Comments on: The Trophy for the Freedom of Peoples http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/ Exploring football culture around the world. Thu, 16 Oct 2008 06:51:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Pitch Invasion » Lead Story » Viva World Cup Update http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-5330 Pitch Invasion » Lead Story » Viva World Cup Update Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:07:17 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-5330 [...] May, we reported on the The Trophy for the Freedom of Peoples, an international exhibition run by the Non-Fifa Board, which saw Padania defeat Tebet. Padania [...] [...] May, we reported on the The Trophy for the Freedom of Peoples, an international exhibition run by the Non-Fifa Board, which saw Padania defeat Tebet. Padania [...]

]]> By: toni http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-5072 toni Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:54:00 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-5072 grande grande

]]> By: SpanglyPrincess http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4799 SpanglyPrincess Mon, 26 May 2008 21:35:00 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4799 RS, thanks for that point which I think is very interesting. Certainly you are right that a great many people share serious doubts about the centralized Italian state, both per se and as it currently functions. Some of these are in the North, some of them vote Lega Nord; plenty don't vote for the Lega, and plenty are to be found in Central and Southern Italy and in the Islands. My piece was obviously short on the political analysis since this is after all a football site, and whatever one things about the legitimacy of rejecting the Italian state in its current form, the comparison between Padania and Tibet is unarguable specious. I suppose my problem with your argument is that I don't see much evidence here of people having any greater faith in regional or provincial government; I would say it's not simply anti-centrism but anti-government in more or less all its forms. RS, thanks for that point which I think is very interesting. Certainly you are right that a great many people share serious doubts about the centralized Italian state, both per se and as it currently functions. Some of these are in the North, some of them vote Lega Nord; plenty don’t vote for the Lega, and plenty are to be found in Central and Southern Italy and in the Islands.

My piece was obviously short on the political analysis since this is after all a football site, and whatever one things about the legitimacy of rejecting the Italian state in its current form, the comparison between Padania and Tibet is unarguable specious.

I suppose my problem with your argument is that I don’t see much evidence here of people having any greater faith in regional or provincial government; I would say it’s not simply anti-centrism but anti-government in more or less all its forms.

]]> By: R S http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4798 R S Mon, 26 May 2008 21:15:58 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4798 What is usually, this place included, ignored about the Padania movement is that despite its incoherent logic as to being a "people" it nonetheless catches a great deal of actual, real feelings a great deal of Northern Italians have about centralized government. Strip away the xenophobia and the inherent racism, which are alway easy scapegoats to disclaim any sort of argument, and what you are left with is an actual feeling of extreme disillusionment. The fact that the entire argument about Italy's status as a centralised country (rather than a a semi-federal [like Spain] or entirely federal [like Germany] state, which to a much larger degree captures the actually Italian national feeling, is constantly dismissed as irrelevant because of the Lega antics, actually is a main contributer to maintaining their momentum. As long as the serious issue of periphery-centrum cleavage line is not in some way mediated for in Italian politics, it will manifest itself in one way or another. "Free Padania" is actually an extreme consequence of something which is a long-time coming. What is usually, this place included, ignored about the Padania movement is that despite its incoherent logic as to being a “people” it nonetheless catches a great deal of actual, real feelings a great deal of Northern Italians have about centralized government. Strip away the xenophobia and the inherent racism, which are alway easy scapegoats to disclaim any sort of argument, and what you are left with is an actual feeling of extreme disillusionment.

The fact that the entire argument about Italy’s status as a centralised country (rather than a a semi-federal [like Spain] or entirely federal [like Germany] state, which to a much larger degree captures the actually Italian national feeling, is constantly dismissed as irrelevant because of the Lega antics, actually is a main contributer to maintaining their momentum. As long as the serious issue of periphery-centrum cleavage line is not in some way mediated for in Italian politics, it will manifest itself in one way or another.

“Free Padania” is actually an extreme consequence of something which is a long-time coming.

]]> By: Johnathan http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4792 Johnathan Sun, 25 May 2008 18:56:07 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4792 Catalunya and Castilla = Oil and Water Catalunya and Castilla = Oil and Water

]]> By: Ziredna http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4783 Ziredna Sat, 24 May 2008 21:10:49 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4783 Mailoc, ES719 et al... Unfortunately (4 u guys), Euskadi (sic), Galiza (sic), Catalunya (sic) are legally & politically part of Spain. Who are Puyol & Co. going to be playing football for this summer¿?¿ There you go... Sport & politics = Oil & water. Mailoc, ES719 et al… Unfortunately (4 u guys), Euskadi (sic), Galiza (sic), Catalunya (sic) are legally & politically part of Spain. Who are Puyol & Co. going to be playing football for this summer¿?¿ There you go… Sport & politics = Oil & water.

]]> By: ES719 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4782 ES719 Sat, 24 May 2008 20:20:34 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4782 EUSKADI!!! EUSKADI!!!

]]> By: Mailoc da Corunha http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4731 Mailoc da Corunha Thu, 22 May 2008 00:29:25 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4731 I meant: Galicia and also Catalonia and the Basque Country are nations in their own right I meant: Galicia and also Catalonia and the Basque Country are nations in their own right

]]> By: Mailoc da Corunha http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4730 Mailoc da Corunha Thu, 22 May 2008 00:28:06 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4730 Freedom for Galiza!!! We played Cameroon in Vigo last Christmas and got a draw...It doesn't really matter to win or tolose when you represent/support your REAL country...and Galicia (nor Catalonia nor Basque Country) are NOT Spain..We have our own language, culture and differentiated history...A NATION IN OUR OWN RIGHT...GALIZA CEIVE! (That's Galician for "Galicia Free") and all the "galicias" of these world Freedom for Galiza!!! We played Cameroon in Vigo last Christmas and got a draw…It doesn’t really matter to win or tolose when you represent/support your REAL country…and Galicia (nor Catalonia nor Basque Country) are NOT Spain..We have our own language, culture and differentiated history…A NATION IN OUR OWN RIGHT…GALIZA CEIVE! (That’s Galician for “Galicia Free”) and all the “galicias” of these world

]]> By: seanachie http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4633 seanachie Fri, 16 May 2008 08:48:52 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/05/12/the-trophy-for-the-freedom-of-peoples/#comment-4633 @ ursus You're right about the status of the Basque Country, who play friendly matches every year in the week before Christmas (St. Martin's Day, I think). Catalonia played Brazil in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup. Brittany also has a side that plays from time to time, the last being against Cameroon in Nanter in May 1998 but they're lining up on Tuesday next against Congo (the former French colony, not DR Congo) in St. Brieuc. Players on the Breton selection include Milan's Yohann Gourcuff and last season's Ligue 1 top scorer Steve Savidian of Valenciennes. @ ursus

You’re right about the status of the Basque Country, who play friendly matches every year in the week before Christmas (St. Martin’s Day, I think). Catalonia played Brazil in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup.

Brittany also has a side that plays from time to time, the last being against Cameroon in Nanter in May 1998 but they’re lining up on Tuesday next against Congo (the former French colony, not DR Congo) in St. Brieuc. Players on the Breton selection include Milan’s Yohann Gourcuff and last season’s Ligue 1 top scorer Steve Savidian of Valenciennes.

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