Whether or not you agree with it, you have to admit the local rivalry between supporters of England and Italy is extremely entertaining.
May the best team win. Actually, scratch that. May England win- James Calvert
I am absolutely certain that nowhere else on the planet is there another country where the majority of its population is divided in their support of two entirely different national teams.
You may find the odd country where the people support the national team of another based on historic links, for example. But not where they divide their support between two nations in almost equal number.
Yet we Maltese are nothing if not unique and that is what makes tonight’s clash between our two adopted international teams so utterly mouth-watering – our very own cup final.
The truth is we rarely get the chance to see our off-pitch banter transferred to the field of play. The irregularity of international football means we are generally reduced to taunting each other with historical triumphs or the dubious ‘victory’ of our rival team exiting a tournament before our own does.
The ‘you are slightly more useless that we are’ syndrome.
And that means when days like today come along, an incredibly rare direct encounter between England and Italy in a game that actually means something, we embrace the occasion with a passion that is, frankly, overwhelming.
Up until the quarter-final line-up was confirmed this had actually been quite a low-key tournament by Maltese standards. But the moment England beat Ukraine to set up the clash with Italy, Euro 2012 passion was cranked up to max.
Irrespective of the eventual winners of this tournament, Malta now has a game of its very own to look forward to. And that is exactly what we’ve been doing for the past five days as anticipation levels have reached fever pitch.
I think if we’re honest with ourselves we would have to admit we needed tonight’s clash to ignite the tournament as neither England nor Italy were doing that for us.
Roy Hodgson’s team were outplayed in all three group games yet still managed to finish top of the table, apparently having done some sort of deal with both lady luck and the football gods.
Italy, meanwhile, have been decent but not spectacular in the group stage. They have shown glimpses of their old selves and periods of games where they have looked good. But, for the most part, they have done nothing to strike fear into the hearts of big boys Germany and Spain.
But none of that will matter now. Both our teams are through to the quarter-finals and, to Malta’s immense pleasure, they have to thrash it out in Kiev for the right to face Germany in the semi-finals.
One of the things I always find fascinating about the way our small nation goes nuts over these two foreign teams is that in the actual countries themselves there is little or no rivalry at all.
English fans, as a rule, have a soft spot for the Italian team and vice-versa. In fact, when England get knocked out of a World Cup, as they invariably do, I know plenty of fans over there who switch allegiance to Italy for the remainder of the contest.
But there will be no such love-in tonight. It’s winner takes all, at least as far as Malta is concerned, if not Euro 2012 as a whole.
My only worry is that somebody may take things too far tonight. Rivalry is good, it’s fun and in some ways it is probably actually healthy.
But there is absolutely no need for it to become personal or, God forbid, boil over into actual violence.
Let’s try and remember it’s only a game and, more than that, a game which doesn’t actually involve our own nation. Just a couple of teams we happen to like.
And on that note, may the best team win. Actually, scratch that. May England win.
Too many possible permutations
I feel that special thanks are due to Uefa for using a group qualification system at Euro 2012 that was so mind-boggling.
I’m all in favour a system which makes the final group standings as fair as possible. But it needs to be easily understood by everyone who follows the sport, no matter their age or brain size.
Maybe it’s because I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I spent large chunks of the group stages trying to work out who had to do what to whom to go through. And still got confused. By the time we reached the final round of matches, websites had whole pages dedicated to the possible permutations.
What is wrong with basic goal difference? It is simple, it is easy to understand and it rewards those teams who play attacking football, thereby making neutral games all the more entertaining.
The system used at Euro 2012 would have probably worked nicely on a large scale if, for example, the groups were made up of six or seven teams or the teams played each other twice.
But not for just four teams over six games.
The other thing about this system, of course, is that it throws up stupid possibilities like Spain and Croatia being able to draw 2-2 to ensure Italy are eliminated. It didn’t happen, but why employ a system which means that type of scenario becomes a possibility?
Goal difference, followed by goals scored and then direct encounter would surely be enough to sort the men from the boys in any small group. In the worse case, chuck in a coin toss if need be.
But let’s get rid of a system so complex you need a degree in advanced mathematics to work out who is on course for victory.
Goal line failure
Even before the Ukrainian ‘goal’ incident I was very much of the opinion that the introduction of goal line officials at Euro 2012 had been a resounding failure.
Michel Platini can say what he wants about these fourth/fifth/ sixth (delete as applicable) officials, but the truth is they are supposed to be there to help the referee eradicate mistakes and there has been little evidence of that happening.
If these men are supposed to be providing an extra pair of eyes for referees, then why are we still seeing corners given as goalkicks, players booked for diving when they have clearly been fouled, and handballs, shirt tugging and general thuggery in the penalty box continue to go unpunished?
Chuck in the Ukraine incident when one of these extra official singularly failed to do the precise job he was employed to do, and you have to admit that this whole experiment has failed.
I haven’t seen a shred of evidence that any of these officials has helped the man in the middle on a single decision. Of course, maybe they are doing so by walkie talkie, but why not at least afford them the dignity of their own little flag so we can actually see them doing something?
As an attempt to eliminate errors this whole extra official plan has had its chance but proved to be highly ineffectual.
It’s time for technology. No more dithering.
Your say
“I enjoy reading your column and you are certainly no shrinking violet when it comes to telling it like it is – which is as it should be.
“However, I take exception to your contrasting views on Harry Redknapp and David Moyes in last week’s offerings.
“While I admire Redknapp (mostly for his forthright comments and his ideas on how football should be played) I would like to ask what trophies has he won in his managerial career when in charge of any of the teams he has managed, and what significant achievements have any of those teams attained?
“He had been at Tottenham Hotspur for nigh on four years and won nothing with virtually unlimited resources, and while they played the brand of football you and I both admire and which you describe as ‘exciting’ – which it most certainly is – was it also effective?
“Then you unnecessarily slate David Moyes by forecasting that ‘if he is given the reigns at Spurs he is unlikely to do any better than Redknapp’. Really? This ‘unlikely’ claim is based on what erudite soothsaying exactly?
“Furthermore, you say that if Moyes was in charge at Spurs ‘the football on display would be a whole lot less exciting’. How would you know or even presume that, given the quality of players already there and that are likely to come with the appointment of Moyes as manager?
“I would argue that this is immensely unfair on Moyes as he has achieved wonders on a shoestring budget (for more than 10 years now) and is compelled to play the type of football with the players he has – or his club can afford – which, in any event, is not that bad, in my opinion.
“I think you should cut Moyes some slack. How do you know how he would respond to working with a higher class of players and with some money to spend?
Liverpool have gambled on a new manager (sacked in the recent past by Reading after losing the most games in a row in the club’s history – lest we forget) who has also yet to prove he is a winner, and after only one relatively successful season in the Premier League (if not getting relegated can be considered as such).
“So I think you have been exceptionally mean to a manager (who incidentally Sir Alex Ferguson values so highly that he wants him to succeed him at Manchester United – that’s how bad he is) without just or due cause and heaped way too much praise on a lovely man – albeit one who is regrettably not a trophy- or major prize-winning manager.” Pete Murray, e-mail.
sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com
Twitter: @maltablade