

Can't let this go.

Bluenine, just pause for breath a minute and think about what you're writing. On the (admittedly all too rare) occasions I come in here, I see blanket lambasting of all things British, especially the football; some people's entire output consists of nothing else.

The Manchester United fans will defend Man Utd (well, up to a point... go read the comments of people like Parks after Wednesday's match), the Liverpool fans will do likewise with Liverpool, Arsenal fans with Arsenal, etc. But you can be dang sure that if even ONE English team reaches the final, you'll be able to criticise the appalling lack of skill on display, the 18th century tactics, and those disgraceful hooligans on the terraces, safe in the knowledge that you'll not only have the support of the traditional England bashers in here (they know who they are) but also the supporters of those English clubs whose teams AREN'T represented in the final (I'm referring to jerks who start polls entitled "If you were an Italian policeman, would you...").

That for me is the key difference. I've always said that inter-club rivalry in Italian football is skin deep. As soon as events move into the international arena, they all get behind the flag. That's not to say that all the Inter fans in my office were rooting for Milan the other night... but their loathing of the Germans goes far beyond their dislike of Milan.

P.S. People have been saying that Neville is better than Zanetti and Lampard better than Totti? Either you're talking about other boards or you're not getting enough sleep. Most of the ENGLISH in here fire broadsides at Lampard (and to a lesser extent Neville) at every opportunity. And surely putting Neville on the same level as Zanetti isn't quite as comical as comparing Mancini with Cristiano Ronaldo

I am sure it is. What I am trying to say is that there are 2 sides of the story.... the truth probably lies somewhere inbetween.

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:

bluenine wrote:There are 2 sides to every story. Perhaps ManU fans were not as innocent as the media is projecting over here...

Rome officials again defend police in clashes with Manchester United fans

ROME (AP) -- Italian security officials defended the conduct of police in clashes with Manchester United fans, saying Friday the officers were defending themselves and that the visiting supporters started the violence. The government's top security official in Rome showed video clips from Wednesday's Champions League match against AS Roma at a news conference Friday, and said it was clear the English team's fans started the clashes.

Prefect Achille Serra was responding to complaints from United fans that the police overreacted. "The officers couldn't escape at this point," he said, showing one clip in which the police were pushed up against a barricade in the stands. "They were completely surrounded."

The Italian Interior Ministry said late Wednesday the British Embassy and the Italian police were working together to determine what happened. UEFA is awaiting reports from match and security officials on the clashes; both clubs could face a disciplinary hearing.

During the match, which Roma won 2-1, police in riot gear clashed with some of United's 4,500 fans. Police hit fans with batons as opposing fans taunted and threw objects at each other across the partition separating the rival sections. Serra said the injured included three United fans who were stabbed and another 14 United fans with lesser injuries. Four Roma fans and seven police officers were also injured, he said.

Three United fans were arrested on charges of violence against a public officer, Serra said.

Bluenine- What do you think the Italian police will say? That United fans were innocent?

I don't doubt that they were complicit, but this article is a little too biased IMO.

merseyman wrote:

bluenine wrote:One of the reasons why some people slag off english football is coz 80% of the people here are EPL fans, and most of them over rate english football and players a bit too much.

Can't let this go.

Bluenine, just pause for breath a minute and think about what you're writing. On the (admittedly all too rare) occasions I come in here, I see blanket lambasting of all things British, especially the football; some people's entire output consists of nothing else.

The Manchester United fans will defend Man Utd (well, up to a point... go read the comments of people like Parks after Wednesday's match), the Liverpool fans will do likewise with Liverpool, Arsenal fans with Arsenal, etc. But you can be dang sure that if even ONE English team reaches the final, you'll be able to criticise the appalling lack of skill on display, the 18th century tactics, and those disgraceful hooligans on the terraces, safe in the knowledge that you'll not only have the support of the traditional England bashers in here (they know who they are) but also the supporters of those English clubs whose teams AREN'T represented in the final (I'm referring to jerks who start polls entitled "If you were an Italian policeman, would you...").

That for me is the key difference. I've always said that inter-club rivalry in Italian football is skin deep. As soon as events move into the international arena, they all get behind the flag. That's not to say that all the Inter fans in my office were rooting for Milan the other night... but their loathing of the Germans goes far beyond their dislike of Milan.

P.S. People have been saying that Neville is better than Zanetti and Lampard better than Totti? Either you're talking about other boards or you're not getting enough sleep. Most of the ENGLISH in here fire broadsides at Lampard (and to a lesser extent Neville) at every opportunity. And surely putting Neville on the same level as Zanetti isn't quite as comical as comparing Mancini with Cristiano Ronaldo

I know it seems different, but this week is when I stepped out of line. I have been behaving. Honest.

Really, there is nothing malicious--most people here are good sports.

I think most of the English posters already said that United fans clearly werent free of blame.

One thing I wondered was..the Italian fans had the stewards to control them and were just pushed back..why couldnt this have been tried with the Man Utd fans first? Then if they reacted in a violent manner there would be a need for the police to get involved.

merseyman wrote:
Bluenine, just pause for breath a minute and think about what you're writing. On the (admittedly all too rare) occasions I come in here, I see blanket lambasting of all things British, especially the football; some people's entire output consists of nothing else.

There are wind-up merchants on all sides, I'll give you that. But the sheer percentage of english fans makes it lop-sided.

merseyman wrote:
The Manchester United fans will defend Man Utd (well, up to a point... go read the comments of people like Parks after Wednesday's match), the Liverpool fans will do likewise with Liverpool, Arsenal fans with Arsenal, etc.

Never complained about that.

merseyman wrote:
But you can be dang sure that if even ONE English team reaches the final, you'll be able to criticise the appalling lack of skill on display, the 18th century tactics, and those disgraceful hooligans on the terraces, safe in the knowledge that you'll not only have the support of the traditional England bashers in here (they know who they are) but also the supporters of those English clubs whose teams AREN'T represented in the final (I'm referring to jerks who start polls entitled "If you were an Italian policeman, would you...")..

Italian football is boring, its untra-defensive, all italian players are divers, etc - again, there are more number of people saying this than that. There are more pro-english wind-up merchants here, even tho I agree that the few anti-english ones are more aggressive

merseyman wrote:
P.S. People have been saying that Neville is better than Zanetti and Lampard better than Totti? Either you're talking about other boards or you're not getting enough sleep.

These are actual comments/arguements ON THIS MB, very recent ones as well, not hypothetical examples. I can show you the threads if you are interested.

merseyman wrote:
And surely putting Neville on the same level as Zanetti isn't quite as comical as comparing Mancini with Cristiano Ronaldo

Yeah, right!!

merseyman wrote:

bluenine wrote:One of the reasons why some people slag off english football is coz 80% of the people here are EPL fans, and most of them over rate english football and players a bit too much.

Can't let this go.

Bluenine, just pause for breath a minute and think about what you're writing. On the (admittedly all too rare) occasions I come in here, I see blanket lambasting of all things British, especially the football; some people's entire output consists of nothing else.

The Manchester United fans will defend Man Utd (well, up to a point... go read the comments of people like Parks after Wednesday's match), the Liverpool fans will do likewise with Liverpool, Arsenal fans with Arsenal, etc. But you can be dang sure that if even ONE English team reaches the final, you'll be able to criticise the appalling lack of skill on display, the 18th century tactics, and those disgraceful hooligans on the terraces, safe in the knowledge that you'll not only have the support of the traditional England bashers in here (they know who they are) but also the supporters of those English clubs whose teams AREN'T represented in the final (I'm referring to jerks who start polls entitled "If you were an Italian policeman, would you...").

That for me is the key difference. I've always said that inter-club rivalry in Italian football is skin deep. As soon as events move into the international arena, they all get behind the flag. That's not to say that all the Inter fans in my office were rooting for Milan the other night... but their loathing of the Germans goes far beyond their dislike of Milan.

P.S. People have been saying that Neville is better than Zanetti and Lampard better than Totti? Either you're talking about other boards or you're not getting enough sleep. Most of the ENGLISH in here fire broadsides at Lampard (and to a lesser extent Neville) at every opportunity. And surely putting Neville on the same level as Zanetti isn't quite as comical as comparing Mancini with Cristiano Ronaldo

Are you being facetious?

I had written a few long posts explaining how this is usually done in Italy, and whats the logic behind it - see the main game thread if you are interested.

Yeah, this post was meant for the few who felt there was great injustice.

borocooper wrote:I think most of the English posters already said that United fans clearly werent free of blame.

One thing I wondered was..the Italian fans had the stewards to control them and were just pushed back..why couldnt this have been tried with the Man Utd fans first? Then if they reacted in a violent manner there would be a need for the police to get involved.

bluenine wrote:I am sure it is. What I am trying to say is that there are 2 sides of the story.... the truth probably lies somewhere inbetween.

You've just given a perfect example of what I was saying above. You'll be hard-pushed to find an Englishman in here who doesn't think that the ManU fans were probably partially to blame (although your essay in favour of Italian policing yesterday leads me to think you grew up in mid-seventies Chile... enough to make anyone's skin crawl). To me, it looks like both sets of fans AND the police were at fault.

How anyone can take seriously a quote from the Roman chief of police is mindboggling. The statement was almost identical to the one issued in defence of the police after the G8 riot in Genoa in 2001... they don't even bother changing the wording! The only messages coming from the Italian government after Wednesday's events were: "We must be compact in the face of this criticism of our country". As you can see, catenaccio is as much a part of Italian politics as Italian football! Actually, that's not fair: it's all but disappeared from the football.

Having seen policemen truncheoning North African immigrants accused of pickpocketing at Milan Central station (and being reprimanded by officers for doing it in full view of the public!), it makes me feel kind of ill to read a post that praises Italian policemen for laying in to the fans in the away section in Rome "because they were in inferior numbers and so there was less risk". Pinochet would be proud of you, that's for sure.

bluenine wrote:I had written a few long posts explaining how this is usually done in Italy, and whats the logic behind it - see the main game thread if you are interested.

Yeah, this post was meant for the few who felt there was great injustice.

borocooper wrote:I think most of the English posters already said that United fans clearly werent free of blame.

One thing I wondered was..the Italian fans had the stewards to control them and were just pushed back..why couldnt this have been tried with the Man Utd fans first? Then if they reacted in a violent manner there would be a need for the police to get involved.

Yeah I remember you writing a few long posts explaining that's how its done in Italy..but in my eyes and quite a few other peoples eyes it's not exactly worked out this week has it?

merseyman wrote:
You've just given a perfect example of what I was saying above. You'll be hard-pushed to find an Englishman in here who doesn't think that the ManU fans were probably partially to blame

"Probably partially to blame" - thats exactly where I disagree with you and some other english fans here. I think they were as MUCH to blame as the Roma fans.

merseyman wrote:
(although your essay in favour of Italian policing yesterday leads me to think you grew up in mid-seventies Chile... enough to make anyone's skin crawl).

Obviously Merseyman, you don't know much about riot police and mob control. I can understand that, most people don't. While I did not grow up in mid-70s chile or anything like that, I did grow up in a family of policemen including my father, and I do understand some basics of how it works. Let me try and explain this in short. The main objective of riot police is to prevent the worst case scenario. The most efficient way to do this is to react as soon as the crowd trouble starts. The idea behind a "lathi-charge" (baton) is not to punish all the guilty as some people here imagine (thats NOT the main job of riot police) but to set an example which will serve as a strong deterrant. This is not just restricted to India or mid-70s chile if you prefer, but riot police all over the world. You will see in all such cases that the riot police will hit at the trouble-makers CLOSEST to them, and hit them bad. The idea is to break the mob, and ensure that the others change their mind after they see how badly some were hit. Its NOT about being fair and doing justice. When a mob is going out of hand, you don't have time to be fair or do justice, there are more important things that need doing - like preventing a large scale riot.

Do I think this is civil?? No, but there is nothing civil about a mob either - things can very quickly go completely out of hand, remember heysel??

Do I think that the riot police would have done the same thing if it were Inter fans instead of ManU fans?? Yes, I am pretty sure they would have reacted the same way, even tho most media here seems to think very differently.

Do I think there is place for riot police inside football stadiums?? Actually no, but unfortunately thats the law in Italy.

I think the ManU fans who rushed to the barrier made my skin crawl more than the policemen who hit them. I don't know if you have ever seen an out of control mob in your life, merseyman, I have.

bluenine wrote:
Obviously Merseyman, you don't know much about riot police and mob control. I can understand that, most people don't.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree here. My brother-in-law (sorry... ex-brother-in-law) is a policeman too, and used to delight in regaling me with tales of "how it's done".

bluenine wrote:
I think the ManU fans who rushed to the barrier made my skin crawl more than the policemen who hit them. I don't know if you have ever seen an out of control mob in your life, merseyman, I have.

Enough to make me duck into a shop entrance and fear for my life, yeh. Not that I make a habit of it.

But this is neither here nor there. The point I'm making is that certain sections of the Italian police are really no different from the Fascist squadrons of yesteryear. Keeping the peace or even "preventing a large-scale riot" are the last things on their minds. Don't think I lack sympathy for the policeman who died after the Catania-Palermo match a few months ago; he was almost certainly doing his job. It's the overall approach of the police here that I find utterly deplorable. Result: there's little or no confidence in them, they're the butt of everyone's jokes, and they're by and large regarded as corruptness itself.

I leave you with this little titbit from a Middlesborough fan (courtesy of a blog in the Guardian Online):

I was in Rome last year watching Middlesbrough FC at the Olimpico, only a few weeks after visiting Stuttgart for another UEFA Cup fixture.

The German police were in full battle gear when we got there, lads no older than me, (20 years) with 3 foot truncheons and helmets - I was terrified. They were splendid hosts, though - more courteous than British police forces I've encountered in footballing travels.

The Italian police, however, were utter brutes. We were told that certain personal effects would be confiscated on the gate at the Olimpico, to be returned. As it turned out, this was out and out theft. Officers sifted through handbags and took whatever they took a fancy to. My own Mother was slammed against a wall when they tried to get amongst the crowd outside the ground for no reason other than intimidation.

Then of course the night before the game when police officers colluded with Ultras in the Piazza del Fiore which led to 3 stabbings. All observed by officers who allowed the culprits to escape prior to beating the living daylights out of any Middlesbrough fan in that vicinity of the city. The Rome police force need bringing out of the 1920s, their collusion with the Ultras in particular is absolutely ridiculous. Can you imagine an officer in the Met casually organising Chelsea Headhunter operations on a Saturday afternoon?

merseyman wrote:

bluenine wrote:
Obviously Merseyman, you don't know much about riot police and mob control. I can understand that, most people don't.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree here. My brother-in-law (sorry... ex-brother-in-law) is a policeman too, and used to delight in regaling me with tales of "how it's done".

bluenine wrote:
I think the ManU fans who rushed to the barrier made my skin crawl more than the policemen who hit them. I don't know if you have ever seen an out of control mob in your life, merseyman, I have.

Enough to make me duck into a shop entrance and fear for my life, yeh. Not that I make a habit of it.

But this is neither here nor there. The point I'm making is that certain sections of the Italian police are really no different from the Fascist squadrons of yesteryear. Keeping the peace or even "preventing a large-scale riot" are the last things on their minds. Don't think I lack sympathy for the policeman who died after the Catania-Palermo match a few months ago; he was almost certainly doing his job. It's the overall approach of the police here that I find utterly deplorable. Result: there's little or no confidence in them, they're the butt of everyone's jokes, and they're by and large regarded as corruptness itself.

I leave you with this little titbit from a Middlesborough fan (courtesy of a blog in the Guardian Online):

I was in Rome last year watching Middlesbrough FC at the Olimpico, only a few weeks after visiting Stuttgart for another UEFA Cup fixture.

The German police were in full battle gear when we got there, lads no older than me, (20 years) with 3 foot truncheons and helmets - I was terrified. They were splendid hosts, though - more courteous than British police forces I've encountered in footballing travels.

The Italian police, however, were utter brutes. We were told that certain personal effects would be confiscated on the gate at the Olimpico, to be returned. As it turned out, this was out and out theft. Officers sifted through handbags and took whatever they took a fancy to. My own Mother was slammed against a wall when they tried to get amongst the crowd outside the ground for no reason other than intimidation.

Then of course the night before the game when police officers colluded with Ultras in the Piazza del Fiore which led to 3 stabbings. All observed by officers who allowed the culprits to escape prior to beating the living daylights out of any Middlesbrough fan in that vicinity of the city. The Rome police force need bringing out of the 1920s, their collusion with the Ultras in particular is absolutely ridiculous. Can you imagine an officer in the Met casually organising Chelsea Headhunter operations on a Saturday afternoon?

Maybe due to my political leanings or who knows, I find the Italian police's heavy-handed tactics grossly repellent.

I agree with the view that Man U fans perhaps did not help it, but rather than make political and moral capital out of such situations, Italy really needs to address the heart of the issue: the dilapidated, cage-like stadiums.

If Italy are to win hosting for Euro2012, then hopefully the much-needed funds will revolutionize the stadiums, which frankly are a right mess. Though to believe an upholstery and a paint job will assuage all the problems in Italian football is naive, it will be a welcomed start.

I don't particularly care for English football, but one thing they have done (and very well) is modernize their stadiums. Perhaps Italians can follow suit?

I mean, seriously, the images of the riots in Catania seemed right from a dystopic, third-world nation.

The way I see it both sets of fans were to blame - obviously there was some blame - but why the hell are Roma selling glass bottles of bee in the stadium?

The onlt issue I have is the reaction of the police - at no time have I said that the crowd trouble was solely the result of the Romans - but the reaction of the plice was over-aggressive and concentrated on the Utd fans.

Re Merseymans article from the borough fan, reading something like that disgusts me and makes me feel sick to the soul that in a supposedly 'cultured' country like Italy, something like that is allowed to go on.

Neville > Zanetti.

Parks lives wrote:Neville > Zanetti.

You bitch!

Taibi >> Schmeichel

Parks lives wrote:Neville > Zanetti.

Parks lives wrote:Neville > Zanetti.

No seriously I think Zanetti is the most underated player of our time, he can do anything, he is just awesome. I remember in the CL stats he came top of the tackling, pass completion, dribbling, shots on target ratio, thats amazing for a defender. Also who can forget his goal against lazio in the 98 Uefa cup final, it was with his weaker foot as well.

I always wondered why he still played for Inter after watching them ruin players careers and not win anything for ages. If Alves becomes half the player as Zannetti he will be one hell of a player.

My fave moment in Zanetti's career - see 1 min 35 of following clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2rx3aObdb8

pwned by J Cole

That is loyalty. It was much easier for Maldini to stay at Milan. He was born into the club, his father was an ex-captain, and most importantly Milan were winning loads - the best era in Milan's histroy.

Zanetti was a foriegner at Inter, and remained at Inter in the worst phase of our 100 year history. Inspite of top offers, he stayed, and kept setting and raising the bar for performance year after year. There was a time when we had Baggio, Roanldo, Vieri, Recoba, Pirlo, etc in our team, and Zanetti was still our best player. He is unbelievably consistant, and very loyal. An Inter role model, it was no surprise when fans voted him as Inter's "greatest all time player", inspite of so many legends that have played here.

This season, Zanetti has been our back-up for LB (over Maxwell), left wing (over Solari), Right wing (alternating with Figo), and still matches the exceptional performances of Maicon as RB when played there. He has even had an odd game as CB and DM!! You can virtually play him anywhere, he is so versatile.

Rez wrote:

Parks lives wrote:Neville > Zanetti.

No seriously I think Zanetti is the most underated player of our time, he can do anything, he is just awesome. I remember in the CL stats he came top of the tackling, pass completion, dribbling, shots on target ratio, thats amazing for a defender. Also who can forget his goal against lazio in the 98 Uefa cup final, it was with his weaker foot as well.

I always wondered why he still played for Inter after watching them ruin players careers and not win anything for ages. If Alves becomes half the player as Zannetti he will be one hell of a player.

I Am Weasel wrote:My fave moment in Zanetti's career - see 1 min 35 of following clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2rx3aObdb8

pwned by J Cole

great skill by cole, what a game that was, Riquelme and Rooney were great in that game.