The Offside article - with a charming 'grass is greener' penultimate paragraph.

Certainly a positive move for coverage of football (I only hope the BBC will follow suit), though I wonder why RAI are doing it. Is it that they fear it'll expose another calciopoli?

And what the hell will they show to fill up the airtime?

I was thinking about mentioning this yesterday.

A few points:

1) they haven't banned it completely, what they have said is that they will only review three decisions per weekend.

2) much to the regret of those of us who discovered Italian football through 90 Minuto and Domenica Sportiva, RAI have been dramatically marginalised in terms of football coverage in Italy. RAI have no live league football above Serie C on satellite, don't cover the Coppa before the quarters (and broadcast matches on Thursday afternoons from empty stadiums) and have limited coverage of European club football. There was even an entire season when they had no rights to Serie A highlights at all (imagine MOTD limited to the Championship). Much as is the case in Britain, football is dominated by pay television (primarily Sky Italia and the Mediaset digital platforms), as supplemented by over the air coverage from non-RAI stations owned by Berlu (Contracampo, which the article mentions, is such a programme), and endless coverage on a host of local cable and satellite stations (the source of the clips I've sometimes posted of insanely biased hometown commentators, scantily clad women holding clipboards and other nonsense).

None of those outlets (all of which engage in endless "moviola" analysis) have said that they will follow RAI's lead in this respect.

So, my bottom line is that this is not much more than RAI trying to make some news during the silly season.

But isn't the discussion of the 3 incidents going to be a separate programme?

Sure, the other companies haven't said they'll follow suit, but isn't there a chance they might do if the RAI change is seen to be a success?

I'm not sure that they've committed to a separate programme, as opposed to a separate segment. The fact that they are currently calling it "The Supreme Court" indicates that they aren't exactly downplaying the moviola.

What would "success" mean in this regard? I actually think that there is currently a certain degree of moviola overload on Italian tv, but that's because there is probably 24 hours of coverage a weekend. It attracts viewers and sells advertising time. It may be scaled back a bit, but it ain't going to go away.

It's shit and I hope it goes away for good.

There will be 3 "episodes" shown for each round of matches, apparently, on RAI's football programmes. Importantly, in theory (should be interesting if it actually works in practice) they will be selected and examined (analysed and explained) more as a teaching tool than as a stick to beat the ref and Italian football generally, over the head with, and plain just have a row.

A representative of the Italian ref's association will be on the shows to provide his expert input. Collaboration not confrontation.

The main reason seems to be that the head of Rai Sport, De Paoli, wants to put the emphasis on the tactical and technical side of a football match and football generally and less on controversy, squabbling and "bar sport" level commentary.

This is good news as unlike MOTD there are sometimes good minds on RAI's football programmes, ex players and journalisty types. They can talk more about how the pattern of game changed and why etc (De Paoli hopes) instead of 100 clips and endless droning on about whether Legrottaglie looked at Milito in a funny way.

Mind, De Paoli is keen on using technology for real time decisions on the pitch, to nip any controversy in the bud as it were. Hmmm.

Though, as Blatter seems to have shown, away from the immediate blaze of publicity around refereering decisions, it is easier for the powers that be to softsoap those calling for the use of technology during games, without introducing such measures.

Never fear terrestial TV watchers Berlusconi's channel's Controcampo are committed to the moviola it seems. De Paoli says he isn't bothered about ratings etc, but we'll see if that holds, should they lose lots of viewers.

It is probably a bit more complicated than that, but that seems to be the gist of it.

Tombolini, the ex ref who was responsible for the moviola on Domenica Sportiva (RAI's Sunday night MoTD equivalent) is a pain and seems to be there as the butt of everyone's jokes as much as anything. During the World cup he was getting increasingly lathered/frightening about the use of technology during games.

He was passionately advocating its use even for episodes like the David Villa onside/offside goal vs Portugal! It would only take five seconds to tell, he beamed, maniacally.

RAI ran a mock test using actual film of an incident in one game and he was miked up playing the part of the "third umpire" (fourth or fifth official?) from the studio (like Lorna Luft on stage and old footage of Judy Garland on a screen to the side).

I think it was the Lampard non-goal, but I may not have remembered that correctly. 11 seconds it took I think. He thought this was terrific and no loss to the rhythm of the game. He will be a sad(der) man this morning.

It does appear a little strange coming at a time when TV companies and many other parties seem to be pushing for the use of on-pitch technology.

Limited moviola and no Teo Teoccoli (Absurdly popular Italian comic/impersonator and resident Domenica Sportiva pundit for the last few seasons), I am looking forward to the start of serie A much more now.

Has Teo been given the chop then? Wonderful, wonderful news.

I think it is right, as said above, and key to state that RAI is marginalised in terms of televising football and De Paoli's decision is unlikely to have the wider effect it would have once upon a time.

Still, selfishly, that is the programme I watch on a Sunday night (Controcampo is all polemics and little football it seems to me) and I watch matches on a stream or in the bar but do not listen to the post match Sky studio chitter.

I am thrilled, if it is to be a separate segment I can even go out for a ciggie and last dregs of that afternoon's wine and miss it all together.

I think there is an element of running against the crowd and trying to gain some publicity for RAI Sport as the season starts up, especially given its lower status these days, but I do think it could well make for a much more interesting, analytical and better programme. Time will tell.

Er Liquidatore wrote:
Has Teo been given the chop then? Wonderful, wonderful news.

He is not going to be on next season, it says in the Gazzetta article I quickly browsed. No doubt hosting some lucrative Sunday night extravaganza, still doing his Celentano impersonation. Still, I can avoid him.

They could logically cut Domenica Sportiva's running time in half now. Like Liq said good riddance.

George wrote:
They could logically cut Domenica Sportiva's running time in half now. Like Liq said good riddance.

But if they limit the moviola and use the time for more indepth analysis of games etc it would be a loss no?

Am I being hopelessly naive here?

Being unable to understand Italian I only watch it for the pictures. Having said that I can't be bothered to listen to match analysis in English these days. Thank you very much Messrs Shearer and Lawrenson.

During last season, Domenica Sportiva's football coverage was cut back to a 12.30 pm finish rather than 1-1.15 am. That 30-45mins or so was taken up by other sports.

Until your comment it hadn't occurred to me that limited moviola and attendant bluster might mean a shorter rather than more erudite and informatve show. It could well do.