The Fans: A Roma Fan Tells It Straight

By: Inara | September 14th, 2007

The last interview features one of my favorite bloggers, Chris, who runs the excellent Roma Offside. Many of you know him through his blog or his comments here (which can range from random banter to serious discussion). One of the reasons I asked him to answer some questions was to see how a fan of one of the big three leagues perceives Lyon. If you’re like me, an illogical and passionate supporter of Ligue 1, be prepared…

And no, I wasn’t thinking about how Roma cruelly dumped Lyon out of the Champions League last year, or how Spalletti keeps making eyes at Francois Clerc every six months, and how Fred keeps pimping himself out to Roma, or how Aulas tried to offer pocket change for Mancini, or…

When I think of Roma, this picture is what first pops into my mind.

Tell us a little about yourself. You’re an Italian by blood. Have you always supported the Azzurri? What about Roma?

Well, I played the sport competitively from 5 until 15, when my coach had a sit down with me and told me he’d pay to watch me play the other football because I had a penchant for stretchering off opponents (legality was irrelevant) and I was destined for more physicality. Plus I was more joga than bonito. Unfortunately, deep down I still have dreams of being the next really really poor homeless man’s Luca Toni, but the other sports worked out, so no complaints.

I can remember exactly what drew me in with the Azzurri: The Divine Ponytail. I grew to love the Azzurri over the course of USA ‘94 rooting with the fam, and The Penalty From Hell really clinched the deal. I was born in Boston, so choking on the biggest stage possible was always going to earn my love and adoration (at least in 1994). In fact, I still have a Baggio Azzurri shirt collecting dust somewhere. Roma I’m a little fuzzier on. It’s one of those things like the Red Sox, it feels like I’ve loved them since birth, but that isn’t nearly the case. The inception of the internet was big, because we hardly any access to the overseas sporting events that we do now. Then cable TV started picking up sporadic games and I turned into the certifiable fan that I am today. I’m sure this resonates with many American footy fans. But honestly, I can’t pinpoint where Roma began. It’s just been kind of a gradual things I’d been urged into many moons ago.

How do you feel about France (as a footballing nation)? Do you think that France and Italy will both qualify for Euro 2008?

Mama said if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Honestly, they’re my Yankees. I hate them. I hate them with a passion. And I don’t know why. I just do. I’ll be the first to admit that Italians don’t exactly project themselves as Mr. Collective Nice Guy, or have the squeakiest image, but the French just take it to the next level for me. The stuff they say just makes me wonder if they can be both that arrogant and that stupid at the same time (at least when it comes to Azzurri matches). However, at the same time I respect them, I respect their abilities and I respect their achievements. But I would love for them to fall off the face of the European map (this is how I endear myself to French blog readers).

But that said, intense rivalries are one of the main factors which makes sport such a wonderful thing. Without it, the victories wouldn’t be as sweet and we’d be filled with complacency. So I’m glad they’re around. Especially as long as Domenech is in charge. One of the best coaches the Azzurri have ever had.

And yes, both will qualify. I respect Scotland, but I feel very strongly that the Azzurri can beat them away and that’s the deciding game remaining in Group B. Plus I think Ukraine will beat the Scots anyway; a lot of people sleep on the ex-commies, but they’re very underrated. France has a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way, so if they can somehow convince themselves this isn’t ‘02 anymore and they are allowed to actually score goals, they’ll be fine. Just don’t take Ukraine lightly.

How often do you get a chance to watch Lyon? As a Serie A viewer, what are your thoughts on Lyon, and on Ligue 1 in general?

Nowadays I watch Lyon whenever possible, and that has nothing to do with last year’s Champions League. Although they come second to Marseilles for me, to which I have recently signed over my fan card on a permanent basis. Lyon is a very good team and as a fan of the sport I like watching good teams. It’s really that simple.

When it comes to Lyon, I’m a little undecided as to how I view them as a team. They do everything above average, but nothing really extraordinary as a team (putting aside Coupet and Juninho’s free placements-in-the-back-of-the-goal). They don’t exactly have a tactical identity, like Roma’s unique waves of attack, or Milan’s playmaking wizardry in the Christmas tree, or Chelsea’s long balls up to Drogba all…game….long, so tactically I don’t have much to say. A lot of teams do what they do, and most do it much worse. I don’t get overly-excited knowing they’re playing that day like I do with Bayern these days, or Barca. A very good, solid and composed squad that has won 6 titles in a row for a reason. (Although I was an immense Tiago fan, now I hope he acquires a third world STD - or at least one that only flares up before Roma games. Mourinho saying letting him go was his biggest mistake revealed quite a bit.)

I’m still of the belief that Ligue 1 is a lower-tier league (one notch behind the Bundesliga), even though they do produce some decent squads. I love Serie A for a lot of reasons, and none are bloodlines. I’d still take watching Cagliari v Udinese over nearly any other league’s games - outside of the G14 powerhouses - any day because of the focus on technicality and subtlety. Serie A to me is a competitive art, and La Liga is similar. I love the nuance and the skill that seems to depreciate once you start to move north and across channels (yes, that’s my daily underhanded shot at the EPL). The lack of league depth is another factor, that even the move ardent L1 supporters won’t argue with, and I think it detracts from what could be another big league. But I don’t hate L1, I’m just kind of indifferent. It’s like the cute, shy bookworm that you only ask to the prom if your top 5 options are all taken.

We always joke about whether a move from Lyon to Roma is lateral or not, but what do you think are the differences between the two teams (that is, why do you think an OL player would move to Roma but not vice versa)?

I won’t limit it to saying a Roma player wouldn’t move to L1, but I think the circumstances for each move would be vastly different nine times out of ten. I think Lyon has hit a point where they’re at equilibrium in terms of player movement. OL took a significant move back in the mercato this summer, and for a team still in the process of convincing big names in their primes that their club is a viable destination, I think that is a very poor step. What happens the first time somebody sneaks up on Lyon and takes the trophy in the last week of the season? Lyon loses 99% of its marketable allure for prospective players. A major selling point for OL is playing for a domestically invincible team. Almost a guaranteed trophy (or two). The way I see a Roma player moving, or someone in a similar position, is either if they’re very young and would not get playing time in Serie A or a player on the back end of their career looking to either resurrect himself or pick up a nice paycheck as they ride off into the sunset (hence Grosso, who was pimped all over Serie A without a bite).

Whereas Roma is a team on the up, a team that 2 years ago was a disaster and now a force playing some of the most beautiful football in Europe (it’s always a good sign when Arsene “I’d Rather Walk The Ball Into The Goal Than Win” Wenger praises your aesthetic, fluid style). They have one of the best young nuclei in all of Europe and the best player in Serie A, surrounded by some good and some great players. All under the tutelage of a tactical magician. This team is so good now, but still being built for the future - scintillating as a fan. The appeal isn’t solely in this team, it’s in what could be down the road.

There’s also the outside factors, like the city of Rome, which is gorgeous. The finances are largely negligible, but Roma can pay well above Lyon if they really want to (Totti makes 5.5m a year, De Rossi will approach 4..5 by January). Then there’s playing in one of Europe’s Big 3, which is the goal of any great athlete - to prove himself against the best. However, the biggest factor, the one which every player who pulls on the jersey voices, is the aura. There is so much passion, love and life surrounding the fans and stadium. We love our players unconditionally and they become superhuman icons to us. They are so much more than athletes, regardless of their country of origin. It’s hard to explain without feeling it, but there is such a special aura surrounding the club that draws people in. It’s why they’re called La Magica. It’s been said so often now, a win in Rome means more than in any other city. That sells itself.

There are just so many factors with players wanting to come to Rome. The football is certainly better this year, but on the other side, players talk of Rome almost in prose. Lyon is normally referred to as a stepping stone for most. You spend your prime at a club like Roma, usually you don’t at Lyon. That to me makes it a step above.

The one and only time Lyon and Roma met was during last year’s Champions League knockout rounds. When you first found out about the draw in December, what was your reaction? Did you expect a Roma victory, or were you worried that they might not make it to the quarterfinals?

I suppose I get to say this now with little question, but yeah, I did expect Roma to win, even though I will admit the life savings was never on the line. I think Lyon, especially Stade Gerland, was the perfect situation for them. Roma of 06-07 was a largely inconsistent team, but my God, when they’re on they can embarrass anybody. Unfortunately, in the same token, they can also get embarrassed.

One of the big worries I had with last year’s squad is their lack of “big game experience.” Outside of Francesco Totti, Christian Panucci and Simone Perrotta, Roma had next to zero international experience to speak of, nor much European experience. Daniele De Rossi is a World Cup winner, but I think everyone knows where he spent the majority of his time in Germany, not to mention being so young and of so few caps to start. Outside of those three, we had 10 or 12 relatively meaningless caps here and there, and little CL experience. This worried me if Roma was to draw a Bernabeu, or Anfield, or Old Trafford (where they eventually crapped their pants). Last year the team was a bunch of European neophytes. They were never going to be mentally prepared as a collective group for one of Europe’ historical giants.

I was so comfortable because Lyon does not have that history. That daunting presence of a giant. The stadium will not be roaring with thousands upon thousands of fans blood-thirsty for yet another expected and mandatory European trophy. There would obviously be butterflies, but far fewer than a team like Barcelona or Bayern would bring. And I’m always confident when Roma is playing at the Olimpico, regardless of the team. I think for a revamped team under a new coach and new system, Lyon was the perfect introduction. They could go into Stade Gerland like cocky kids and take them by storm without a care in the world and not be so apprehensive. And that’s what happened.

We made a wager a while back on whether Lyon or Roma would win the CL first. Imagine, for a moment, that both these clubs made it to the CL final in Rome in 2009. How do you think that game would unfold?

The first thing that comes to my mind here is squad turnover. While a lot of teams make just as many, if not more, changes during the course of the summer, Lyon gives up a lot of players considered “core performers”. I’m no Nostradamus, but there’s a good chance Lyon will lose a very influential player or two next summer. But should the squad talent level remain largely the same, then I don’t see how Lyon beats Roma in Rome. The native Romanisti take so much pride playing in their city, I cannot even fathom what levels of greatness they would reach in a game they would easily characterize as the biggest of their lives (even for Totti and De Rossi).

And while players like Mexes, Aquilani and De Rossi are still reaching new levels of stardom, the most consistently overlooked attribute Roma has to offer is Luciano Spalletti. I won’t purport to be an expert on Allain Perrin’s CV, abilities, or nuances, but Spalletti is a once-in-a-generation tactician and largely responsible for Roma of today. Many people forget Roma was fighting relegation, had their locker room torn apart by internal feuds and had Rome’s icon, Totti, nearly a Galactico before he came along. 2 years later Roma is a Scudetto favorite and significant competitor on the European stage. Regardless of the talent level for either club, I don’t think Perrin could out-think Spalletti in a game at the Olimpico for one second. The man is a tactical genius, and not many people outside of the boot know it. The players are great, but he has been the difference maker.

The Mancini stepovers will always be remembered by Lyon (as well as Fred bloodying up Chivu). Does Mancini do that often, or was that just an inspired moment from him?

Mancini does those types of things every now and again, but he’s no Cristiano Ronaldo (he was originally a RB, where stepovers are poo-pooed). Nor is he the best trickster on the team, that award goes to Rodrigo Taddei - whose Aurelio still goes down in my book as the best trick of last season, no matter the size or magnitude of the game in which Mancini decided to dazzle the world. I feel like my ankles are going to break even just watching Taddei’s move. I’m sure a few Lyon fans remember Rodrigo anyway…

I give a lot of crap to Reveillere, but what was he going to do? 99% of players would have looked like utter fools on that play. I would have done the same thing. Actually, I might have just kicked Mancini in the face and taken the penalty, red, and some orange slices in the locker room. I would never complain if Reveillere pulled on a Giallorossi kit in the future. I’d still take him any day of the week.

Oh if only this moment could be wiped from OL’s history…

Is there a particular Lyon player you admire? And if you could take one OL player to Rome, which one would it be?

I don’t know enough about them personally to make a comment, because a lot of the time off-the-field personalities factors into my thinking when it comes to respect. The obvious choice would be Fabio Grosso, because what he did for us in Germany was simply magical, and there aren’t many better stories than his. But if I had to go with someone I’m not inherently biased towards, I would have to say Gregory Coupet. He’s so underrated, yet he’s still regarded as one of the best keepers in the world, which I believe says quite a bit. Unfortunately, I think part of his lack of credit is his own fault, while the other part resides with Fabien Barthez and Ray Ray Dum Dum. Barthez does play well for France, as scary as he may be a times, but I still feel Coupet should’ve been tapped on the shoulder much more often earlier in his career when it came to Les Bleus. The other aspect of this is that I feel had he moved to one of the Big 3, the rest of the world would truly know how damn good he really is. Not that he’s in Gigi’s league or anything (of course I had to throw that in there).

As for that one player, I’m torn between Kallstrom and Bodmer. Neither are really fast enough for the Spalletti system, and neither Keita nor Ben Arfa are disciplined enough, even though most people would pick them to do well in the system. I really love Bodmer, but there’s nowhere for him to play now that Aquilani has turned into a superstar overnight when it was supposed to take a few years. If I was starting a team from scratch, though, it would be Bodmer easy. One of the most underrated players in Europe. Apparently by Perrin too.

One of Roma’s newest recruits, Ludovic Giuly, is a graduate from OL’s youth academy and a Gerland favorite (he has a stage named after him). How has he been received by Roma and their fans?

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve had an illogical, irrational, and unjustified hatred of Giuly for years, and I can’t really tell why. But now I love him, and I still don’t know why. Maybe it’s because the team loves him, especially Philou (Mexes), who was starting to feel all lonely in his Frenchness after Ricardo Faty left.

But overall the fans love him. To the point where you start to wonder what form of cancer he’s cured recently. A lot probably has to do with Totti specifically calling out for his arrival, reportedly flying to Barcelona to convince him to join the boys in yellow & red. As Totti goes, we go (we’re easy like that). Lulu’s still been rather inconsistent in his movement once he gets the ball, but off the ball he is a nuisance and a pest and is all kinds of wonderful things for opposing defenses. Good to have in the bag. We’re pleased.

What is your opinion on Jean-Michel Aulas? Savior or devil in disguise?

For Lyons fans: savior. Everyone else: Lucifer. He’s great for his team, but a nuisance for anyone else. He’s not really a problem, but just kind of like a gnat buzzing in your face that distracts you from getting stuff done. Like the Mancini thing. Ulterior illusions aside, what was he doing? Offering up $50,000 for a $75,000 car? Who really takes him seriously unless they’re a) a French club, or b) looking to buy one of his players. And he has OL’s best interests in mind, but he’s like the parent with the B student who won’t stop talking about how their kid is Ivy league bound.. Better yet, he’s like this girl Katie I knew from back in the day. I went to private school but a buddy of mine who stayed public told me about the day she got into her numero uno school and started waving it around and shoving it in everybody’s face like she was Queen of Everything, when the school isn’t anything special (we’ll call it “Coston Bollege”). Then when I saw her that next summer she wouldn’t wipe that smarmy look off her face until I had a few choice words - or “critiques” - for her awesome school. At which point she walked off with her tail between her legs. That’s JMA to me (and I was Prade laughing off his offer for Mancini). He’s Katie with the skewed perception.