If you read us at all you might have noticed that we do not write too much about sports, though on-and-off again collaborator Rufus Davis did have some great articles about this form of entertainment called, sports.
However, TPV adores Campania, and the Amalfi Coast, and especially Atrani, and all our amici atranesi are fans of Napoli, as in Napoli soccer team.
In addition to this disclaimer, soccer seems to create havoc and bring humanity to the brink of melt-down. Imagine Rome waiting for the final match between Napoli and Florence, two stalwarts of two different Italys: The South vs. the North playing against each other on a neutral territory, in Rome.
Havoc happened this past weekend, when gun shots and physical altercation marked the match as questionable to happen. For 45 minutes interests behind the scene had to persuade each other that the game has to go on no matter how insane this cultural display of the opposites made sense.
In the end, Napoli won. 2-0.
Aiming for a second cup in three years, Napoli were in control after 11 minutes, Insigne making the most of a perfect pass from Marek Hamšík. Six minutes later Gonzalo Higuaín found Insigne again, and his shot deflected in off Nenad Tomović. Juan Vargas pulled one back on 28 minutes, though, with a fizzing finish.
In the second half, Vincenzo Montella’s Fiorentina – aiming for a seventh win in ten finals – failed to make the most of their chances, even after Napoli’s Gökhan Inler was dismissed with 11 minutes to play. Josip Iličič fired wide with only Pepe Reina to beat and despite Giuseppe Rossi’s return after a four-month absence a second goal remained elusive for Fiorentina, with a precise low shot from Belgian international Mertens finally ending their resistance.
And before we bid adieu, as Marquel would say, to the land of Michelangelo, pizza, Pompei, and soccer, TPV notes that soccer seems to have imported a lot of foreign players in each of their premiere teams.
Perhaps an EU requirement? TPV does not know….But we promise to investigate.
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SPORTS
Napoli Wins La Coppa d’Italia
Your last sentence actually is part of an ongoing, very controversial debate out in England. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/08/premier-league-division-b-teams-fan-commission-greg-dyke-league-three-non-eu-players
One may argue that UEFA cracking down on Financial Fair Play may be part of it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2619202/UEFA-investigate-nine-clubs-suspected-breaching-financial-fair-play-regulations.html