The World Cup

[brynjarbjorn]

Zidane might have been born in Marseilles, but he's still of Algerian origin through his parents.

[Melancholy Man]

Ehm... what?
You seem to have become weirder than usual, if that is possible.

Hey! Look at my sig, I can make sense. Hamster to you, Moony. The Lilith reference concerned Zidane's Algeria-born mum. The bombing of the Bologna Station in 1980 killed almost one hundred people in an act of Italian political terrorism, and has yet to be solved. Ultra-rightwingers were behind it, so they have less sympathy in the current anti-establishment left. Leftist goons are more likely to be lionized, such as the curious reluctance to admit to the fact that the likes of Baader-Meinhoff were led by thugs despite last week's 30th anniversary of Entebbe. Finally, say what you may about French military successes, but at least they - unlike the Italians - don't have a tendency to switch sides half way through a war.

I would add comments about that freakish former head of government while having Matterazzi gang-banged. Okay, France has the likes of de Villepan and Chirac, but neither compare in sheer creepiness to the unnaturally orange Berlusconi. A man who, incidentially, has been linked to key suspects in the Bologna bombing.

There, don't say I left room for doubt here.

[David F]

Italy to win. Any takers?

Did you take yourself to the bookies?

[Haku]

Terribly sad I am !
Not that we lost the World Cup after penalties, because this was a nice game as a supporter. But for Zidane...
That didn't make sense, leaving the playground like that...
Sad.
Just realizing we'll play again Italy September 6th. It will be another team (no Zidane, no Thuram, no Makelele...) but sure it'll be intensive. After french victory in Euro2000 and italian vitcory this year... Nice !

[Mr Anderson]

What that italian player said to him is a bit overly explicit to post, it was very racist and to zidane one of the most insulting things he could have said.
Frankly if that ~*Orcadian Village*~ said it to me i'd give him a glasgow kiss. Totally justified, its a shame you can't be sent off for racist insults out of ear-shot of the ref.

[furbaby]

Insults in this sort of context, i.e. a professional football match, are almost always intended to provoke a reaction. I would doubt that they are often meant on a personal level. It's gamesmanship, and Zidane fell into the trap. A player of his experience should be able to see it for what it is and ignore it. As someone suggested earlier, he could still have given Materazzi a good kicking after the match, if he really thought it was sincere.

It was very funny though.

[Townie]

The bombing of the Bologna Station in 1980 killed almost one hundred people in an act of Italian political terrorism, and has yet to be solved. Ultra-rightwingers were behind it

Well, I don't think we'll ever know. The whole things murkier than a pint of Bank's. No one will end up in court cos the Italian state will ~*pineapples*~ itself that they'll start crowing. Incidently, I remember the British Movement (remember them?) saying it was reds anyway, so it must be true.