THE Arsenal v Bayern BumBoys 9th/10th April 2024

[Redarmy]

An absolutely horrendous draw imo All the best teams in our half.

I( dont think it is a bad quarter final draw tbh, but I agree that the semi final is a nightmare - we should have enough to beat bayern who are in turmoil with half the squad not liking tuchel, and they have a very average midfield, but I do worry about their wingers against our full backs.

will have to face them sometime...bring it on

[Retro Gunner]

Shows how weak the Italian game is these days. A few years ago it would have been impossible to imagine the CL quarter finals without at least one Italian club in there. I find it sad, as I always enjoyed Italian football and they were a major force.

I know some people don't think it's possible to follow a foreign side, but Juve have always been my team in Italy...always kind of viewed them as an Italian version of Arsenal, football royalty in Italy, as we are over here. Also have a soft spot for Atalanta in recent years, having been to Bergamo a couple of times and enjoyed it. They punch above their weight.

Yes Retro your right right about Juventus, although Torino fans wont agree

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

[Redarmy]

Shows how weak the Italian game is these days. A few years ago it would have been impossible to imagine the CL quarter finals without at least one Italian club in there. I find it sad, as I always enjoyed Italian football and they were a major force.

I know some people don't think it's possible to follow a foreign side, but Juve have always been my team in Italy...always kind of viewed them as an Italian version of Arsenal, football royalty in Italy, as we are over here. Also have a soft spot for Atalanta in recent years, having been to Bergamo a couple of times and enjoyed it. They punch above their weight.

Yes Retro your right right about Juventus, although Torino fans wont agree

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

[Retro Gunner]

Shows how weak the Italian game is these days. A few years ago it would have been impossible to imagine the CL quarter finals without at least one Italian club in there. I find it sad, as I always enjoyed Italian football and they were a major force.

I know some people don't think it's possible to follow a foreign side, but Juve have always been my team in Italy...always kind of viewed them as an Italian version of Arsenal, football royalty in Italy, as we are over here. Also have a soft spot for Atalanta in recent years, having been to Bergamo a couple of times and enjoyed it. They punch above their weight.

Yes Retro your right right about Juventus, although Torino fans wont agree

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

Very true Red. I love Italy and would like to live there, but many Italians tell me that it's a bureaucratic nightmare. It's always very different visiting a place and living there, but I've spent a lot of time in Italy and it seems to suit me. Still retains a lot of the older ways that England, especially London, has lost. Manners for one thing.

[John F]

Shows how weak the Italian game is these days. A few years ago it would have been impossible to imagine the CL quarter finals without at least one Italian club in there. I find it sad, as I always enjoyed Italian football and they were a major force.

I know some people don't think it's possible to follow a foreign side, but Juve have always been my team in Italy...always kind of viewed them as an Italian version of Arsenal, football royalty in Italy, as we are over here. Also have a soft spot for Atalanta in recent years, having been to Bergamo a couple of times and enjoyed it. They punch above their weight.

Yes Retro your right right about Juventus, although Torino fans wont agree

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

At last a bit of culture on this forum, A Tale of Two Cities.

[Stuart L (2)]

Shows how weak the Italian game is these days. A few years ago it would have been impossible to imagine the CL quarter finals without at least one Italian club in there. I find it sad, as I always enjoyed Italian football and they were a major force.

I know some people don't think it's possible to follow a foreign side, but Juve have always been my team in Italy...always kind of viewed them as an Italian version of Arsenal, football royalty in Italy, as we are over here. Also have a soft spot for Atalanta in recent years, having been to Bergamo a couple of times and enjoyed it. They punch above their weight.

Yes Retro your right right about Juventus, although Torino fans wont agree

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

At last a bit of culture on this forum, A Tale of Two Cities.

Plenty of culture down in the basement, my friend, normally a tale of 2 titties

[John F]

Yes Retro your right right about Juventus, although Torino fans wont agree

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

At last a bit of culture on this forum, A Tale of Two Cities.

Plenty of culture down in the basement, my friend, normally a tale of 2 titties

[Redarmy]

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

At last a bit of culture on this forum, A Tale of Two Cities.

Plenty of culture down in the basement, my friend, normally a tale of 2 titties

Heading down to the basement as we speak

[Nick Nack]

Shows how weak the Italian game is these days. A few years ago it would have been impossible to imagine the CL quarter finals without at least one Italian club in there. I find it sad, as I always enjoyed Italian football and they were a major force.

I know some people don't think it's possible to follow a foreign side, but Juve have always been my team in Italy...always kind of viewed them as an Italian version of Arsenal, football royalty in Italy, as we are over here. Also have a soft spot for Atalanta in recent years, having been to Bergamo a couple of times and enjoyed it. They punch above their weight.

Yes Retro your right right about Juventus, although Torino fans wont agree

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

Very true Red. I love Italy and would like to live there, but many Italians tell me that it's a bureaucratic nightmare. It's always very different visiting a place and living there, but I've spent a lot of time in Italy and it seems to suit me. Still retains a lot of the older ways that England, especially London, has lost. Manners for one thing.

I got married in Italy, in the area of Chiana and have travelled North to South. Lovely country, especially Tuscany and Puglia. We have Italian friends, but I'm not sure I would live there.
The North South divide is still strong and how they view the other half is still strong

[cameron326]

Look at it this way. We have a decent shot at beating Bayern. Then in the semis we either face Madrid - which is doable to set up a really winnable final. Or we get two games to kick lumps out of Man City and hopefully destroy their title challenge.

[Stuart L (2)]

Look at it this way. We have a decent shot at beating Bayern. Then in the semis we either face Madrid - which is doable to set up a really winnable final. Or we get two games to kick lumps out of Man City and hopefully destroy their title challenge.

I like your way of thinking

[Retro Gunner]

Yes Retro your right right about Juventus, although Torino fans wont agree

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

Very true Red. I love Italy and would like to live there, but many Italians tell me that it's a bureaucratic nightmare. It's always very different visiting a place and living there, but I've spent a lot of time in Italy and it seems to suit me. Still retains a lot of the older ways that England, especially London, has lost. Manners for one thing.

I got married in Italy, in the area of Chiana and have travelled North to South. Lovely country, especially Tuscany and Puglia. We have Italian friends, but I'm not sure I would live there.
The North South divide is still strong and how they view the other half is still strong

I've stayed in both Cortona and Perugia, both very close to the Val di Chiana. Cortona is lovely and Perugia very nice too. You're right that both Tuscany and Puglia are cracking places and I'm fortunate to have seen a lot of both regions. By virtue of doing business in Italy, as well as visiting for pleasure, I've seen more of Italy than I've seen of England. As with you Nick north to south, from the foothills of the Alps to the southern most tip of Puglia, which I'd recommend for great beaches btw. The one place I've never made it to, despite almost going on a few occasions, is Sicily. Must get there sometime.

[Nick Nack]

Yep, that's true Red. They lost a top side in a plane crash on the hill of Superga, just outside Turin in the late 1940s. Bad fog and wind and rain.
Turin is a very nice City, architecturally more French than Italian, or so it seems to me.

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

Very true Red. I love Italy and would like to live there, but many Italians tell me that it's a bureaucratic nightmare. It's always very different visiting a place and living there, but I've spent a lot of time in Italy and it seems to suit me. Still retains a lot of the older ways that England, especially London, has lost. Manners for one thing.

I got married in Italy, in the area of Chiana and have travelled North to South. Lovely country, especially Tuscany and Puglia. We have Italian friends, but I'm not sure I would live there.
The North South divide is still strong and how they view the other half is still strong

I've stayed in both Cortona and Perugia, both very close to the Val di Chiana. Cortona is lovely and Perugia very nice too. You're right that both Tuscany and Puglia are cracking places and I'm fortunate to have seen a lot of both regions. By virtue of doing business in Italy, as well as visiting for pleasure, I've seen more of Italy than I've seen of England. As with you Nick north to south, from the foothills of the Alps to the southern most tip of Puglia, which I'd recommend for great beaches btw. The one place I've never made it to, despite almost going on a few occasions, is Sicily. Must get there sometime.

I've never made it to Sicily either, although was on the verge when the pandemic restrictions made it nigh on impossible.
Sardinia is nice and a bit different from the mainland. And if you haven't been there I highly recommend Lecce, although the road network in Lecce can be challenging

[Retro Gunner]

A lot of nice cities out there Retro....

Very true Red. I love Italy and would like to live there, but many Italians tell me that it's a bureaucratic nightmare. It's always very different visiting a place and living there, but I've spent a lot of time in Italy and it seems to suit me. Still retains a lot of the older ways that England, especially London, has lost. Manners for one thing.

I got married in Italy, in the area of Chiana and have travelled North to South. Lovely country, especially Tuscany and Puglia. We have Italian friends, but I'm not sure I would live there.
The North South divide is still strong and how they view the other half is still strong

I've stayed in both Cortona and Perugia, both very close to the Val di Chiana. Cortona is lovely and Perugia very nice too. You're right that both Tuscany and Puglia are cracking places and I'm fortunate to have seen a lot of both regions. By virtue of doing business in Italy, as well as visiting for pleasure, I've seen more of Italy than I've seen of England. As with you Nick north to south, from the foothills of the Alps to the southern most tip of Puglia, which I'd recommend for great beaches btw. The one place I've never made it to, despite almost going on a few occasions, is Sicily. Must get there sometime.

I've never made it to Sicily either, although was on the verge when the pandemic restrictions made it nigh on impossible.
Sardinia is nice and a bit different from the mainland. And if you haven't been there I highly recommend Lecce, although the road network in Lecce can be challenging

Been to northern Sardinia almost 20 years ago, but would like to go to the south east, not far from Cagliari. I’ve only driven past Lecce, but haven’t been into the town, but have seen a lot of Puglia. Do business with people in Altamura, which is just inland from Bari and the bread in Altamura is renowned as the best in Italy. The food in Puglia is really good generally, as you’ll know.

Are your friends in Lecce? If you drive an hour or so south to the very tip of the heel you’ll be in Santa Maria de Leuca and up the west coast from there are the beaches I mentioned. Don’t go in high summer though as it’s mobbed with Italian holiday makers.

On another note, if you liked Sardinia, try Corsica. French instead of Italian for the last 250 years but the south east is fabulous. Obviously I don’t know all the Mediterranean islands, but it’s my favourite of those to which I’ve been.

Sorry for boring everyone else!

[A11M11]

Sicily is nice if you avoid Taormina which is one giant tourist trap , we took the ferry Calabria to Messina and drove round for a week . Lovely people very worth visiting.