Italian job

[Thracian]

Nothing changes with the Italians does it. Hard to believe there was once a Roman Empire.

Don't they realise that this is exactly the sort of thing that plays into terorist hands?.

The whole reason for station bombs etc is to create fear and havoc, to change people's way of life and affect the economy.

This is a War that's going on. Not just a war in the military sense, but a war for our way of life, our democracy if you like, flawed though it is. And the Italians are part of it whether they appreciate it or not.

I would have been ashamed had Leicester pulled out of an Italian tour for this reason yet Inter's action has given the terrorists an unopposed victory.

It is shameful.

Lovely people in many ways, beautiful country but whoever would want em as allies. Is this what Europe is coming to be made up of - people who run at the first sign of trouble?

[shen]

Are you Tony in disguise

[Fidelis Andria]

'Evening everyone... my debut post. I normally find myself agreeing with 99% of Thracian's excellent posts, but I believe that this is an issue where reductive generalizations about Italians are inappropriate. Given the conflicting statements made by Inter in the last 24 hours, it's tempting to infer that player pressure - many of whom are not actually Italian - has been applied here, and that Moratti and Mancini have had to reluctantly give in.

The players' concerns, I think, are understandable; the situation in London is nowhere near under control, and there is the prospect (although the press here don't seem to be discussing it) of imminent further attacks since the terrorists whose images have been captured on CCTV may attempt to stage some last desperate assault before they are inevitably caught.

Having just returned to the UK from Italy, you do get the impression of security being taken seriously there - systematic searching of passengers at airports, armed police perpetually yet discreetly in evidence both at airports and in urban areas etc. And Italy also benefits from not hosting hundreds of Islamic extremists and their legions of disaffected supporters.

Italy can't be accused of not taking its responsibilities towards the so-called "war on terrorism" seriously - Berlusconi's government is taking enormous flak from within Italy on account of the Italian presence in Iraq.

What has probably happened with the Inter players is that they have seen the press coverage of recent events here, and quite understandably - since they are high profile stars representing a club from Italy, a coalition partner in Iraq - do not want to play in London because of the risks that this would currently entail.

I guess that it's the Palace game that has primarily caused the concerns, and rather than trying to extricate themselves from that particular fixture, they've cancelled the whole trip. Regrettable, but to some degree comprehensible.

[Benji]

'Evening everyone... my debut post.  I normally find myself agreeing with 99% of Thracian's excellent posts, but I believe that this is an issue where reductive generalizations about Italians are inappropriate.  Given the conflicting statements made by Inter in the last 24 hours, it's tempting to infer that player pressure - many of whom are not actually Italian - has been applied here, and that Moratti and Mancini have had to reluctantly give in. 

The players' concerns, I think, are understandable; the situation in London is nowhere near under control, and there is the prospect (although the press here don't seem to be discussing it) of imminent further attacks since the terrorists whose images have been captured on CCTV may attempt to stage some last desperate assault before they are inevitably caught.

Having just returned to the UK from Italy, you do get the impression of security being taken seriously there - systematic searching of passengers at airports, armed police perpetually yet discreetly in evidence both at airports and in urban areas etc. And Italy also benefits from not hosting hundreds of Islamic extremists and their legions of disaffected supporters.

Italy can't be accused of not taking its responsibilities towards the so-called "war on terrorism" seriously - Berlusconi's government is taking enormous flak from within Italy on account of the Italian presence in Iraq. 

What has probably happened with the Inter players is that they have seen the press coverage of recent events here, and quite understandably - since they are high profile stars representing a club from Italy, a coalition partner in Iraq - do not want to play in London because of the risks that this would currently entail.

I guess that it's the Palace game that has primarily caused the concerns, and rather than trying to extricate themselves from that particular fixture, they've cancelled the whole trip.  Regrettable, but to some degree comprehensible.

142950[/snapback]

good first post, i agree except about the palace game. IF they had just cancelled the cystal palace game it would have proved they only wanted to avoid the london situation. But to cancel games in norfolk, on the south coast, and in the east midlands cannot be related surely. Reading of their new friendly fixtures coming so quickly as well, they've been thinking about this for some time.

[Fidelis Andria]

This has just appeared on the website of the "Gazzetta dello Sport"; it says that Inter still maintain that they thought it best to cancel the tour because they didn't want to create any extra problems for the UK police by coming. HOWEVER; it also says that they are now looking into ways of 'resolving the matter constructively'....

.......................................................................................................................

Inter cerca soluzione a equivoco con Inghilterra

Comunicato della società dopo annullamento amichevoli

MILANO - L'Inter sta valutando tutte le possibilità per "trovare una soluzione positiva alla vicenda e coerente con la volontà del progetto iniziale" che prevedeva una serie di amichevoli in Inghilterra. È quanto si legge in un comunicato della società nerazzurra, dopo le polemiche nate a causa dell'annullamento della tournee inglese. "La proprietà - si legge nel comunicato - sentiti il presidente Giacinto Facchetti e il tecnico Roberto Mancini, alla

luce dell'equivoco nato dall'annullamento degli impegni inglesi della squadra, maturato dall'intenzione di non incidere ulteriormente sulle attività di prevenzione delle forze di

sicurezza inglesi, sta verificando la possibilità di trovare una soluzione positiva alla vicenda e coerente con la volontà del progetto iniziale".

[Rincewind]

They may have been advised to cancel by the Foreign Office and police who would not want to implement further security measures while they (Inter) are in London.

[Guest]

Well I think it's garbage; it is playing into the hands of terrorists. We've lived with the threat of terrorist activity all my life, ffs, I was 30 minutes away from being an IRA victim, but I refuse to put my life on hold "just in case".

They want to create panic and fear, if they do that, they've won.

[Random Burglar]

Pasta eating surrender monkeys!

[Simon]

They may have been advised to cancel by the Foreign Office and police who would not want to implement further security measures while they (Inter) are in London.

143086[/snapback]

Doubt it being as Tessa Jowell, Richard Caborn and ken Livingstone are pretty peeved by it, you'd have imagined they and the foreign office actually talk to one another....