Its a well known fact that Sky Sports doesn't like Italian football.  They have pundits who continually bash it (Only Gullit and Ray Wilkins defend it).  Andy Gray seems to despise it.

I personally thought the worst ever was on Sky Sports News.  They didn't an interview with the Sky Italia team.  It wound up with the Sky Italia team basically saying that English football was far more entertaining than Italian.  In my opinion it was pure theatre but anways.

The latest I feel is lowering official attendances on their website.  I know for a fact that a lot of Champions League figures are incorrect and are significantly lower than the offical figures on the UEFA website.  Tonight, it claims that the official attendance at the Roma game was 23,000.  Is this true.  I can't find an Italian source to see what they say was the attendance.  Would like to find out.

Anyways, the reasons for all this Italian bashing ?  I personally think its because in past year, a lot of Italian games were in direct opposition to their Spanish games.  Wether this is true or not, I don't know.

I'm drunk, but like you say in your last para, they have their own product to promote/support.

The Olimpico looked okay for attendance tonight, Bet365's commentators reckoned 45'000ish were there. 23'000 is more Lazio like.

Taking quotes out of context and/or changing them is usual in the media, but literally changing or making up facts shouldn't be on. I'm fed up arguing with anti-calcio people on other forums, for every one you might actually convince, there's another thousand out there who remain deluded and biased.

English Sky Sports always say negative things against italian football because it's in direct competition to the EPL and the Spanish league.

They also don't understand (or refuse to try and understand) the difference in culture between english and italian football so therefore italian football is bad; the league is bad, the style of play is negative or cheating, it's corrupt, roma fans want to hurt everyone etc etc

This used to bother me a lot, which other can probably attest to, since I don't watch much sky sports any more it doesn't so my advice is therefore don't watch it! Anyway what country is currently home to the world cup winners and the champions league winners?!
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Forza Roma!

I can't remember the circumstances, or the Champions League game involved, but there was a back-and-forth between Richard Keys and David Platt once where Keys said "Typical Italian mentally, goes down rather than tries to shoot. Why do Italians feel the need to dive?", Platt replies "He's not Italian, he's Brazilian." to which Keys says "Yeah, but you know what I mean, he plays for an Italian team..."

Bearing in mind that SKY only had representative channels in the UK and Italy at the time, I found this display of reactive xenophobia rather strange.

I still do.
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ACF FIORENTINA : FORZA LA VIOLA

Mezz wrote:

I can't remember the circumstances, or the Champions League game involved, but there was a back-and-forth between Richard Keys and David Platt once where Keys said "Typical Italian mentally, goes down rather than tries to shoot. Why do Italians feel the need to dive?", Platt replies "He's not Italian, he's Brazilian." to which Keys says "Yeah, but you know what I mean, he plays for an Italian team..." Bearing in mind that SKY only had representative channels in the UK and Italy at the time, I found this display of reactive xenophobia rather strange. I still do.

I think that was actually a discussion with Ray Wilkins about Mexes diving.  Same point though.  Keys hates Italians too.

This really annoys me too, Andy Gray is the worst one of the lot, he doesnt give Italian teams any respect at all, you can tell he doesnt have a clue what he's talking about in regards to Italian football

Andy Gray wrote:

Forget the two away goals. With one swing of Wayne Rooney’s boot on Tuesday night the whole mindset of the tie changed in an instant. The pressure has been heaped on Milan, and I believe that Milan side is ordinary. Not only will United get a result in Italy next week, they will beat Milan in their own backyard. I think they’ve got the Italians running scared - they’re not a great team and they know it. Sure, Kaka is brilliant but go through the team - the keeper is dodgy and the back four is creaking and should hold no fear for United’s forwards. Anything else to be scared of? Pirlo? No. Seedorf? No. Ambrosini? No. Gilardino? Definitely not.

Enough said.

Niall wrote:

Andy Gray wrote: Forget the two away goals. With one swing of Wayne Rooney’s boot on Tuesday night the whole mindset of the tie changed in an instant. The pressure has been heaped on Milan, and I believe that Milan side is ordinary. Not only will United get a result in Italy next week, they will beat Milan in their own backyard. I think they’ve got the Italians running scared - they’re not a great team and they know it. Sure, Kaka is brilliant but go through the team - the keeper is dodgy and the back four is creaking and should hold no fear for United’s forwards. Anything else to be scared of? Pirlo? No. Seedorf? No. Ambrosini? No. Gilardino? Definitely not. Enough said.

Yea I remember that from last year,

Its funny that Milan hammered them

I only have Sky Sports News so can't really comment on Sky, but I've always found Mark Lawrenson to have a prejudice against Italian sides.  He made one comment during the World Cup which seemed very dodgy indeed, and his radio commentary on the Juventus/Liverpool Champions League tie was a disgrace.

British journalism in general is very ignorant and xenophobic towards all foreign football, except Brazilian which they seem to love.
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Forza Juve!!!

Niall wrote:

Keys hates Italians too.

They're racist like that on the planet of the apes.
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L'uomo tigre

Tuten K wrote:

Its funny that Milan hammered them

Like f**k it was...
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ACF FIORENTINA : FORZA LA VIOLA

ok Milan beat them, you happy now?