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Football Thread |OT11| Campaign: Save a donkey in Colombia

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B

Baconsaurus Rex

Member
Salazar said:
For use on Wilbury

GrnaidT.gif
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"Petit"
 
Y

Yurt

il capo silenzioso
Gianello: 'Forgive me, Napoli'

Matteo Gianello has apologised to Paolo Cannavaro and Gianluca Grava after his testimony – debunked this week – earned them six-month bans. “It’s a huge weight off my conscience.”

The former third choice Napoli goalkeeper had told officials in the betting investigation that he approached teammates Cannavaro and Grava to ask about fixing a game with Sampdoria in May 2010.

He claimed they turned him down point blank, but that still left them open to six-month bans for failing to alert the authorities, while Napoli were docked two points. All those charges were overturned in this week’s appeal.

“The Court of Appeal’s sentence took a huge weight off my conscience,” Gianello told the Corriere dello Sport.

“I too suffered and felt great pain during this period. I knew that I had put Cannavaro and Grava’s careers at risk, despite the fact I still care for them. I put Napoli’s season at risk after unforgettable seasons together.”

The now retired goalkeeper suggested he was pushed into the confession during long police interrogations.

“How would I define myself? I’d avoid the word ‘traitor’ for a start. I was never a traitor to Paolo, Gianluca or Napoli.

“If you want, feel free to write I was naive, dumb or even an idiot. It was a stupid moment, the first and last of my existence.

“If I could sit down with Cannavaro and Grava, I would ask for their forgiveness at dragging them into Hell. The person who hurt them was not me, who after seven and a half hours of interrogation let himself go. The real traitor is another, a man who pretended to be our friend.

“I owe them an apology and hope they feel better, so they can continue to live a calm and relaxed life. I remain among the flames of Hell.

“I was called a delinquent and a bandit, for an attitude that was never part of my being. I never placed bets and can say that at the top of my voice. I must particularly thank lawyer Eduardo Chiacchio, who always supported me and pushed me to lodge an appeal.

“I sank into a deep depression and thought about suicide, but I didn’t have the courage. I am devastated, but since January 17 I feel less useless. At least Napoli have what they deserve, while Cannavaro and Grava can begin again.”
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I don't even..

Today’s Federal Court of Appeal verdict highlighted just how shaky the entire match-fixing and betting scandal has been. Justice was served in seeing Paolo Cannavaro and Gianluca Grava returned to Serie A after six-month bans, while Napoli can now resume their Scudetto challenge without that two-point penalty. The important thing now is that we can use this case – and that of Antonio Conte – to go forward and stop it happening again.

In case you haven’t been keeping track of the trial, Napoli and its players were convicted not of match-fixing, but of a failed attempt to consider a fix by the third-choice goalkeeper who never actually played that season. Matteo Gianello claimed he approached teammates Cannavaro and Grava to see if they’d be interested in fixing a game against Sampdoria in May 2010. He said he was turned down point-blank and never took the matter any further. The defenders insist Gianello never mentioned anything to them.

Gianello’s testimony was taken as “credible” despite the fact he repeatedly changed his version of this meeting he had with Cannavaro and Grava, adjusting the time, date and venue of this approach. It was still considered to be enough to ruin the careers of two players and potentially wreck a club’s title ambitions.

We’ve been through this before with Conte at Siena being the most glaring example of a long-running trial that is far from over. The basic problem with the Italian sporting justice system is that you are guilty until proven innocent, which in most cases is pretty impossible to do. This is one person’s word against another and if that version of events can be changed several times and still remain ‘credible,’ then it becomes even more arduous a task to show your innocence.

I hope that this verdict can finally open a new chapter for the Italian system, introducing reform or even just a method of reading the existing evidence so that guilt must be proved rather than the other way round. Otherwise we’ll see more players like Cannavaro and Grava have their careers torn to shreds.
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G

GorillaJu

Member
This is the kind of thing that I point to when I say I genuinely think there's a media bias against Liverpool.

Liverpool fail with bid for Coutinho
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Is the headline of an article. How does that even make sense? 90% of opening bids are rejected. That's part of the bidding process. They make it sound as if it was a do or die scenario, and now a transfer is off the table because we done goofed.

Edit: That's perhaps not fair. There does seem to be a media bias toward making big clubs look daft and making small clubs look brave. It's a part of the whole narrative thing that I despise so much.
 
V

Vivalaraza

Member
The amount of ex Liverpool players in the media, I don't see how there can be a significant media bias against them.

Just my view personally but almost every main media form has a Liverpool fan commenting or writing for them.
 
G

GorillaJu

Member
Vivalaraza said:
The amount of ex Liverpool players in the media, I don't see how there can be a significant media bias against them.

Just my view personally but almost every main media form has a Liverpool fan commenting or writing for them.
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Edited to be more accurate.

Edit: That's perhaps not fair. There does seem to be a media bias toward making big clubs look daft and making small clubs look brave. It's a part of the whole narrative thing that I despise so much.
 
S

Salazar

Member
Transfer headlines are their own farcical petit genre, though.

"Frogie plots quadruple swoop for Lampard, Cole, Carneiro, and Bertrand"

"Wenger interested in Cavani"

"Dibblesdale FC on alert as Mario Gomez umms and aahs over new contract"
 
E

Empty

Member
i don't think there's a media bias against liverpool. the press and general football media like sky sports/match of the day just work within easy narratives that become very hard to dislodge, the current narrative is that liverpool are bad at transfers (daglish's spending, dempsey fuck up etc) so everything is reported within that framework.

united have very favourable set narratives in the media which certainly helps us a lot, but i'm getting a little annoyed at how everything is focusing on rvp being the difference ignoring the rest of the players.
 
S

Salazar

Member
:lol poor ickle Tevez feels misrepresented

There are people who lied to the fans and told them that I didn't want to wear the Man City shirt anymore,' the 28-year-old told Rock and Pop radio.

'I was an idol for the fans and when they heard those lies, they were hurt. The fans gave me everything and I understood their reaction even though they had heard all kind of lies about me.

'I know what happened between Man City and me. But I also do know that I have to reverse my situation with the fans.

'I try to do my best when I play because I want the fans to see that I'm playing for their shirt. Physically I'm at my best level again and I'm feeling really good on the pitch.'
Despite his return to form, Tevez insists he must rediscover his hunger for find the back of the net.

'I have lost weight and that really good for me,' he added. 'I'm training myself really hard too. So that's how I can make a difference on the pitch. But on the pitch I have to be more selfish.
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I guess this is his way of calling his manager a liar.
 
E

Empty

Member
arsenal must go in the europa league. in these tough economic times it's our ethical responsibility as a nation to spread the joy of arsene failing to do up the zipper on his infinitely long coat to as many obscure european cities as possible.
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
WJD said:
Londoners, how's the snow looking around WHL?
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It's fine, it hasn't snowed since late afternoon yesterday, most of it is melting. Game should be fine to go ahead as there isn't much snow predicted over the next 24 hours.
 
K

Kyoufu

Member
dc89 said:
Fickle dc time. Like Stewie's squiggly line - it's ok, you are forgiven.





Because I quite like Spurs even though they beat us to the CL that season.

AVB is awesome and I love his celebrations. I'd have him at City tbh.
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Why would you want AVB? You're not ambitious enough.
 
W

WJD

Member
Ushojax said:
It's fine, it hasn't snowed since late afternoon yesterday, most of it is melting. Game should be fine to go ahead as there isn't much snow predicted over the next 24 hours.
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Good stuff. Nice to hear Spurs aren't pulling a Chelsea on this one.
 
A

Arnie

Member
I like AVB, but I don't like Spurs. I like Sandro, but I don't like Parker.

I like Djaaaannggoooooooo, Djaaaannnnnggooooooo

Just been the gym for the first time in months. Arms and shoulders are decked, stomach feels crushed, brain's melting. They've got boss showers at the gym though, so I'll probably go there most mornings if just for a naughty sauna and a shower before Uni. It's about a minute down the road.
 
G

GorillaJu

Member
I would love to see Arnie's daily journal, and count how many times "boss" "naughty" and "proper" come up. Wait, who am I kidding? I already read FootyGaf.
 
3

3Sixty

Member
Arnie said:
Pasta, mate.

Glugging a carton of banana and strawberry Innocent smoothie, half price at Sainsburys.

Throwing an accumulator on.
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Living the dream.

Weather has scuppered my gym plans this weekend.

I hate missing days.

I got an nawty 6 fold on.

jYcdLTZvGAZ7b.png
 
A

Arnie

Member
odd_morsel said:
I would love to see Arnie's daily journal, and count how many times "boss" "naughty" and "proper" come up. Wait, who am I kidding? I already read FootyGaf.
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I'm wearing a pair of Liverpool 06/07 Adidas training shorts, and they're on back to front.

Cheeky.
 
D

DemonNite

Member
just saw this on the BBC

Swansea's Angel Rangel helps homeless in the city

Swansea City's Angel Rangel and his wife have been praised by fans after driving around the snowy streets of Swansea on Friday night looking for homeless people to help.

The Premier League defender had tweeted his 24,000 followers on Friday night asking for suggestions of where to go because he had "food going spare".

He later tweeted "it was just a little gesture" and was his wife Nikki's idea.

They are reported to have ended up at a homeless shelter in the city.

Fans have since taken to social media to praise the actions of the pair, with one saying Rangel is in danger "of giving footballers a good name".

“My wife, Nikki, who is a very caring and charitable person, asked if we could have them for the homeless rather than see them thrown in the bin”

The Spanish defender first said on Twitter: "Anyone knows the location of homeless people in Swansea? I got food going spare! #randomtweet"

A little later he wrote: "Thanks so much for the suggestions. It was @MI55Y_28 idea so we are driving around. Terrible to be out in this weather."

He then tweeted: "Wow we r amazed at the amount of tweets we r receiving. Thanks a lot but it was just a little gesture we drove for only 1 hour and felt great".

The gesture caused something of a sensation on Twitter among football fans.

One fan said: "What an absolute top bloke @arangelz is! Exception to the modern day football. Proud to say he plays for my team. Swansea thanks you angel!"

It was reported Rangel and his wife had been at a sandwich chain when the manager said he would have to throw food away because it was closing for the night.

He told CNN: "My wife, Nikki, who is a very caring and charitable person, asked if we could have them for the homeless rather than see them thrown in the bin.

"They agreed and we drove around Swansea for over an hour, but couldn't find any homeless people as it was so cold out on the streets with all the snow."

They were eventually invited to a homeless shelter after the tweet did the rounds on social media.

He said it was something the pair were now going to do on a regular basis.

Rangel has been a regular in the Swansea side this season and has been a popular figure among fans since signing in 2007.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21098006

I am now a fan of Rangel
 
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