Some Might Say, You've Got To Roll With It
Don't Look Back In Anger after a long old day travelling back from Italy following a series of delays, as the tough trip to Manchester City looms
Hello.
Happy Saturday.
Grabbing a quick expresso (and cappucchino, and croissant) in the cafe next to Bergamo central station, at the start of my overly long trip back home that started on Friday morning, I bought a copy of the pink, iconic Italian daily sports newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Amid their pages of coverage on Atalanta’s draw with Arsenal, I was struck by a headline that read: “Bella Dea L’Arsenal trema…”
Intrigued, I wanted to know exactly what it meant.
Standing over my newspapers spread out over the smudged glass counter (it’s cheaper to drink your coffee standing up in Italy) as the reassuring whirring, babbling, burbling and gurgling of the cafe’s coffee percolator relentlessly sounded, I asked a local punter to translate the headline for me.
He explained: “Beautiful goddess Arsenal trembles…” with an almost apologetic shrug of the shoulders.
Notwithstanding the fact that I absolutely love a poetic headline, especially ones laced with surreal imagery, it also struck me that, despite the goalless draw (which I thought was a good point in hostile surroundings) the headline was hugely respectful towards Arsenal.
Breakfast in Bergamo. CREDIT:
It seems that Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are far more respected on the continent than they are in England.
Every local I spoke with, however briefly, in charming, welcoming Bergamo, was extremely complementary about Arsenal Football Club.
“Arsenal grande,” was how one Italian gentleman put it in another coffee shop I frequented daily for my morning expresso, two minutes from my apartment, which was in turn two minutes from the stadium, when he realised I was English.
The same coffee shop also had imposing graffiti outside on its stone walls saying Ultras, not to mention a slew of shiny Vespas parked outside, although everyone I met was lovely.
While the bloke who ran the edicola, or newsstand where I’d buy my daily Gazzetta, across from my regular coffee shop joked to me that the match was “partita brutto“, which translates as “an ugly game,” that left the home support frustrated that thy simply couldn't break down such a determined backline.
I’d be quite happy to have another ugly game on Sunday, if this time it meant Arsenal coming out on top.
Either way, be prepared for excessive criticism on Monday morning from those who hate our club if Arsenal don’t beat the best team in the world (who, it is worth reminding, are currently facing 115 charges - or is it 130 these days - relating to financial irregularities).
In the city where Oasis hail from, Some Might Say, You've Got To Roll With It…
Read All About It…
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The Trip
I finally made it back from Italy late last night, after a three hour delay at Milan Malpensa Airport.
This was after all trains from Milano Centrale to Maplensa were cancelled.
Forcing me to join the melee outside Milan’s grand, bone white, marble central station, and grab a seat on a coach to the airport.
Such was the sheer weight of desperate passengers, and the lack of queuing etiquette, I thought for a moment someone was filming an Italian version of the Last Days of Hanoi.
Anyway, I managed to grab a seat on a coach, and plugged my earphones in and listened to the Fontanes brilliant new album.
Prior to that I had to get a train from Bergamo central station to Milano Centrale, which rattled through Lombardy’s picturesque rolling hills.
So, by the time I got back to Blighty, I still had to get a train from Gatwick, all the way home, just in time to fall asleep in front of Sky Sports News.
Thankfully, my wonderful partner had laid on a Chinese takeaway for me, which I gratefully consumed, especially, as I refused to spend a penny on my easyJet flight.
A company that wouldn’t give you the steam off their ****, despite 180 minutes of sitting around with no explanation as to why the plane was delayed, but still expect you to pay five quid for a small can of beer.
A long day, but as anyone who went to Bergamo to watch Atalanta vs Arsenal, it was another memorable European trip.
So, when someone tells you, not asks, you: ‘Why did you go all that way, just for a 0-0?’ you can tell them, it was about so much more than the 90 minutes.
As it always it with football trips.
Even if the game still provided a highlight we’ll still be talking about in years to come.
The Arsenal team react to David ‘The Cat’ Raya’s incredible double save
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Letter From Bergamo
Here’s the link to read my pre-match colour feature for the Irish Examiner newspaper from here in Bergamo. Hope you enjoy it.
Stunning views over Bergamo from Citta Alta, the upper town. CREDIT:
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DAILY LIST:
I - I purposely chose not to cover any games of football today, as I knew I’d be absolutely knackered after four full on days in Italy, ahead of the long drive to Manchester early on Sunday morning, to cap three intense matches on the road this week
II - Take the dog for a very long walk and catch up with all his news
My pal