The Azzurri get a new voice

By: Francesco | July 26th, 2010

brunogentili

Looks like RAI designated today as the day they would be announcing changes in their broadcasting. First the announcement of no moviola, and now the change of commentator for Italian national team games. The national team has always had iconic commentators, like Nando Martinelli and Bruno Pizzul. For the past 6 years, the voice of the Nazionale for RAI has been Marco Civoli, who took charge in 2004 from Gianni Cerqueti. Civoli and analyst Sandro Mazzola commented Lippi’s first cycle and famously the victorious final on RAI, where Civoli exalted “Il cielo e Azzurro sopra Berlino!” (The sky is Azzurro over Berlin!). After then being Italy’s announcer for both the Donadoni years and then Lippi’s failed return (with Salvatore Bagni as the analyst), Civoli has stepped aside.

And so the new voice of the Azzurri for the next 2 years at least will be Bruno Gentili (pictured). Gentili has been a radio announcer since 1978, and has announced many Serie A games and even national team games on the radio. In 2007, Gentili called his last radio game and left the radio scene to join Raisport as the vice-director of sport. And now, with Civoli stepping aside, RAI has announced that from August 11th Bruno Gentili will officially be the voice of the national team. The only thing that hasn’t been made clear is whether the August 10th friendly will be his first game or since it says August 11th then Civoli will call his farewell game August 10th and then hand it over to Gentili for the qualifiers. We’ll see. In a new era for the national team, there is now also a new official commentator.

For those unfamiliar with Gentili, here is what he sounds like:

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Category: Azzurri, Rumors & News, Serie A

Tags: Azzurri, Bruno Gentili, Calcio, football, Futbol, Italian National Team, Italy, Marco Civoli, National Team, Nazionale, Rumors & News, Serie A

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bucci

carlo paris, or nothing!
Marco P.

Haha darn, sorry Francesco I had missed your article before.

Me personally I never liked the moviola until I became a referee. Then it provided me with a great instructional tool to watch on Sunday nights.

Tombolini might have been annoying at times but he has always quoted by-the-book rules, which some (like Collovati) have a hard time understanding. It's not easy being a referee and making calls which at first, may be counter-intuitive but in actuality follow the laws of the game. What Tombolini lacks is the humility to recognize that for non-referees certain rules aren't particularly obvious, and that sometimes playing devil's advocate requires a little extra explanation. That's why he appears arrogant sometimes.

And yeah, no Teocoli. I'm wondering whether it's because Tombolini was let go (despite appearances they were friends), or because Teocoli's theatrical career wouldn't enable him to continue.
Francesco

Oh wait, just read your gazzetta link. No Teocoli. Domenica Sportiva is going to be pretty boring this season then.
Francesco

Marco, I wrote a post on that yesterday: http://italy.theoffside.com/serie-a/historic-decision-by-rai-no-more-moviola.html

I don't think Teocoli will be let go he will always be there for comedic value. I'm glad Tombolini is gone he was annoying and thought he knew it all.
Gurnam "bigman"

guys, what i dont understand, is why agiamba is deleting my comments, as im not offending anyone, i only made a little joke. jeez!..can some one please back me up on this?
for those of you who didnt read the joke, as agiamba deleted it, is was like this:..i heard there were juve fans chanting when trez was warming up in juves last game, however it was in support of amauri, as the old lady sung from the crowd, in the tune of tom jones:
SEX BOMB!!!
SEX BOMB!!!
YOUR MY SEX BOMB!!!
AMAURI YOU CAN TURN ME ON!!!
LOL…dont worry guys, amauri will always be sexy, however he WILL turn in to that bomb on the football pitch this season, making him the ultimate sex bomb!!…also note how when he won the penalties he was like a bomb, exploding with excitement and passion…the signs are in our favour chaps, that amauri will be a possessed footballing god next year.
Marco P.

Darn, speaking of Italian TV coverage... I just read that the infamous "moviola" will be banned from RAI programs this year.
http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/26-07-2010/rai-addio-moviola-71579217891.shtml

For those who don't know, la moviola is the Italian term that designates talking about dubious refereeing decisions post-game, usually undertaken during TV programs with so-called experts (1 ex-referee and 2-3 ex-players) which provide colorful commentary & debate. Mostly equivalent to bar-talk, but for aspiring referees (like myself) it's a great instructional tool. I will miss it immensely. :(

Also, La Domenica Sportiva which featured epic "showdowns" between ex-referee Daniele Tombolini and ex-Azzurro Fulvio Collovati, not forgetting the always funny comments of Teo Teocoli, will be re-vamped. No moviola so therefore no Tombolini, and no Teocoli either. :( A new presenter also: Paola Ferrari will replace Massimo De Luca.
Marco P.

Call me nostalgic, but THE best voice of the Azzurri (Fabio Caressa excepted, but he doesn't technically count because he's Sky not RAI) was Bruno Pizzul. Notti magiche from 1994...
Bari Mike

Looking at that table was pretty depressing as a Bari fan, lol

Otherwise, I recognise the voice, he is pretty solid, but he's no Caressa!
Jorid

Ugh, I remember this game. Ancelotti's second season with Juve, Zizou's last season with Juve, another one of Van Der Sar's fuckups(he had several that season) and Nakata has the best game of his career right after the big non-EU player debacle.