Football: When in Rome, do as they say

Andrew Baker provides a glossary of useful phrases for the travelling England fan

Andrew Baker
Saturday 04 October 1997 18:02 EDT
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Azzurri

The Blues; Italian national side

Nastro Azzurro

A lager

Dov'e lo Stadio Olimpico?

Can you tell me the way to the Olympic stadium?

Oppure il bar il piu vicino?

Or the nearest bar?

Tony Adams non e un asino

Tony Adams is not a donkey

E un bravo uomo

He is a fine upstanding fellow

Oggi

These days

Libero

Sweeper; also an incisive football columnist

Pallone torna a casa

Football's coming home

C'e solo un'Alan Shearer

There's only one Alan Shearer

Peccato che non gioca

Shame he isn't playing

Piume bianca

White feather

Stupidino, strapagato e posante

Overpaid posturing ninny

Attaccante potente di Juve

Thrusting Juventus striker

Un bravo tuffista

Accomplished diver

Secondo me i Italiani dipendono troppo dalla trappola di fuorigioco

In my opinion the Italians are over-reliant on the offside trap

Anche ostruendo

Also clogging

Falloso!

Foul!

Che schifo!

You dirty so-and-so

Figlio di puttana!

Your mother is of iffy morals

Anche il suo cane

As is your dog

Bravo centrocampista di Liverpool

Exciting Liverpool midfielder

Ragazzo Spice

Spice boy

Un distinto manager italiano

Distinguished Italian manager

Capelli infattibilimente oscuri

Unfeasibly dark hair

L'arbitro e...

The referee's...

Una certezza

A banker

Non cantate ancora

You're not singing any more

Goal!

Goal!

Adesso, cantate ancora

Now you are singing again

E l'ultimo fischio

There goes the final whistle

Moretti

Another lager

Pasta?

Pasta?

No grazie

No thank you

Hot dog

Hot dog

Carlsberg

Carlsberg

Se solo Wright a riuscito di arrivare a quello traversone...

If only Wrighty had got on the end of that cross...

Fa mi usare il tuo calcolatore, per piacere? Voglio computare le differenze di goal del secondo posto.

May I borrow your calculator? I would like to work out the second-place goal differences

Se solo abbiamo segnato sette contra Moldova

If only we had put seven past Moldova

Se solo Giggs non era di Galles

If only Giggs wasn't Welsh Carlsberg

Carlsberg

Bagno...

Toilet...

Oppure un arbusto?

Or bush?

Ehi, ciccione, puo spiegarmi la strada al aeroporto?

Hey, fatty, can you tell me the way to the airport?

Mi dispiace, signore. Non ho riconosciuto l'uniforme

I'm sorry, officer. I didn't recognise the uniform

Insisto per consultare un avvocato

I demand to see a lawyer

Forza , eh?

Up the Blues, eh?

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