Standing outside the Stadio Olympico after the gutting loss tonight suffered by Lazio was one place you did not want to be. From utter jubilation when Pedro scored to heart wrenching pain obvious to see from the Lazio fans trickling out the stadium after the heated game tonight. The game was extremely tight but eventually leaned the way of the Travelling Napoli squad and their fans.
Among the dismayed fans leaving the stadium, I managed to talk to one and gain an opinion of what the Laziali feel is going wrong at their club right now. Gianluca Fantone has been a lifelong Lazio fan and has seen success and failure in his years of supporting the club.
“Right now, you can only blame one man, Lotito. (The Owner of Lazio). How are we supposed to compete with the likes of Milan, Inter and Juventus when he refuses to invest money into the club. Don’t be the owner then! We sold the best manager we have ever had (Inzaghi) and a young world class striker (Correa) and sold them to our rivals. There is your answer.
The anger of Gianluca and the disgruntled feelings he has towards the owner and board have been highlighted even more with a planned protest outside the training ground tomorrow, he tells me, set to bring the topic to light about removing the current owner so Lazio can compete for the Scudetto again.
As I board my flight to Rome Fiumicino Airport, heading for the Stadio Olympico, the sense of a fierce battle fills the air. Often compared to the colosseum, Lazio’s home ground is set to be the background of a thrilling game tonight as the home side prepare to take on title challengers, Napoli. Despite the gap between the two teams in the league, both arrive at this game with a vastly contrasted set of form. Lazio are unbeaten in their last 6 games whereas Napoli have not won in 4.
One similarity between the two however is a key talisman with world class talent. The Biancoceleste captain, Ciro Immobile has been the most important player at Lazio for many years with his unbelievable goal record, leaving him as one of the most decorated Lazio players. This season he has scored an average of 2.6 goals a game. Contrastingly, Napoli winger Lorenzo Insingne, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season will be hoping he can create some magic and lead his team to victory tonight.
As he sits in front of me, cigarette in hand, the essence of a true European fills the room. His dark, curly locks cover his eyes as he rests back in his chair. His name is Emilio Hasa. He was born in Salerno, not too far from the South of Italy’s sparkling gem; Naples.
The culture of Southern Italy is very unique and beautiful. Food, music and Love are just some of the most important things in their lives. However, there is one delight above all; Football.
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli was founded in 1905 and since then has been the biggest football club in Southern Italy, winning 2 Scudetti, 6 Coppa Italia’s and a Uefa Cup. Emillio reminisces “Seeing the stadium for the first time was like a dream, being a tiny kid looking up at a stadium of that size was mesmerising, I felt something in my body.”
Emilio was only 10 when his father, a highly respected Ultra, brought him to his first game at the Stadio San Paulo. “I remember the excitement, the noise, the banners. It was an overload of senses and I loved it.”
The definition of an Ultra is a type of fanatical fan known for passion and displays, originating from Italy. With his father being a leader for the Ultras, Emilio grew up with his whole family being completely immersed in the extreme football culture. He spoke of how every weekend his father and other Ultras would spend hours painting banners and creating displays for the game the coming weekend.
“It didn’t matter how early it was, if it was a Saturday and Napoli were playing at home; me and the other ultras would be up at 6am. We would be painting banners for hours in the the back shed of my garden.”
The culture that comes with being a football fanatic is one of dedication, passion and friendship. All across the country, clubs from the top divisions to the bottom, with the latter sometimes being the most passionate, ingratiate themselves with these rituals of waking up early and following their club miles away from their home. The ‘Tifosi’ ,which means fans in Italian, are the fans from whom clubs throughout Europe have idolised and copied; yet the fans originating from the boot of Europe are universally agreed as the fiercist.
With his mother and father packing their bags for London in search of a better life, leaving Naples and football behind; Emilio struggled to accept the change of leaving the life he knew in the dust.
“Obviously I struggled, leaving friends and the football culture was never going to be easy, but I think the largest impact was on my father who had been a huge figure in the group. He knew English fans would be different but I don’t think he realised how much English football culture has changed since the injection of money in the game.”
As he cooly stubs out his cigarette in an ashtray of a dozen others, he begins to look despairingly away from my eyeline. “When me and my father attempted to immerse ourselves in English football culture, it was never the same. We travelled to the Emirates to watch a random fixture one evening but the contrast was immense.” He describes to me how there were no banners, no pyrotechnics, no chanting, no unison; no passion.
“It was as if it was a completely different sport. As I gazed around me, a sea of phones drowned my view. I couldn’t comprehend it. Why would these people rather sit there and film it for other people when you should be taking it all in for yourself.”
The realisation that him and his father could not carry on their hobby that had previously bonded them so strongly was a catalyst to both not enjoying their first months in England. One of the key roots of their daily life had been cut and both struggled to get past that.
Since then, Both Emilio and his father have found a lower non league division club that supports their club in a similar way that they remember from back home. As well as this, the other ultras regularly travel over to support the club with them and have since created a connection with the club and their team back in Naples. It shows how truly important football culture is in peoples lives and how lost people would be without it.
As the reflection of the sun reflects in his eye, a dream of Naples can be seen. “One day I will return, as much as I love England and am grateful for having experienced life here; my home is Naples and to stand with my brothers beside me in the stadium, cheering on Napoli, will always be my true desire.”
One of the most highly anticipated films of this year was David Chase’s prequel of his globally renowned TV series, The Sopranos.
The last time the show was on our screens was over 14 years ago, and the cult following which the show has created throughout the years were desperate to see if this film could live up to the reputation of the series that is rated ‘Number 1’ in the ‘Top 100 series of all time’ by The Rolling Stone.
Set on a backdrop of the 1967 Newark Race riots, the film aims to explain how an innocent Tony Soprano grew into the psychotic murderer we have seen. The film delves deeper into the emotional rejection he faced from many family members growing up with a father being in prison and his mother clearly having undiagnosed mental issues.
After the tragic death of the beloved actor, James Gandolfini in 2013, his son Michael stepped in to the massive shoes that his father had left and played the younger version of his late father. The uncanny resemblance between the two creates a realism for the fans that we are almost watching James himself.
A Poster from the film
Famous faces from the show such as Paulie “Walnuts”and Silvio Dante made an appearance however a large amount of the backlash from the filmed was aimed at these characters, and I can see why. From their costumes to their acting; it resembled more of a comedy skit and completely broke the realism of the film.
Many high ranking ex mafia men, such as Michael Franzese, who now uses Youtube to promote positive content, condemned the film stating that it focused too much on a made up race war between the Italians and the Black gangs of the 60’s. Michael also stated that “Of course there were racist guys in the mob but for the most part, we got on well with them.
I am a 19 year old student from London who is currently studying Journalism at the University of Portsmouth. I have always had a passion for writing and the English language from a young age. I always found writing as a release of tension and it brought me much enjoyment in all of its forms, hence why I chose Journalism.
As well as this, my passion for Italy is stronger than all this, I have wanted to live in Italy my whole life and plan to do so as soon as I finish my course, I would like to use my two passions together and use my English skills to gain a Job in Italy.
My passion for Italy inspired me to create this website to showcase my articles related to all things Italian including football, food, businesses, and the language. I have also been studying the language for a year and am doing a IWLP course with the university.
As soon as I realised I wanted to be a travel writer and explore as many places around the world as possible, Covid struck. This was so frustrating for me as I couldn’t write if I wasn’t going anywhere and made me extremely depressed and frustrated.
However, now the restrictions are easing I hope I can reignite my dreams and travel to many places for the first time and write my experiences from my unique angle.
I hope this website allows other people to read my articles and gain the same passion for a country or travelling that I have, even if some people are not as lucky as I am to be able to travel.
As the nightmare that was Covid-19 finally seems to be drawing to an end; I decided to see how badly effected the small, family run Italian restaurant in Bromley; Studio Dolce has managed to survived.
As the smell of aromatic, Mediterranean dishes fills the air, I sat down with the owner of Studio Dolce, Luca.
How happy are you to see restaurants being allowed to reopen and welcoming back your much missed customers?
Honestly, it is such a relief and as you previously said, to welcome back our customers after such a long time is such a great feeling and with the reopening of indoor restaurants being May 17th; it slowly feels as if life is going back to normal again.
Did you think that Studio Dolce was going to be able to survive during the lockdowns?
Allora*, there were definitely times when I was extremely worried for the business. After going through several lockdowns, every time the odds seemed stacked more against us. However with the help of furlough and people coming together in this hard time, we are still here and better than ever!
How has the recent weeks of opening up outside been for Studio Dolce?
It is always nice to see the return of customers. However, despite this being an Italian restaurant, unfortunately we cannot provide the Italian weather too and the miserable weather of England has made it slightly tough to only be outisde but I think people are just happy to be out after being kept inside for so long!
What dish would you recommend for your long awaited customers to try when they return?
We have so many dishes, new and old that we want our customers to try, but the Capo di tutti Capi is our ‘Linguine Frutti Di Mare‘ which can be found on our Specials dishes.
Do you think you will return to Italy soon?
It has been a long time since travel has been allowed and I would love to see my family after so long but I think right now the business comes first and then hopefully when life is back to normal, I can rest my feet on a beautiful beach in Naples and return with some beautiful ingredients for my customers!
What would you say to someone who wants to set up their own restaurant? (Tips/Advice)
Many people dream of setting up a restaurant but are unaware of the stress, financial difficulties and overall dedicated it takes to make it successful. Honestly, it is not for the faint-hearted and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are very experienced or extremely determined.
Finally, If you had to tell new people reading this article why they should come to Studio Dolce, what would you say?
Our restaurant is always buzzing with life, from our waiters and waitresses to our kitchen staff, to our wonderful customers. We are a beautiful, authentic Italian Restaurant in the heart of Bromley, and the dishes we create will bring you a taste of Italia all the way to London!
European giants have entered the discussion of where 23 year old midfielder, Manuel Locatelli’s future lies. Several clubs around Europe are predicted to make a bid for the striker who is currently at Italian club; Sassuolo. The youngster has caught the eye mainly of Pep Guardiola who seems to think the Italian would fit perfectly in his battle to win a European trophy with the club.
Instagram Transfer account: @tranfers posted this recently on their page declaring Locatelli’s awareness of the rumours and his response to them. In a interview, he stated his readiness for joining a “Top club” and the desire for joining a “foreign” club which he says will have “multiple opportunities” for him
By showing this much promise at 23, he has definitely spiked the ears of other European clubs. He is already valued at around £30 million pounds. However, with the amount of clubs interested, a bidding war is likely to start and the final figure should reach over £45 million pounds for the wonderkid.
Whether Manuel is likely to start for the Manchester blues is a different question. Pep has an abidance of talent at his fingertips which often sees the substitute bench look like a star studded lineup.
If Locatelli did change his mind about a move abroad; it is said that Italian superclub; Juventus are also keen to add the midfielder to reinforce their own homegrown talent alongside the vast plethora of Italian wonder kids that they already have.
Despite this, Sassuolo have had a good season seeing them currently sat in eighth place but 11 points behind 7th place, A.S Roma. For a player who is attracting this much attention, possibly bigger dreams of Champions League football and a title contending team may be what the midfielder has on his mind.
Whatever happens, Locatelli is likely to move away from the ‘Neroverdi’ at some point in the near future. Locatelli also must think of his desire to also play at an international level and see Italy change the disgrace of not qualifying for the last World Cup. We will soon see what the future has in store for Manuel Locatelli.
With temperatures in England still in single digits; many of us Brits are dreaming of being abroad. With long hot Mediterranean nights, beautifully bronzed skin and the soothing clap of the waves on the sun kissed sand of the beach, on our mind; here is 5 idyllic towns in Italy to visit when restrictions have been eased.
5 – Parma
A town famous for its world renowned Parmesan cheese and Parma ham.
The town of Parma is as old as the days of the Romans where they first adopted the name due to the shape of the shield “Parma’ that their soldiers used to have. There is so much this town has to offer, with food and wine trips regularly available to gain a true sense of the wonderful food that has been produced from this country. As well as this, historic buildings such as the ‘Cattedrale Di Parma’. This breathtaking cathedral was designed in the 11th and 12th century by prominent painter, Antonio Di Correggio.
4 – Torino
Torino rivals Milan as Northern Italy’s most important city.
As is fairly well known, Torino was originally the capital city of Italy from 1861 to 1865 which emphasises the importance and beauty of the city. The town is filled with beautiful must see “Palazzo’s” scattered around the city such as Palazzo Madama, Reale and Carignano.
3 – Capri
Island of Capri; famous for its beautifully rugged landscape
This entry is a slight cheat as Capri is technically and island but to not include this heavenly town situated off the coast of Naples would be a travesty. With its sky blue waters and colourful houses directly next to the beach; there is not much more a town could give. Beautiful restaurants scattered around the town offer some of the best sea food dishes in the whole of the medditeranean. Despite all this, the worlds most famous fashion designer shops can be found on the island of Capri too in case an emergency shopping trip is necessary.
2 – Roma
Italy’s capital falls short of first place
“All Roads lead to Rome.” The jewel in the crown of Italia is one of the oldest cities in the known world. From here, Juilius Caesar leaded the whole of the known world. Even today, the memories of thousands of years ago can still be see throughout the city, beautifully woven in to the modern era. If that was not enough to tempt you; Rome is known for some of the best food in the country with their world famous “Trattoria’s” scattered around the city offering some of the best Pizza, Pasta and much more.
1 – Positano
“The most Beautiful town in the world.”
The only town that could rival the capital is the heavenly Positano. Situated on the Amalfi Coast, not too far from Naples, the town was used as a holiday home for the wealthy Romans during the Roman Empire after they fell in love with the beauty of the town and ever since tourists have been flocking in their thousands to glimpse at one of the most beautiful towns in the world.
For decades, one of the worlds biggest organised crime syndicates, the ‘Ndrangheta, has managed to evade the spotlight of the worlds press through their historical codes of silence to their secret underground bunkers scattered around the mountains of Calabria. It was only recently that a shocking confession from a ‘Pentito’ (or turncoat) has threatened the entire hierarchy of the Mafia itself.
Emanuele Mancuso is the major ‘rat’ within this Maxi Trial. His words and revelations are the cause of the majority of the prosecutions to his ‘ex’ family members. After having built a personal wealth of over £20 million pounds, he was arrested on drug trafficking charges, which would’ve seen him be behind bars for 4 years and 6 months. However, after his wife only recently gave birth to their first child, Emanuele promised to cut a deal with the Italian Government and sever all ties with the Mafia.
Unlike the Sicilian Mafia, to join this Calabrian crew, you have to be blood related to enter the ranks. This is done as they believe a man will never turn against his family; yet how wrong they were.
The ‘Ndrangheta may also be known for the famous kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in 1973. When his grandfather refused to pay the ransom of 17 million dollars, the crew cut off his ear and posted it to a newspaper with a lock of his hair. This isn’t new for them as the trial has uncovered that torture is a regular thing with stories of dissolving victims, still alive, in acid and many other horrible crimes.
It has not been since 1986 during the reign of the Sicilian based mafia; ‘La Cosa Nostra’, that a full scale ‘maxi trial’ has been held with more than 350 members to prosecute; in fact it took over two hours for the Judge to read out the indictments of every person on trial. However, during these strange times, the whole trial is being carried out on Zoom with cameras being set up in prison cells across the country.
The man taking on the Mafia is Nicola Gratteri. Since his promise to take down the entire organisation, he has been in hiding for months and needs round the clock protection at all times. Gratteri said it had been years since he had seen his family but explains how they understand that it is for the greater good. Gratteri needs little reminding of the man who did the exact same thing not so long ago. Giovanni Falcone put his life on the line and took down the Cosa Nostra; only for an explosive to be placed on his car and to tragically lose his life fighting the Mafia.
The people of Italy will be sick of the sound of the word ‘Mafia’ as they had only just begun to shake off the stereotype of the link with the country yet here we are in 2020 still talking about the same thing. It leads to the question; will this forever be a never ending cycle of different Mafia groups being in control every couple of decades or will this finally be the end of the Mafia?
Max Payne 