juventus rimini

[lobelia321]

Some days ago, Juventus played Rimini. I just love it. The former giants, Juventus, stripped of their points (they have minus 16 points in Serie B; Rimini have one point!) and having to play against obscure teams in Serie B in tiny stadia. And they're struggling! The poor bunnies only managed a draw -- at this rate, it could take them decades to claw their way back into Serie A. And, little bunnylets, because they're not allowed to wear their two-times-Champions League stars on their official shirts, they all wore little black-and-white sweat wrist bands with the stars on (awwwwwww).

But go, Rimini!!! Good on you for beating Buffon and co!

Juventus' home stadium is state of the art and seats 67,000, and Rimini's provincial stadium seats 10,000. This is so cute that Juve are having to play in these little outback towns! And that teams like Rimini, Albinoleffe and Crotone (where the heck are these places??!) get to go to Turin! Apparently, the Rimini stadium was packed, with people camping out all night outside. Also apparently, it was quite hard to play against this enthusiastic home audience.

They're a sadly depleted side, of course. They've lost Mutu, Zambrotta, Emerson, Lilian Thuram and Cannavaro but they've still got Buffon, Nedved, Del Piero and Boumsong (the newcomer).

I love it. This is going to be a great season. Tomorrow they play Vicenza! The Adventures of Juventus in Serie B. Ah, glorious.



The Romeo Neri stadium in Rimini. Capacity: 10,000


By way of comparison:
The Delle Alpi stadium of Juventus, designed in 1990. Capacity: 67,229


Note the tiny but packed stalls, the encroachment of nature into t'playing field and the 'Hello we were Champions!!' sweatband.


Oh dear, Buffon. You let a ball through, didn't you? Rimini's Argentinian captain Adrian Ricchiuti (Adrian who? yay for the rare underdogs!) put that ball in.




Here is how the ecstatic Riminians (i biancorossi) reported it on their website:
Al 30' del secondo tempo con i biancorossi in 10 per l'espulsione di Cristiano avvenuta 6 minuti prima e con la Juventus in vantaggio per 1 a 0 il capitano del Rimini Adrian Ricchiuti con una rasoiata imprendibile per Gigi Buffon ha fatto esplodere di gioia il Romeo Neri siglando la rete che ha inchiodato la gara sul risultato di parità.
Don't you just love Italian? Ah yes, 'esplodere di gioa' indeed.

Buffon the cutie in philosophical mood, according to the Guardian:
"We had the wrong attitude. It wasn't the right mental approach. We have the qualities of a great side, but not the concentration. We have to forget all the success we have achieved and dive into the new adventure. Nobody is giving you anything for free here in Serie B. We will have 20 more away games like this at Rimini, small stadiums where home fans can become an important factor. We have to be ready for it."

Comments

[crowswing.livejournal.com]

The Adventures of Juventus in Serie B. Ah, glorious. precisely how i feel about all this, lol. i love what the juve boys have been saying about their little disaster, much talk of getting 'wake-up calls'. oh Buffy, youda thought youda known all of that before strutting out on the pitch. i really wish i could see Serie B matches, and not just because Juve's there now.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

I would actually love to be at one of those matches. Preferably the one held in the tiniest stadium with the obscurest club. I just would love to taste the atmosphere. It must be electric, among the other clubs' fans. To see their own little Serie B team play the giant Juventus!! I mean, at the West Ham:Cambridge Utd game I was at the home fans were falling over themselves with adulation and awe and hurling themselves at the feet of Hammers players, demanding autographs and kisses. I am happy to note that Rimini preserved more dignity and they DREW! What a triumph. Also, Buffon is teh cute and not at all put out. Such a nice attitude.

[crowswing.livejournal.com]

ugh, yes. :D
i love how levelled out it seems, that ability to play like hell against a bigger team and get to be fanboyish later. and seriously, since Juve really could stay down for a while, it should be fun to watch them adapt to the new, er, environs.
Buffon is just endlessly affable. well, not quite, but i just want to pat him sometimes. and the fact that i just typed this tells bleary me i need to turn the computer off and get some sleep.

[digdigil.livejournal.com]

I think this kind of thing is just lovely and so life-affirming somehow. And I don't mean that in any sort of mean-spirited way at all. It's actually good for the soul.

[betsyli.livejournal.com]

Yes, I actually like Juve a lot better now that they're in Serie B. They've lost that air of arrogance that they always had. (Well...that and Moggi.)

And good for the biancorossi, they seem so excited to play with big names like Del Piero and Buffon. (I shall remain faithful to my Azzurri-fangirl and not comment on the recent performances of those two. Particularly of the latter.)

[wanderlost.livejournal.com]

Kaka's brother plays for Rimini! He looks just like his brother, but taller with a little bit more baby fat. It's cute.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

omg, Kakás brother plays for Rimini?? Oh, that makes it all the more exciting!!! *is very, very, very excited*

*goes off to image-google*

Meeep!!!! How delicious!

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

*giggles at your late-night Buffonishness*

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree! After all that kerfuffle and scandal, I never believed they'd actually do it. I thought there'd surely be some last-minute sleaze and bribe to get Juve out of this mess and back to Serie A but no! It is actually happening! And that the playing field can be leveled -- I just love it. And you're right, it is totally life-affirming. Which made me google their stadium to begin with, :-)

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Who's Moggi? I never followed Italian club life until now so don't know what Juve was like but I can sure imagine them being arrogant as all get-out. So this humbling is lovely!

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Also: good on them for staying and not departing for Madrid or Barcelona! Good on you, Buffon!

[betsyli.livejournal.com]

Moggi is the former director of la Juve. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luciano_Moggi) He was obviously involved up to his eyeballs in the Italian calcio scandal. *rolls eyes*

I read somewhere that Rimini's total income in a week isn't enough to pay Juventus' weekly taxes. But I agree, humble Zebra-stripes are lovely!