I’ve Got A Bad Feeling About This

By: Wayne Farry | May 14th, 2009

Reports coming out of Italy, courtesy of newspaper La Repubblica, say that plans are being drawn up by Ultras to cause massive trouble on the night of the Champions League Final, 27 May.

The report by the newspaper claims that the Italian DIGOS (Division of Special Investigations and Organised Crime) are fearing that Barcelona and Roma fans/hooligans/Ultras will join together to fight Manchester United fans. This is exactly what Italian officials didn’t want in the lead up to the CL Final.

There has always been trouble when English teams played in Rome, the most notable trouble coming when United played Roma in the Champions League in 06/07. It’s not just isolated to United fans, as Arsenal fans found out earlier this season.

This is just another reason why the CL Final shouldn’t be held in Rome. The city has been plagued with fan trouble and hooliganism in recent years, with fans being stabbed and beaten on a regular basis. Why UEFA chose the city for the Final baffles belief, the only explanation being UEFA President Michel Platini’s unbridled love for Italian football. Since the location for this year’s Final was announced, there were calls for it to be moved, amid fear of trouble. Indeed, such was the opposition to the location that The Times launched a campaign against the Final which promoted the idea of it being moved to a safer, more logical location.

I have always gone along with the idea that the Final should be held elsewhere. I’m not saying it should be held in England, somehwere like Madrid, Paris, Cardiff or even Dublin’s Croke Park would be a much safer option. Platini’s allegiance to Italian football is absolutely no reason to endanger thousands of fans and his decision to choose and continue to defend this location is another example of his lack of foresight.

(Platini photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)

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Category: Champions League

Tags: Barcelona, Champions League, Manchester United, Michel Platini, Rome, The Times, UEFA, Ultras

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Comments  

• MikeK |  May 14th, 2009 at 11:11 am

  
  
  

  They had to go through a long, drawn out process to get the Irish national team to play at Croke, I don’t think the Gaelic Athletic Association would allow the champions league in.

  Posted from United States

  

• Wayne Farry |  May 14th, 2009 at 11:20 am

  
  
  

  I dunno MikeK, they might. Given the amount of revenue they’d get from it I think they’d allow it.

  Also, the deal to allow the Irish national team to play there was a long term thing that only went through after a rule change and a vote. This would be a one-off and I don’t think they’d have to be asked twice.

  Posted from United States

  

• Rob |  May 14th, 2009 at 11:59 am

  
  
  

  The world’s changed quite alot if English fans are now worried about travelling to the continent because of hooliginism.

  Posted from United States

  

• Ronald |  May 14th, 2009 at 12:26 pm

  
  
  

  “The world’s changed quite alot if English fans are now worried about travelling to the continent because of hooliginism”

  Check…..and mate.

  Posted from United States

  

• Wayne Farry |  May 14th, 2009 at 12:26 pm

  
  
  

  Bit of a role-reversal, huh?!

  Posted from United States

  

• Dustin Edwards |  May 14th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

  
  
  

  Surprising they can’t provide adequate security for something this high profile. It can’t honestly be that hard to separate two sides of a stadium with security. Just send over some LAPD, I’m sure they wouldn’t overreact and blow away a few people, they never do that.

  Posted from United States

  

• steven. |  May 14th, 2009 at 2:15 pm

  
  
  

  i think the final should be played behind closed doors and he result never announced .. that’s just me though ..

  Posted from Canada

  

• Wayne Farry |  May 14th, 2009 at 2:18 pm

  
  
  

  While you’re doing that why don’t you just imagine it’s Liverpool in the Final aswell steven?

  Posted from United States

  

• martin |  May 14th, 2009 at 3:05 pm

  
  
  

  Dustin I think the issues will be outside of the stadium, not inside. Although I seem to remember the Italian police turning a bit of heckling and litter throwing into a number of hospitalised united fans INSIDE this very stadium.

  Anything that happens is on UEFA. Rome has a proven track record of football violence and their police have shown they’re not up to the job of controlling it. Yet they went ahead and picked it anyway.

  Posted from United States

  

• alessio |  May 14th, 2009 at 5:12 pm

  
  
  

  Why UEFA chose the city for the Final baffles belief, the only explanation being UEFA President Michel Platini’s unbridled love for Italian football.

  Nah, he just dislikes English football (read: debt-laden bullshit) and is a dedicated Juventino.

  Posted from Spain

  

• steven. |  May 14th, 2009 at 5:26 pm

  
  
  

  i never considered that Wayne .. thanks hoss, i’ll get right on it ..

  Posted from Canada

  

• Dustin Edwards |  May 14th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

  
  
  

  Well knowing that, any United Fans that do go aren’t too bright.

  Posted from United States

  

• SP |  May 14th, 2009 at 7:30 pm

  
  
  

  Dustin, i think going to a champions league final is definitely worth the risk of facing the ultras. if you don’t think so, i will gladly take your ticket.

  Posted from United States

  

• Dustin Edwards |  May 15th, 2009 at 12:30 am

  
  
  

  Pfft I’d go if I had a ticket! I’m just saying Man United Fans who don’t want to risk getting hurt shouldn’t go. I don’t think it would happen to me, I’m American, everybody loves us.

  Posted from United States

  

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