World Cup Soccer News - manchester united

We're not Racist - Twists of the Scouse-Manc debate

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:32:44 +0000

"We're not Racist" - Twists of the Scouse-Manc debate Anyone tiring of the Suarez racism saga? Me too, but I'm breaking radio silence to offer a few thoughts, just as Suarez serves the final week of his ban and in light of yesterday's fiercely fought battle between Liverpool and Manchester United - the second epic Soucse-Manc cup battle at Anfield this week. You might not agree with some of this - but remember, this is an issue of opinions and loyalties... I don't understand football as a non-participating spectator sport. But the comments offered in today's press are not about armchair fans, so I'm discounting them. I doubt a decent appreciation of the rivalry between Liverpool and United is possible until you've walked out of the away end of either ground and got the train home - and not as a one off. The meaning of match-going fandom is intertwined with rivalry, identity and place. It's an issue of localism and tribalism. 'Language' is often employed to deny outsiders access (including fellow 'fans'). I'll let readers figure out your respective stance in that context. If you define identity as semantics only and not syntax, you miss the point. In other words, as an example, part of what it is to be a Liverpudlian is to not be an Evertonian, definitively. That has both negative AND positive consequences. In a chant that's been building for weeks, yesterday Liverpool fans en masse sang "We're not racist, we only hate Mancs." This is a way of saying that although a minority despise Evra for being black (the now infamous non-Scouse monkey poser for example), a majority despise Evra for being representative of Mancs. The latest saga (it used to be darts in the eye and tear gas on the team bus when I was a kid) is really a collective demonstration of that philosophy. It's tongue in cheek - we know what racism is. When one of your own puts an axe through a lad's head because he's black (Anthony Walker in 2005), and with our legacy of being the former world slaving capital, and the Toxteth riots in 1981 - and then with the popular demonisation of Scousers over the last four decades - our consciousness is heightened. Like most of the footballing world, many fans seem to have a very narrow implied definition of race, so how are you supposed to offer valid opinions on racism? (Reading that report (or just claiming to have done) is no qualification). Race is a subjective categorisation of human beings used in the past by imperial powers to justify subjugation of 'native' peoples and now used by the PC left (to criticise anyone who raises concerns about immigration for example). Political correctness is a disease of disproportion and distraction, and it seems many have been infected. Time to climb off the bandwagon. Making derogatory comments about Scousers or Mancs is essentially the same as making derogatory comments about blacks and is therefore 'racism'. Through that song Liverpool fans were all being 'racist' today, but of course no one really comments on that - because racism is actually a function and expression of any football rivalry you have heard of anywhere in the world. It's not confined to skin colour. The point many miss is that Evra is a grass. In some respects it's not about what was said between him and Suarez, or the 'right' to complain and seek 'justice'. It's about being a snitch. Few Mancs worth their salt will respect Evra for complaining, but they will love him for contributing to Liverpool's horrific season (punctuated by some excellent results). Of course, Scousers and Mancs understand our similarities. That's why I can speak for them, and they for us in this respect. If we were talking about Glen Johnson and Wayne Rooney instead (deliberately selected examples), reactions would be similar. Oh, and in case you think I'm a racism sympathiser, I'm not. I've travelled the world and have been battered and bruised for my skin colour, accent, race, footballing allegiances and more besides. I just loathe political correctness - and for me, the real issue concerning rivalry and hatred in contemporary 'British' fandom is the manipulation of disasters. This was my Facebook status yesterday morning: "A celebration of another club's tragedy pollutes the respectful remembrance of your own. Rise above it Scousers. Unify your standards." Dr. Joel Rookwood Tags Liverpool Suarez Evra

City's pyrrhic victory?

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:11:48 +0000

Manchester United 1:6 Manchester City Scorelines don't come much more amazing than Sunday's Mancunian derby, but was there really much reason to celebrate, however many records tumbled at Old Trafford? With a few days' recuperation from that shellshock of a final score, can the result be deemed a welcome riposte to or even wholescale power shift from the hegemony of moneybags Chelsea and Manchester United, or another symptom of the obscene, out-of-control spending in the English top division which is upsetting its natural order of competition? Watching Fergie's nose rubbed into the dirt certainly had its charms for those of us who do not buy into the 'Glory glory Man United' hype machine, as the Scot's lazily applied moniker of 'football genius' suddenly hung by a thread after such a an utter pasting. And it was not unpleasant to see City's supporters for once get the upper hand on their storied and hitherto more monied rivals. The Blues have played Torino to Juventus, Espanol to Barcelona for so many long and grueling years, that anyone's sense of fairness would not begrudge them a moment in the sun. For my whole life Man City, who last lifted the Championship in 1968 and whose last taste of glory was the 1970 Cup Winners' Cup before last season's FA Cup win, have seemed cursed to underachieve. Even when they looked like winning the FA Cup in 1981, their goalscorer Tommy Hutchinson then put through his own net to let Tottenham back in to triumph, after a replay . A sense of injustice turned into angry frustration among some fans, a similar phenomenon one can witness at Cardiff City or Leeds, but after an endless string of disappointments, along came rich men from the East bearing gifts. David could fear Goliath no more and City had arrived. Yet the underdog tag which won City sympathy is fast evaporating in the face of such a merciless spending spree by the Abu Dhabian owners. Just take a look at the Blues' winning team. Whilst five were Englishmen, only one had come through the City youth system (Micah Richards). United by comparison fielded eight Brits throughout the 90 minutes, two of whom had been developed in-house. But City's foreign legion surely eclipsed United's, whose overseas stars comprised Anderson, David De Gea, Patrice Evra, Javier Hernandez and Nani. Compare that to the ambrosial cornucopia of Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, Gael Clichy, Edin Dzeko, Alexsandar Kolarov, Vincent Kompany, Samir Nasri and Yaya Touré, plus the Premier League's top entertainer of the hour, David Silva. United had been outspent off the field and thus outgunned on the pitch. With the Arab owners pouring money into a new academy complex and showing no signs of acknowledging any recession, City will soon spend their way to the heights of England, Europe and the world. With no restriction on salaries, money does not just talk in the Premier League, it bellows. The pyrrhic element to this famous win will tell in the signal it has sent to soccer's governing bodies. If the Blues maintain their unerring march to European conquest, UEFA and FIFA will be forced to act and impose control on clubs' spending as the playing field will have become too tilted. City's devastating victory shows the Premier League is absurdly top-heavy, listing like the Mary Rose into the waters of the Solent. There is no pretence of a 20-team competition and a gulf now exists even amongst the top teams. On any given Sunday, to plagiarise a term from American Football, Man U, the reigning champions, should not lose 6-1 at home to anyone. What made it so shocking was that it seemed no aberration, no one-off. Does it have to be like this? No. Later that night some miles to the south, the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fought out a much closer NFL game at Wembley. In America, that well-known communist regime, a salary cap keeps its football field level, and the worse teams get first pick of the best young players. The more the Premier League continues with no regulation, the more meaningless games like Sunday's will become. Bring on the UEFA Financial Fair Play rules. Doubtless some new fans in Asia will be sporting blue shirts instead of their elder siblings' red ones, but there was a time when you supported a team for reasons other than it was far richer than the others, who are clearly finding it increasingly impossible to compete. With this elephant in the room, Sunday's thrashing of United was less proof that the Premier League is unpredictable and competitive, but that its free-market model is in serious need of financial regulation. For it seemed less a case of one club outplaying another through superior football than one simply outspending another, in an increasingly frightening way. (c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

Enjoy a free In-Play bet on Man Utd v Man City with bet365

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:10:03 +0000

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Manchester United Old Trafford Tour

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:14:47 +0000

The Museum & Stadium Tour of Manchester United's Old Trafford ground, the self-styled "Theatre of Dreams" is hugely popular with football fans from all over the world, not just Manchester United supporters. Participants of our tour included visitors from Hong Kong and Russia as well as Swansea City supporters in Manchester for their team's Monday night game with Manchester City. The tour begins in the Museum, which has replicas of Manchester United's many trophies, shirts, boots and other memorabilia donated by Manchester United players past and present and video of many of the great matches featuring the club. The interesting displays chart the history of Manchester United, the Busby era and the tragedy at Munich, through to United's first win in the European Cup and its present dominance in English football. The Museum also reveals the hooligan problem that affected the club in the 1970s. The Stadium part of the tour takes visitors into the ground to get a full appreciation of the size of Old Trafford and your guide will explain the technological features of the stadium, which includes CCTV coverage of every seat. next, you are led into the dressing rooms, which with their brown wooden panels have something of a 1970s area, reinforced by the players' bar with fading photographs of George best, Denis Law and a young David Beckham pinned to the wall. You are then led out through the tunnel onto the touchline towards the players' and managers' benches. The tour then takes you back to the Museum where you exit through the Megastore. The Museum & Stadium Tour or just entrance to the Museum can be booked online with ticket prices prices for non-members presently 15 GBP for adults and 10 GBP for children. Manchester United Open Training Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Manchester United Old Trafford

Manchester United Open Training Session

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:52:05 +0000

Each year before the start of the season, Manchester United hold an open training session at Old Trafford. The entrance fee to the event is donated to the Manchester United Foundation. Fans were addressed by manager Sir Alex Ferguson on the eve of the Community Shield match at Wembley against Manchester City. After the training session, a youth match - Manchester United Premier Cup - took place between Mexican team Pachuca and Orlando Pirates from South Africa. Tags Manchester United football

Man Utd v Chelsea

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 07:22:28 +0000

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Sunday's opponents Chelsea to once again be one of his team's closest challengers for the Premier League title. United are 6/1 with Bet 365 to win 1-0 at Old Trafford and customers can get a free In-Play bet for the game this weekend. Andre Villas-Boas' side have failed to impress in the league so far this season, although they have taken ten points from their first four matches, and are 11/1 to beat the league leaders 1-0 on Sunday. Ferguson said: "They will be there at the end of the season, there is no doubt about that. At the moment, of course, the two Manchester teams are enjoying the publicity but in the background lurks Chelsea. They don't need the publicity. They will be enjoying being out of the profile at the moment." Danish keeper Anders Lindegaard is determined to continue to keep the pressure on Manchester United's currently recognised No.1, David de Gea. Despite the Dane's impressive display against Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists De Gea will be back for Sunday's all-important Premier League clash against Chelsea. United are 6/1 with Bet 365 to win 1-0 at Old Trafford and customers can get a free In-Play bet for the game this weekend. However, the Spaniard's shaky start to his United career, coupled with Lindegaard's emergence, could provide Ferguson with an interesting dilemma. Lindegaard says: "I learned a lot from Edwin van der Sar and I have confidence in my own ability. I came to Manchester United for the challenge to be the first-choice goalkeeper."

Wembley final promises much

Sat, 28 May 2011 12:42:04 +0000

UEFA Champions League Final 2011 - Barcelona v Manchester United 19:45 GMT In 1992, with 70,000 others, I saw Barcelona win their first European Cup at Wembley. How was it such a storied club had never done it before ? Who knows, although they have made up for lost time since and are set to stay a European giant for the for eseeable future. As they enter their second final in three seasons, once more locking swords with Manchester United , Barcelona have to prove they are one of the greatest teams of all time, as many have claimed. Their swatting of Arsenal raised club football to a new height because of the intensity of the pressing and the intricacy of their close passing, a hybrid game which left Europe stunned. Man United are more direct and wide, preferring to attack than marinate possession, a legacy of their English origins: The clash of styles is one to relish; then there is the opportunity for Alex Ferguson to show he has learned from the defeat in 2009. It is quickly forgotten that Man U had Bar ç a on the ropes in the opening ten minutes, before the game metamorphosed after Barcelona scored with their first attack. The Catalans clearly have the edge, although the English setting and weather (it is cool and cloudy in London today) will give the Red Devils confidence too. Perhaps Javier Hernandez, who has electrified the domestic league this season, will snatch the crown from Lionel Messi. Not that Bar ç a will not feel at home: Pep Guardiola himself was on the turf in 1992. This Wembley is a new building however, with no resemblance to the old Twin Towers. While it promises to be a classic final, it could just as easily be an ultra-cagey affair as finals often are, where nerves and the meeting of two great teams cancel out the space and mistakes that open contests need. Spain is split between Real and Bar ç a just like England is between pro and anti Man United. Bar ç a won admirers with their tiki-taka masterclass against the Gunners, but lost many fans with their gamesmanship against Real in the semi-final. We do not like to see our heroes pretending to be injured, diving for free-kicks or waving imaginary cards in the referee's face to get opponents sent off. A fair fight and an enthralling contest is what the world has ordered. As long as the fans are happy I am. I could not afford to repeat my 1992 visit tonight as UEFA and Co. had increased ticket prices to extortionate levels. But I have fond memories of that balmy day when Catalans and Genoese came to town. The stadium fans might be an afterthought these days for the corporate circus that football has become, but the thousands of fans in London will be enjoying it more than anyone. (c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

Park And Koo Say Goodbye To Korea

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:27:54 +0000

It was apt. On the day that Park Ji-sung announced his retirement from the South Korean national team, leaving the way open for even more young players, then 21 year-old midfielder Koo Ja-cheol was bidding farewell to Jeju United and heading to Europe to join 2009 German champions VfL Wolfsburg. Park’s goodbye was more emotional and marks the end of an era. After making his 100th appearance in the semi-final of the 2011 Asian Cup that ended in a penalty shootout defeat at the hands of eventual champion Japan, Park confirmed that he wouldn’t be seen in the famous red shirt of his nation again in order to prolong his career in another red shirt, that of Manchester United. Even at the far-from-ancient age of 29, Park feels that the lengthy journeys from Manchester to Seoul don’t do his body any favours and it can be safely assumed that his English employers are not against this decision. "I think I could have continued my international career without health issues," Park said, blinking in front of hundreds of flashlights at KFA House in Seoul. "But I will accept the situation as it is and I have no regrets. Because of our geographic location, I've had to travel long ways from Europe to play (in South Korea). But to be competitive in the world, we have to travel around the world and players from now on should take care of themselves." Try as he might, he couldn’t convince the assembled press pack that he doesn’t plan to make a dramatic comeback at the 2014 World Cup when he will be 33. “If we make it to the World Cup in Brazil, then players who worked hard during the qualification should get the chance to play," Park said. "They will improve as players through World Cup experience. I don't think I will ever be back with the national team." Park knows the Korean media well enough to know that it won’t be that simple. He will be fine for the next 12 months as there are few important duties for the national team but as Brazil 2014 starts to move into view that will change. There will be calls, demands and then pleas for his return especially if he is still playing well with Manchester United. Indeed, the name of Zinedine Zidane, who famously returned to the French national team ahead of the 2006 World Cup, has been in the headlines in the Korean media with a frequency not seen since that infamous headbutt in the final against Italy. Koo Ja-cheol has his European experience ahead of him. Last year was when the mild-mannered midfielder really started to rise to prominence in the Land of the Morning Calm. From the centre, his five goals and 12 assists not only helped his club Jeju United, into second place in the K-league and within touching distance of a first title, but confirmed his place as one of the nation’s top prospects. It didn’t quite happen in 2010. A trial with English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers early in the year didn’t quite work out and while he was named in the preliminary squad for the World Cup in South Africa, Koo was cut from the final 23. The recently finished Asian Cup was a different story however. Even before it started, the player had come close to joining Swiss team Young Boys of Berne but after finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, other suitors threw their hats into the ring. One came from VfL Wolfsburg. The German team, backed by Volkswagen, won the 2009 title but is struggling this season at the wrong end of the standings. And have now just sacked former head coach of the English national team Steve McClaren. But Koo, who will join up with Japanese national team captain Makoto Hasebe, is ready for the challenge. “Now I am at the starting line again. The facilities and team atmosphere was great. I feel very happy now as I was trying so hard to play in Europe.” “Now I will concentrate on playing well out there. Lee Young-pyo and many national team mates advised me to play in Europe. Though my original position is defensive midfielder, I am ready to play in any position the coach asks.” It just remains to be seen who that coach is but such is life in Europe. Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

Happy Birthday Old Trafford

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:50:17 +0000

Soccerphile celebrates the 100th anniversary of one of English football’s most famous venues. When Old Trafford opened its doors for the first time in February 1910, Manchester United were en-route to securing just their second ever league championship that May. Despite the optimism abound at the time, few spectators that were at the Theatre of Dreams ’ inaugural game could have imagined the global phenomenon the Red Devils would one day become. Even fewer could have foreseen that the arena they were watching in would, a century later, be one of the most famous football venues in the world. Manchester United came from humble beginnings, especially in respect to their stadia. The club’s first ground on North Road, Newton Heath can best be described as a ‘rustic’ style home. The ground’s changing rooms were a ten minute walk away at the Three Crowns pub and the pitch has was described as being ‘a bog at one end and rocky as a quarry at the other’ in an early match report. Bank Street, United’s second ground in nearby Clayton had an equally poor reputation. The stadium was near to a smoky chemical factory and had a terrible pitch too with very little grass. Walsall Town Swifts famously refused to play a game there in the 1890’s, such were the conditions. Near bankruptcy in 1902 saw the bailiffs close Bank Street due to the club’s insolvency and it was at this time United were forced into a search for yet another home ground. It was in 1909 that the land Old Trafford stands on today was indentified and purchased, for the seemingly modest sum of £60,000. Chairman John Henry Davies hired the renowned stadium architect Archibald Leitch, who designed other famous grounds such as Ibrox, Goodison Park, Roker Park and White Hart Lane, to build an arena for the club and allocated a budget of £30,000 for its construction. The first stadium was designed to hold a similar capacity to today’s ground – around the 76,000 mark. Of course, much of this capacity was standing room only back then. It was old rivals Liverpool that were United’s first opponents at the Salford-based venue, resulting in a 4-3 win for the visitors on 19 February 1910. The new stadium made an instant impression on the Football Association, who selected the venue as venue for a FA Cup Semi Final within months of it opening. A year later it hosted an FA Cup Final replay between Bradford City and Newcastle and in 1915 staged the famous ‘Khaki Cup Final’ – Sheffield United v Chelsea. John Henry Davies vision for Old Trafford to gain international recognition was achieved in 1926 when England played Scotland at the ground. And in 1939, a record O.T attendance of 76,962 crammed into the Theatre of Dreams to watch an FA Cup Semi Final between Wolves and Grimsby. Old Trafford had cemented its place in the heart of football supporters by the time the Second World War broke out in 1939. But tragedy was about to strike. During the conflict, the ground was to suffer extensive damage which rendered the venue out of action for eight years. German bombs fell on the stadium on two occasions – 22nd December 1940 and 11th March 1941. The second blast saw the main stand completely destroyed. United were awarded a grant of £22,278 from the War Damage Commission which enabled Old Trafford to be rebuilt. While construction work took place the Red Devils played at rivals Manchester City’s old Maine Road ground until they were able to return to their re-built home ground in 1949. Development work continued a pace at the stadium throughout the following decades. Floodlights were erected in 1957, allowing Manchester United to play night time fixtures. The most partisan of the four stands at Old Trafford - the Stretford End - had a roof installed in 1959 and in 1965 a new North Stand opened with the ground’s first executive boxes. By the dawn of the Premier League in 1992, Old Trafford was one of the largest and most modern football stadiums in England. By 1993/94, the stadium had become all-seater, with the last standing area of the ground – the Stretford End – converted into a new £12m stand. Cantilevered roofing now swept the entire length of the stadium, now a perfect bowl arena. Five major expansion projects have since taken place. Firstly, the development of the £18.6m, four tiered, North Stand in 1996. A second tier of seating was added to the East Stand and Stretford End in 2000 and four years ago, the North-East and North-West quadrants of the stadium were filled in. The capacity of Old Trafford is now 75,957. The continued changing appearance of Old Trafford over the decades is just one part of the stadium’s amazing life story. The colour, the noise, the fans and the players are all part of the Theatre of Dreams ’ rich tapestry. As you think of the great ground’s history, names like Edwards, Busby, Charlton, Best, Giggs and Ferguson spring to mind. There’s the thousands of memorable games. Denis Law’s back-heeled goal for Manchester City in 1974, which condemned United to relegation. A Bryan Robson inspired come back from two goals down to victory over Barcelona in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1984. The sight of Sir Alex Ferguson leaping onto the pitch in joy as Steve Bruce headed a stoppage time goal against Sheffield Wednesday in 1993 en-route to United’s first title since 1967. And of course the 7-1 drubbing of Roma in 2007. Old Trafford has brought joyous and agonising moments for more than just Manchester United fans too. The most famous international ever to be played there is undoubtedly England’s 2-2 draw with Greece in 2001. A David Beckham free-kick deep into stoppage time secured a World Cup place for England, who had twice trailed. AC Milan fans have fond memories of the great old ground, as it was the scene of their 2003 Champions League triumph over old rivals Juventus. Old Trafford’s worth even extends to non-football fans. Rugby League supporters have viewed the ground as their Mecca, ever since the Super League Grand Final was switched their in 1998. It also hosted the 2000 Rugby League World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand. As 100 years of Old Trafford are celebrated this month, here’s hoping for another great century at the Theatre of Dreams. Tags Manchester United Old Trafford

One Seoul, Two Uniteds

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:43:44 +0000

Asia is accustomed to hosting teams from Europe. Every summer sees big clubs from the west heading east to play exhibition games in attempts to win new fans and conquer new markets.

Tosic - I want to fill Ronaldo's boots

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:13:05 +0000

Soccerphile Exclusive: Manchester United & Serbia's Zoran Tosic M anchester United ’s Serbian u21 star Zoran Tosic has said he will leap at the chance of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford next season if given the opportunity.

Ramon spills the beans on Ronaldo

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:49:40 +0000

So Manchester United and Real Madrid hatched the Ronaldo snatch a year ago, if ex-President Ramon Calderon is to be believed. "Last season, Manchester United decided not to do it because they thought it was too early," Calderon told BBC Radio. "Everyone involved in the operation agreed to do it this season. That is what I can say." Real boss Juande Ramos corroborated this amazing claim: "We already knew that Real Madrid had a pre -contract agreement with Cristiano Ronaldo and that it was only a matter of time," he confirmed. So the transfer was done and dusted a year ago and it was only its timing which had to be mutually decided, it appears. There was no mention of the £80 million fee, which presumably was pencilled in by the two clubs after Euro 2008.

Champions League final turns Southern Hemisphere upside down

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:03:26 +0000

Bleary-eyed and weary, a legion of football fans shuffles through the night in their warmest of slippers and clutching at coffee cups. Welcome to the Southern Hemisphere, where watching live European football requires the stamina of Paul Scholes and the fancy-footwork of Lionel Messi - if only to avoid tripping over the cat slumbering peacefully on the living room floor. Making sure the volume is turned way down for the start of the broadcast - waking the entire household is a rookie mistake - fans in the southern half of the globe are well accustomed to 4am starts and less than productive morning meetings at work.

Style War to choose Rome's Emperor

Tue, 26 May 2009 23:32:51 +0000

UEFA Champions League Final: Barcelona v Manchester United While not quite beauty v the beast, the intriguing contrast of Manchester United's organisation and Barcelona's beautiful game is the power v the glory. More than the billed clash of the two fantasistas - Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Stadio Olimpico will host a battle of styles to decide the Emperor of Rome. Since Brazil won the 1994 World Cup with prosaic powerhouse midfielders, the accepted wisdom has been that top-level football is no place for dainty, pretty players and that a good muscular team will top a good technical one. After pocket battleships like Hagi and Diego Maradona in the 1980s, the winning formula had a nuance of percentage over artistry and along came the giants - Patrick Viera and Gilberto Silva, Zinedine Zidane, Steven Gerrard and Michael Ballack, not destroyers but mobile cruisers who rob and repel attacks, tackle, distribute and drive forward with the ball; Goliaths of all trades.

Rome the city of Angles and demons

Tue, 26 May 2009 13:32:37 +0000

What were UEFA hoping for when they awarded tomorrow's Champions League final to Rome? Alfresco pasta and vino in the Italian sun, no doubt, as Puccini wafts through the ancient walls of the Centro Storico and evening strollers pause beside the Trevi Fountain to contemplate 'La Dolce Vita' over a gelato and espresso. UEFA cannot have forgotten the recent history of soccer violence in the Eternal City, so what excuse is there for brushing it under the carpet? Italy has the worst hooligan problem of any European country but domestic squabbles apart, Rome has been a danger zone in recent years for travelling fans, particularly English ones.