If you are an Italian Australian, I’m sure you have been a target of constant criticism regarding the Italy Australia results. It has come to my attention that some ‘band wagon’ patriots have attempted the guilt trick on many Italian Australians as though it is their fault that Lucas Neill clumsily challenged Fabio Grosso in Australia’s 1 nil loss to Italy in the second round knock out clash of the Fifa World Cup.

Can SBS please save a lot of Italian Australians headaches and explain to the public why the penalty was awarded? We all know Fabio Grosso willingly went to ground as soon as he felt contact from Lucas Neill. But what the penalty was awarded for, was the fact that Lucas Neill slid to the ground at least one metre before Fabio Grosso was anywhere near him, thus causing an obstruction without attempting to tackle the ball from Grosso’s feet, and being the last defender and causing an obstruction and Fabio Grosso having to go over Neill as his direct path to goal, the penalty was awarded. All these things contribute to the overall decisions of referees.

In any case, Vincenzo Iaquinta was unmarked in front of goal. Everyone loves to point out how harshly Australia was done by. I’m an Australian supporter also, but we need to stress the point that Italy had at least 8 good scoring chances and Australia at the most had 3. The highlight reels all show Italy attacking. If Australia was so dominant where were they in the highlights? New football supporters need to learn that any team can tap the ball between themselves on half way. But the experienced teams use the ball effectively.

Nobody has even acknowledged how good Fabio Grosso’s run was to pass Australia’s best player (Italian Descent) Marco Bresciano, not once but twice, then dribbled around Neill and then winning the penalty. I know the dive was a bit much, but if this foul was committed outside the 18 yard box, if would surely be a free kick. If it was Tim Cahill diving to win a penalty down the other end, I’m sure nobody in Australia would complain if Australia won via the penalty spot. Fortunately for Italian fans, Cannavaro would never challenge an attacker in the same manner. That is the harsh truth, that Italy’s defence is the best in the World. Australia’s is good, but we have a lot to learn.

 In fact Cahill dived during the Croatia-Australia match attempting to win a penalty. I’ve never even heard it brought up, instead all I hear are claims of Italian match fixing with the Spanish referee. How can it be match fixed in Italy’s favour when referee Cantalejo sent Marco Materazzi from the field with a straight red card when it should have been a yellow at worst?

I think people in this country should learn the rules. It’s great that the whole country is talking about football, but there are a lot of “leaguies” that don’t know the rules, but claim that Australia should have lifted the World Cup instead of Italy. This is laughable. 8 months ago we struggled to qualify for this World Cup in Germany. The people of Australia were just wrapped to be there, praying for a respectable performance at best! The bandwagon jumpers, who know nothing of the game and have called all Ethnic Australians ‘wogs’ and ‘poofters’ for decades because they’ve played “Soccer”, are now claiming the game as their own and want to claim that Australia would have won the event altogether. Don’t you think this is a bit much? Maybe they were praying for a Greek Miracle, Euro 2004 style.

I have never heard anybody mention, besides SBS commentators including Simon Hill, that Japan should have had a penalty against Australia as Tim Cahill committed a foul when the score was 1-1, nor have I heard any complaints about Harry Kewell’s offside equalizer against Croatia. People have to learn that Football is not all one way. You take the good with the bad. All football fans know that Italy have copped many controversial calls over the years. Guus Hiddink’s South Korea controversially defeated Italy in 2002, with Tommasi’s goal being ruled offside when he wasn’t. Back then all Italians were labeled whingers. Now who are the whingers?

Is it only Italian footballers that dive? France didn’t win 2 penalties from simulation? England and Australia didn’t win free kicks from simulation? The English Premier League is renowned for diving, even the referees dive in England (the Paolo Di Canio referee push). I don’t hear anyone complaining about any diving apart from the alledged

Fabio Grosso dive. This can only be because :

a)      Italy defeated Australia.

b)      Italy won the 2006 Fifa World Cup.

c)      Australia heckles whoever defeats it, Australia heckles who it defeats.

For other countries that compete in any sport against Australia, it’s a loss – loss situation. 

Although I’m glad that the game is now growing in our great country of Australia, I’m not impressed with the labeling of the average Italian Australian being classed a ‘Cheat’, ‘diving wog’ or ‘match fixing wog’. Let’s not forget that it has been the Italians and all other ethnic European cultures that have built Football up in this country, all whilst the average Australian (we will call them 7th generation Australians) have claimed that rugby league is the be all and end all. A sport that is popular in 2 cities in Australia, and few mining towns in England, as Johnny Warren put it.

Band wagon experts, we shall call them, claim ‘Australia were robbed of lifting the World Cup’, ‘Grosso dived’, ‘the Italians match fixed it’, ‘If this is what soccer really is, I don’t think League has anything to worry about.’ One can determine that League supporters are actually worried. League now knows that it can not compete with the cultured world game.

In fact, I don’t see anything remotely British or Australian about our World Cup heroes. Sure there are a few British surnames on our players list. But arguably, the 3 most important players to Australia’s hopes are in fact Italian Australians – John Aloisi, Vince Grella and Marco Bresciano. The other parts of the team are made up from predominantly Croatian heritage, with a trickle of German, Macedonian and Greek, Guus Hiddink’s coaching mentality is a mix of all European styles. Band wagon experts heckled our Socceroos before the Uruguay game, but claimed them as their own once success loomed. It’s been the ‘ethnic Australians’ that have toiled hard for over 50 years just to get the Australian team to 2 world cups.

Believe me, no Italian Australian wanted to see Australia play Italy, as I’m sure no Croatian Australians wanted to see Australia play Croatia. Many Italian Australians chose Australia over Italy. Many stayed loyal to the Azzurri only because they believed that Australia had no chance to lift the trophy, and that Italy did. This was based on the fact that Italy at this stage were 21 games undefeated. Italy proved they are the world’s most in form team.

After every Italian victory according to the uneducated Australian commercial TV Stations, Australia ‘should have’ been playing in the semi-final – Australia ‘should be in the final’, and ‘It could have been Australia’s world cup’. It is obvious that these stations need to employ someone with just half the experience and knowledge of one of the SBS crew as they know nothing. You have embarrassed yourselves and offended many, and are also considered the laughing stock of the international game.

Before judging the average Italian Australian out of jealousy and spite, just think what Australia would be without Bresciano, Grella and Aloisi. I doubt Australia would have even qualified for the World Cup if not for Bresciano’s goal and Aloisi’s penalty that got us over the line, with Mark Schwarzer’s heroics contributing also. It can be said that Italy did learn something from Australia during that match. Italy learned to never give up, and displayed this against Germany by attacking until the death to win 2-0 in the last minutes of extra time, and against France by persevering to equalize, and believing in themselves instead of caving in when it came to the penalty spot.

Just think what this great country would be without Italian influence. A few pubs here and there and post war housing littering our suburbs. 20 years ago Capuccino and Espresso coffee were considered laughable, and now spaghetti Bolognese is the most popular dish. I’m not going to get too political, but I’m just trying to make a point, so that non Italian Australians at least have some respect for Italian Aussies and can begin to see things from the Italian Australian perspective.

Italian Australians have done more for Australia than most, if not all other nationalities. Italian Australians have done more for the Australian Socceroos than most, if not all other nationalities. We don’t want recognition or a claim that Italians are the best, but just some respect when Italy play Australia. Italian Australians don’t need footballs kicked through their windows with ‘diving wogs’ scribbled on them. Nonne (Italian grandmothers) should be able to go to bingo without being made to feel guilty just because Italy won the World Cup.

Italian commentators commented to Azzurri supporters in Italy that this victory is for the Italians abroad, as they have had to endure a racial beating from all other nations. Germany called Italians ‘greasy’. Australia labeled Italians ‘cheats’ and ‘divers’. Countless emails have been circulating the internet – ‘the hobbies of Fabio Grosso’, with Grosso kitted up in scuba diving gear. Well we can safely say now that the latest hobbies of Fabio Grosso include scoring last minute left foot screamers, and of course – lifting the Fifa World Cup!

It seemed that the whole of Australia was supporting France in the final, just to spite all Italian fans, as though Italy didn’t deserve to be there. Italy scored 12 goals in this World cup and conceded only 2, a freak own goal and the penalty that wasn’t against France in the Final. Not counting the play off for third (which in my view does not have the pressures of a knock out WC game), fellow Finalists France scored 9 and conceded 3 goals. Germany scored 11 goals and conceded 5. Portugal’s ratio was 6-1. Brazil’s ratio was 10-2. England’s was 6-2. Italy clearly was the best performing nation in this World Cup.

 It’s disgraceful that Australians behave in this way. Football is not a Commonwealth sport. It is the world game. Therefore don’t expect Australia to win the World Cup just because Australia win World Cups in other Commonwealth dominated events such as cricket and rugby. Australia winning the Fifa World Cup of Football is like Italy winning the Rugby world cup – a remote chance. Australia can not win everything. The Asian Cup is a much more realistic target.

Italians still respect all other cultures in Australia. They expect the same in return. Italian Australians will always support the Socceroos. I just hope that our Socceroo Football fans don’t attempt to implement the ‘hooligan’ mentality of the minority of English supporters by disrespecting any adversaries which stand in Australia’s path. Australia now plays in the Asian confederation. The last thing we need in our multi-cultural country are racist remarks made just because Australia will play Iran or Vietnam. Maybe the recent uneducated behaviour is proof that some Australians don’t respect other cultures.

It will take a while before Australia form a team to challenge for a Semi final place in the World Cup. Qualification is not automatic. Australia still must qualify for South Africa 2010. If we all work together, perhaps Australia will again be seen on the world stage.

Forza Australia – Forza Italia

David Ferrini

AusItalia.com