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Post by frjdoasis on Sept 28, 2019 14:06:30 GMT -5
OK I tried to translate the article. Here it is.
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All thanks to Mr. Walsh. If in the far 70s that teacher from Manchester had not taken a dozen children to the old Maine Road (former Man City Stadium, now demolished), maybe Liam Gallagher (and his brother Noel) today would "trivially" be one of the many United fans, struggling with the pain after Ferguson. Instead, always with his brother Noel, he became the most prominent supporter of Manchester City Guardiola. "We are the champions of England, man,", a perky Liam proudly tells. Funny fishing hat, the former lead singer of Oasis talks about City and Liverpool, Mancini, Del Piero and Balotelli, but also about the record he just put out and about a movie on his solo career, the Brexit and more. He is a rock star who seems to have put away his grumpier side at war with the world (especially with journalists) and that looks serene and at peace with himself. Maybe he finished mourning about Oasis split. Or maybe talking about football and his increasingly successful Manchester City does him damn good.
Great season, the latest, for City ...
"We are the champions of England, man. Everybody talks about the Champions League, but we are interested in the league. We have not won it for so many years ... When we were knocked out from the Champions League (in the quarterfinals by Tottenham, editor's note) that didn't mean a lot to us, then we won the Premier League. That's what mattered."
But being knocked out that way against Tottenham was not beautiful ...
"Yes, I know. But we wanted only one thing: to become champions of England. Liverpool, United, everyone can win the Champions League ... In the Champions League we are still a bit 'naive, inexperienced. We'll win it, but it's a different thing. It's a knockout competition, very much based on luck. The league rewards the performance throughout the season. If you win it, you're really the best team. And we are the best team in England."
How did you get into City in a city dominated by United?
"In my family my relatives were all United fans. At school, however, we had this teacher, Mr. Walsh, who was a supporter of City and took a dozen children to Maine Road. I was about 8 years old. Those were the years of the goalkeeper Joe Corrigan, Steve Daley, Peter Barnes ... So my passion stems from that. In those years we didn't win anything, but I knew better times would come."
It was hard to be a City fan during the winning years of Ferguson's United?
"Oh, it was hell. I had to flee to London. Mind you, utmost respect for United. Ferguson is a great manager, he had an amazing team and won everything. But now it's up to us ..."
How do you see this season for your favorite team?
"It depends on many factors, on the calendar, how you start off the season, on injuries. But we can repeat ourselves. Liverpool will still be there to pressure us, then be careful to Tottenham, Arsenal, Wolverhampton. Not United: with Ferguson they reached the top, it will take a lot for them to get back to those levels. Saying that, I believe City is on another level. It is not perfect, we can lose to anyone, but I think we are too strong for everyone. And we have less pressure than United and Liverpool. When we win, it is always as if we had won the lottery. As for Liverpool and the United, fans think they need to win all the time and the pressure comes on the players."
What do you think of Guardiola?
"He reasons differently from others. He made us make the final quality leap."
The Premier League is the best league in the world, the English national team on paper is often very strong but then never wins. Why?
"Too much pressure here too. The British media continue to dissect and criticize the team, whereas in Italy or in Spain they support it. So there is too much pressure on the players. Then at the end, at the test of the pitch, some of them do not live up to the expectations and show they're not as strong as they are thought to be. With Gareth Southgate, however, things are getting better."
Did you watch the Women's World Cup?
"Just a bit, unfortunately, I was around doing gigs. But the little bit I saw, I liked. There is a lot of fair play. My missus, by the way, played for Arsenal's women team ... "
Mancini is doing well as Italy coach. What do you remember of him as City coach?
"I met him a few times, but I like him, a nice person. He has had the great merit of making us unstuck and start winning. I remember the decisive game against QPR, a terrible first half, then the triumph in the final minutes, but painful! ... (in 2012 City went on to win the first national title in 44 years by beating already relegated QPR 3-2 on the last day. The decisive goal came at the 92 minute. In case of a draw, the title would have gone to United, editor's note). "
And Balotelli?
"I love him. I've never met him, but I like him. He's crazy. I liked Cantona too. I've always liked the players who are a bit crazy, unconventional, like them. Or Di Canio. You can't have eleven players like that in your team, but one of them is OK, it is useful and fun."
You're also friend with Alex Del Piero ...
"I played with him in a charity match in Turin. I really love him too. We rarely meet, we're not exactly friends, but if I meet him I greet him gladly."
Don't you think that, compared to the past, English football is still beautiful, but has lost a bit of passion? We refer to the outline, the fans, the stadiums, the atmosphere ...
"I don't go there often. I used to go to Maine Road. Now it seems to be at the theater. All seated. They should create, in security, sectors with ten thousand standing places to bring a bit of atmosphere back. It's impossible that now you can't do anything, yell, stand up ... Football is passion. I don't go there anymore for this reason. You can't enjoy it anymore. It is as if someone had sucked the life out of the stadiums. It's better to watch the game on TV ..."
Let's talk about music. It is a very busy time for you, the new album is out, there's a documentary film, the tour ...
"I like to be busy. I like to sing for people. I'm lucky to do this job. I am 46 years old, I've been doing this for 20 years ... As It Was has just come out, a documentary on my solo career after the breakup of Oasis. And now there is Why me? Why not., my new record. And I'm doing gigs ..."
You also sang in Barolo last summer ...
"Wow, great place. It was a magical evening: beautiful place, we played well, the crowd was fantastic. Not always these three things come together so well on the same night. "
Tell us about the documentary, As It Was.
"It is not only about the last tour. It is a bit about Oasis, not too much. And then there are images on the end of the band and then the birth of Beady Eye (Liam Gallagher founded the band in 2009 and disbanded it in 2014, editor's note) and then the work on my first solo album. But it's not just music. There's me drinking, smoking, complaining ..."
In one of the new songs, Shockwave, you sing "Hallelujah, I feel free." Does it talk about yourself? Do you feel more free now?
"Yes, I feel free. It's not that in the past I wasn't free. It was nice with Oasis, but it was clear who was boss. It was my brother Noel and he decided what to do. This was evident when he dissolved the band. Now I have a beautiful girlfriend, beautiful children, I can work with different songwriters and then play for people ... I feel absolutely free as never before."
In The River, the second single from the new album, you invite new generations to fight ...
"I don't really talk about fighting, I say that if you are not happy about a situation you have to wake up and try to change it. The new generations seem too focused on technology and on the possession of objects. Real life is not that. And if you don't like real life, then try changing it. My mother, when we were kids, did three jobs: I did not want the same fate and tried to make something that would make us proud. But you have to get busy. Now everyone tries to become famous. Famous for what? Because they got a noise job and nice lips? You become famous if you have talent and work hard."
In The River there are also references to the English political situation and the Brexit?
"Something, yes, but to be honest I don't know a lot about the issues of Brexit and the European Union. I respect both sides. If I think of something political, I think of all these stabbings taking place in London. There should be more policemen in the streets. What is happening is terrible."
The new album does not mark a radical departure from the previous one, As You Were, but a step forward. The voice is more and more beautiful. The songs are again written with Greg Kustin and Andrew Wyatt.
"Yes, true. It's a great record. I got more help writing the lyrics. I'm more a singer than a songwriter. I came to terms with that. If I have to sing I don't accept lessons from anyone, but as a writer I know my limits. I wrote less."
What is the secret of his voice?
"I'm careful. I don't smoke on the days of the gig and don't drink coffee or eat dairy products. When I'm at the gig just water, water, water ...."
Your son Gene plays plays on the record, on the track One of Us. How did he get away with it?
"He's a good drummer. He's seventeen. We were recording in the London studio on a track with no drums, because the drummer wasn't there. At one point we thought we'd add the bongos. I called him and he gave his contribution. It was nice."
In short, the dynasty of Gallagher continues ...
(from SportWeek, weekly magazine of La Gazzetta dello Sport, on sale from 28 September 2019)
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