The problem is how highly contagious it is. The insane number of patients in northern Italy has been creating an absolute chaos. And it's slowly spreading everywhere. And it's not something you can just shrug off at home, you need proper medical attention because it causes serious respiratory complications that if not properly cared for, could become dangerous.

It's an epidemic, regardless of how you see it. And it's a serious issue.

What bugs is how easily people fall into panic. Lines and lines in supermarkets raiding everything, as if it's the zombie apocalypse or something. Jeez...

No it's not, not strictly. There's a reason Italy's struggling more than any other nation - you have the most number of elderly in Europe - by quite a distance. This is just a horrible flu bug killing the vulnerable as any does - the simple difference here is there's no vaccine. Yet.



That's the media using this bug for attention, for traffic to fund their sponsors and adverts.

No one cares when 200 Syrians get blown up or 50 Palestinians die or 60 Isralis - so the news doesn't bother with those stories.

But they do care when there's an apparent new superbug killing folk close to home in Europe and there's no 'cure'. So that's a goldmine for news outlets. It wouldn't even have made the news in Europe had it not been for our people being in Wuhan and needing to be brought home.

All about profit and picking and choosing what stories are worth attention.

And it leads to panic buying. And panic reactions. The sooner this f*cking story fades and people can calm down the better.

I mean we even had our Prime Minister showing folk how to wash their hands. As if that stops you getting the flu. And the masks too, they're useless.

All of these things only stop the infected spreading it further, and by the time you're diagnosed, you already have.

So, Italian football done till next month. Possibly the season to be cancelled. Safe to say this forum will be even deader than it currently is.

Best wishes to you all and while I'll still check in, I doubt I'll see anyone.

I know people who work in hospitals in Milan. They say the media don't tell the full story. This is much worse than what the general public is aware of. There's a huge number of youngsters in their 20s who have severe pneumonia and need respirators. It's not just the elderly.

WHO just declared it a pandemic, the deaths in Italy only for today 12 March were 196. The prime minister issued a decree that closes everything, and I mean everything in the whole country. Only pharmacies and supermarkets remain open. It's going to be a struggle.

Media haven't told any story. They've given next to no data on the nature of the sufferers.

PS how many of those youngsters are smokers...

EDIT: I don't mean to sound a cold b*tch, I am aware of the dangerous situation here, but this virus is finite - it's stopped growing in Wuhan, in China, because of the lockdown.

Unfortunately that's what Europe needs to do.

A complete lockdown on air travel between nations and lots of self isolation for the next month.

Hello guys,

Hope everyone is safe. Stay at home.

Special thoughts to our members in Italy.. Take care.

Agreed. Everyone be safe and hold on.

Best wishes to you all. Stay indoors, be responsible, and take the measures.

This thing will pass if we're diligent.

Good luck people.

Just checking in... Hope you guys are keeping well and everyone is good.

Stay safe & stay as positive as you can during these uncertain times.

There are many negatives to be highlighted at this time, but I think if we look deep enough we can find our silver linings. Let's use this time to develop our compassion and comradeship.

We're all going to face this with varying degrees of difficulty, due to the challenges it provides us with personally and depending on how conditioned (strong) our mindset is, but...

Suffering without growth would be a shame, so let's not miss whatever lessons these circumstances provide us with along the way (individually & collectively).

Our best chance to overcome this is together. Help whoever you can (& that includes yourself). If you are struggling in anyway (even if that means mentally or emotionally, do not feel ashamed to reach out to someone for help).

Hi Trini, good to see you. I too have been checking in occasionally.

He's not been posting but X is ok, and I couldn't tell you about the others.

Unfortunately in the UK this has brought out the worst in people - you discover someone's true character when they're under pressure in a crisis, and the UK population is not holding itself well.

So while I wish it was the time for people to change in a good way, it's mostly the opposite. For every one kind soul trying to help their elderley neighbour with shopping, there's 10 barging past people in the supermarket, ignoring government guidelines and generally behaving poorly.

But, hopefully this thing will pass sooner rather than later, but unfortunately I have kind of already written this whole year off.

Hey all, I hope you're all doing well.

Over here on our tiny island things seem under control. Thankfully Italy also seem to be coming out of this after all their hardships.

Stay safe.

Hello all,

Miss you dearly. Stay safe. I'm doing good, and I'm actually currently been recruited for one year to work on a coronavirus related research project in the hopes of developing some effective anti-virals. So yes, currently working.

Hope Milan games will resume soon and we'll be seeing some more activity here.

Take care

Hi you two, glad you're both well.

Unfortunately Britain is about a month behind Italy so we'll not see a real tangible consistent improvement till around next month or so.

Good to see Italy is finally coming out of this, and Malta too.

PS German football resumes in a week - we'll finally have live sport to watch again!

I'll take that - been stuck with horse racing for about 6 weeks

I've been watching classic matches (Euro and WC finals, CL finals and big games) weeks long,... must say it's a bit relaxing, drowning into the old days. Some things got clearer now.

Hi Pippo. And tbh watching the old stuff only makes me yearn for it. Both my teams are terrible, football is corrupt, and looking back at the days when players were the real stuff will just depress me. Which is all the UK is showing right now, and I just get saddened by it.

Here's a question: has anyone dared re-watching the 2005 CL final? I only saw once the extended highlights. Still to this day I think it is the weirdest, and most unfair final win by any team. Dominating for 112 minutes, wasting so many scoring opportunities, and yet get punished by a 6-minute blackout.

Sheva's 120th minute miss transcends the logic of physics.

I swear, if we hadn't attained our revenge in 2007 that final would have haunted me for life.

EDIT: https://youtu.be/gL2Bcp5tWrg?t=146

How do you watch the old matches? Do you have special access or a streaming service to share?

Until German football lately, it's all the TV channels were showing tbh. Nothing else they could show. If he's watching via another medium, then I'm obviously unaware

PS it's looking like Europe is starting to see the light now - Italy, Spain and UK now really getting on top of this thing, Germany already were.

I see this place is as lively as always.

League starts next week, tomorrow Juve-Milan for the Coppa semi-final second leg.

*waves*

It was kinda dead thanks to the club being so atrocious, corona just made it 20x worse.

But thanks for the heads up on the coppa, had no idea!

It's on in the UK so I can watch us lose!

As for your XI, not bad - don't like Bennacer or Calabria though. Is Theo injured? I know Ibra got a bad one. Want to see more of Krunic as well.

Actually my own team:

-----------Donna

Conti------Kjaer---Romag-----Theo

----Kessie----Jack/Krunic-----

Leao/Jack--------Hakan--------Rebic

-------------Ibra

I'm kinda making this up, no clue who's actually available.

PS I'd probably put Jack more withdrawn these days. Doesn't score or assist anything like he used to, more useful as a CM/DM now - doesn't have the legs nowadays either.

Theo and Ibra are suspended. Ibra is also injured.

Interesting though you omit Bennacer. 50M offers from City and PSG recently, many outlets calling him the biggest revelation of our season and one of our best players. Which I wholeheartedly agree. Said it from day one, it was a great signing. Hopefully we don't sell him.

Pretty sure there's only been one 30M offer from PSG? The 50M thing is his release clause. Which no one has met?

I mean fair enough, clearly there's interest, both Manchester clubs and PSG. Apparently.

Ah good to be arguing about this sh*t again

Yeah sorry, 50M was the release clause.

Our players are simply dumb.

Conti raising his elbow like that.

Rebic with an idiotic karate kick.

Calabria stupid by default.

Three month layoff and they come back exactly as they left. If anyone thought this whole thing would be a bit of a hard reset in ANY sense, wrong!

tbf we played better as it went on and maybe could have actually won it.

Kjaer was probably our best player. He's probably my favourite these days.

In case anyone cares, new manager. I think. Former Schalke and Leipzig dude Ralph Ragnek.

Well, we've known that since December. It's the reason why Boban left. Because Gazidis signed him without consulting neither him nor Maldini.

I really don't know him. I only know that for the last season he was employed by Red Bull as head of sport.

He's won stuff. Already makes him an upgrade.

Yeah, I guess so. Albeit a German cup and Super Cup isn't exactly an admirable palmarès.

Lecce tonight. Hopes?

With the new coach almost here. Don't think there is an incentive for Pioli. Not sure about hopes.

On another hand, I do wish the club well and would like to see them back in Europe.

We are so bad.

How nicely we slept after the first 30 mins was amazing. Its going to be a good struggle.

Why is VAR not being used.anyway we have scored again so 2-1 up

I don't know man, sometimes our players look like absolute amateurs. The mistakes they make are mind boggling.

And now penalty. Gabbia with a lame foul. Great idea was send Caldara away, wasn't it?

Well, that was quick.

1-4 FT

What an underwhelming game. Lecce were absolutely terrible yet we looked bad as well despite winning 4-1.

FT 4-1 win but lecce are quite crap.

I think I just discovered a new rule in football I wasn't aware of. The offside rule is not valid in your own half (referring to Rebic's goal). Can't believe in 20 years of watching this game I never came across it.

That, or I just didn't pay enough attention to it.

Waaaaaait. You really didn't know you can't be offside in your own half?!

Haha

Same rule also points out you can't be offside from a throw in. From anywhere on the pitch.

It wasn't used because it was offside. If you're meaning Lecce's disallowed goal.

The point of VAR is the assistent refs review anything contentious and significant, and if they believe the ref's initial call is wrong, or in doubt, they tell him he has the option to review it.

If he gets the signal his call was right, no need to review.

Yeah, I knew about the throw in cos I've seen that many times during games. But honestly I think this is the first time I've seen a counterattack from a long ball starting from your own half while being way ahead of the last defender.



I think he was referring to Lecce's penalty.

It's such a potent method of attack, rarely used because it means effectively missing out half the pitch. But deadly if you nail it.



Well again - if the ref is happy with his call, he won't consult VAR - and if they say 'no need to review' that affirms it.

So we don't know what was said in his earpiece, but we must bear in mind - it's an assistant, and it's not going to be used every time.

Nor should it.

We playing roma. With same side. Been average till now

Calhanoglu needs to wake the **** up.

Such a lazy performance. You can clearly tell the players don't give a f*ck.

What's more evident is how nobody really takes initiative. They all resort to the simple solution which requires less effort. Don't know if it's just laziness or lack of quality. Probably both.

We scored, 2nd half been positive as well. Butbifbwebgoball out defensive then will concede likely. Need to keep the pressure

2 nill up from the spot.

Great result and 2nd half