The Mayor of Bari has assured Marcello Lippi he will not receive a hostile reception despite freezing out local hero Antonio Cassano.
The media uproar over Cassano’s absence from the Italy squad has caused a very tense atmosphere for the April 1 World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.
The match will be hosted by Bari’s Stadio San Nicola and there are fears the local fans could turn against Lippi because of the Cassano snub.
“Bari is the city most tied to the Nazionale,” insisted Mayor Michele Emiliano ahead of the encounter.
“We will support Italy with all our passion from the opening whistle to the final kick of the game.”
This is going to be the eighth time the Azzurri have played in Bari and so far they have a 100 per cent record in this city.
The first event was a 3-1 friendly win over Czechoslovakia on December 14, 1947, while the most recent was a 2-0 Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland on March 28, 2007.
It would not be the first time that Italy have played to a hostile crowd on their own soil, as the 1990 World Cup semi-final in Naples was marred by some sections of the home fans supporting Diego Armando Maradona’s Argentina.
Florence was also a very tricky place for the Azzurri to play for several years, as the Viola supporters felt the international scene ignored its local club stars.
里皮因为没有招入巴里人心中的偶像---卡萨诺而引起巴里球迷的不满。而比赛由于在巴里Stadio San Nicola 体育场举行,而当地球迷可能会制造紧张的气氛。
“巴里这个城市和国家队紧紧相连,我们会至死不渝地支持国家队”Michele Emiliano 叔叔说道。。
巴里的第一次献给了1947年12月14号,意大利对捷克的友谊赛中。最近一场是08年欧冠资格赛对苏格兰。
这不是第一次意大利的球迷对在自己国家内的比赛充满了不满,上一次是1990年众所周知的世界杯半决赛,很多意大利人支持马拉多纳去了。。。。囧
佛罗伦萨的球迷也很不爽,因为比赛在我佛打了很多年,但是国家队对我们的球员给了太少的出场机会。