Carlo Ancelotti Attacks Italy's Football Stadia Culture

[SirBalon]

SSC Napoli head coach Carlo Ancelotti while attending the annual Italian coach's convention at the FIGC (Italian football federation) headquarters in Coverciano (Florence) had some strong words to say about the situation revolving Italian fans within domestic football with underlining criticisms of Italian society in general.  It's not the first time that Carlo has alluded to this during this present campaign but it seems that he has felt that the football authorities and politicians haven't been listening.

Here are some of the quotes made by Ancelotti;

"It's difficult and almost impossible to be insulted in England due to the work that was done back in the 80s to rid the English football stadia of this element of unrealistic and uncalled for abuse.  France is difficult to talk about in this sense because they just don't have the natural passion for football that say Italy and Spain have where it's more than just about the sport.  In France there is a lot of racism and that is felt more in daily life and you will see it on the streets more than feel anything intense when attending games.  But where football is concerned, France feel it in a different way so I discount that."

"My best comparison is Italian and Spanish football because of the immense similarities with both countries from culture, traditions and even language.  The cultural attitudes and systematic characteristics of both societies are translated in every walk of life from home life, to public interaction and of course in this case, football."

"When I retired from life as a footballer back in the 90s I, like many, went on a football journey around the world.  I stayed in South America for a while and moved on up through Central America... There it's a whole different thing and one that can't be in any way associated with the issues we have in Europe in this sense.  But it was a learning experience...  But living in Spain during that period reminded me of back home in Italy.  There were many problems at Spanish stadiums during those years and things have changed much because it was addressed and although in a society such as the Spanish like the Italian, you're not going to ever be able to have a perfect solution because that would mean eradicating the very nature of what we're about, you can solve issues and create a different atmosphere, one of respect within stadiums."

"There is a massive intensity between some clubs in Spain like the obvious one between Real Madrid and Barcelona for football reasons, historical reasons and cultural reasons which is where I come back to how very little has been done in Italy in this respect due to the fact we have the same thing ingrained in society like for example between the north and the south of the country culturally, politically and even as far as religiously."

"In Spain if I were to walk down a street in Barcelona being a Real Madrid coach I wouldn't receive abuse publicly at all, a complete opposite to the intensity and passion you feel in the cauldron of a stadium.  But even in the stadia in Spain they've managed to almost eradicate insults but here in Italy the authorities ignore them, nobody mentions it.  The underclasses rule and they are even fed by our present political situation."

"As Napoli coach in a matter of 4 months I have witnessed the worst of our society and the thing that leaves me frozen is how it's just accepted and excuses of "that's the way we are and it's just football" is thrown into the ring as an explanation, but we know this isn't the truth.  It's real, it's out there and it's translated into the stands.  Some of the terrible things thrown at certain societies in Italy is reprehensible and disgusting.  A lack of manners and education... The ignorance is nourished all the way from our political classes down to those that are left to exist as meaningless citizens that are almost forgotten."

"Football isn't a battle and that's the attitude that's permitted as a sentiment in Italy.  This has to change, it's not just embarrassing from our perspective, but also gives off a sense of giving up and that this is the way it is and that's it."

"Or we change, or we digress and maintain the status quo by not evolving and trying to harness the better things of our culture by generating hope for our future generations.  The football authorities can teach our political classes something by starting to address and punish the lack of manners and education on our terraces"

[The Artful Dodger]

Spot on but sadly his comments won't do any good. Always liked Ancelotti, one of the few likeable men in the game.