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Ciao Roma - Welcome for cup favourites Mar 9 2006
Joanna Desira, Evening Gazette
The cream of Serie A have landed on Teesside ready to do battle with the Boro.
A rainy Teesside night greeted the AS Roma players as they flew into Durham Tees Valley Airport yesterday where keen fans waited to get autographs.
Hundreds of Roma fans are expected in Middlesbrough tonight to watch the UEFA Cup showdown.
Among those who greeted the players at the airport were their Teesside guides for the event hairdresser Mauro Bapttista and fitness trainer Sergio Peretti.
Also waiting was Mauro's son Guido, ten, of Tollesby, a keen Roma fan, who was greeted personally by Roma manager Luciano Spaletti.
Some players stopped to sign autographs before they were whisked to a press conference then on to Gisborough Hall where they were staying.
The players enjoyed an evening meal at a Yarm restaurant and today they were spending sight-seeing in York.
Mauro and Sergio, fluent Italian speakers, were approached by coach company Compass Royston to be interpreters for the Italians.
Boro players past and present, including Ravanelli, have had their hair cut at Guido's in Princes Street Middlesbrough where Mauro works and Sergio has trained players including Massimo Maccarone and Bolo Zenden for Boro.
They will be both be VIP guests of Roma at tonight's match.
"If Massimo scores it will be hard to keep my mouth shut," said Sergio.
Mauro, a Boro fan, said: "My son and I are both season ticket holders, but as we will be with the Roma team I will have to keep quiet."
Bookmakers Paddy Power have Roma as 9-2 favourites to win the UEFA Cup Middlesbrough are 11-1.
Ladbrokes has Roma as favourites to win tonight's match at 11-8 and Middlesbrough has odds of 8-5. Odds for a draw are 11-5. Boro strikers Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Yakubu and Mark Viduka are favourites to score first with Ladbrokes giving them all odds of 5-1.
Boro bosses hope for a packed stadium tonight.
Head of Commercial, Graham Fordy said: "If it was to kick off now, it would be about 25,000.
"We would love to have over 30,000."
Satellite ticket offices will be open and tickets can be bought on the night.
Tickets for the away match against Roma have proved so popular Middlesbrough FC are supplying an extra flight. There will now be three leaving Durham Tees Valley on Wednesday morning.
Seats are available for the overnight trip, leaving on at 9am on Tuesday returning on Wednesday night.
Supporters can apply via travelcaresports.com or by calling in at MFC Travel in the club store in Captain Cook Square, Middlesbrough.
Application forms for second leg tickets are available from the MFC Ticket Office or via mfc.co.uk priced £14.
A Teesside-based Italian family are vowing to remain united tonight in their support for both the Boro and Roma.
The Bapttista family from Middlesbrough contain both Roma and Boro fans.
Guido Bapptista and his ten-year-old grandson, also called Guido, are Roma supporters, but young Guido's dad Mauro is a Boro fan who is accompanying the Roma players as a translator during their stay on Teesside.
Guido came to Middlesbrough from Pescar in southern Italy 50 years ago and set up Guido's hairdressers on Princes Road where his son Mauro also works.
Guido said he supported Roma because it is one of the biggest teams in the south of Italy.
"I was very excited when I heard Middlesbrough were going to play Roma. I will probably support Roma, although I have supported Middlesbrough since I came to this country," said Guido.
His grandson Guido said he was also very excited when he heard the draw.
"I am a big Roma fan and I have supported them since I was little."
罗马队在抵达米堡后受到了当地数百名罗马球迷的欢迎，其中有一家意大利移民，姓Bapttista，他们是在50年前从意大利南部的Pescar搬到米堡的，他们在米堡的Princes Road 上开了一家专门为女性服务的美发店。
Bapttista一家中的Guido说：“当我听到米堡将和罗马队比赛时太激动了，我很可能会支持罗马队，虽然我自从到了这个国家以后就是米堡的忠实拥护者，要知道罗马是意大利南部最大的俱乐部之一。”
Guido的儿子表示他是一名罗马的铁杆球迷，自从很小的时候就是了。
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发表于 2006-3-10 04:50:59
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发表于 2006-3-10 05:14:42