Milan: 20th June
I am finishing off a session in Milan for an international client – focussed on effective communication skills.
Dynamic city – full of beautiful people, fashion and cars everywhere – parking is crazy in Milan – you just stop your car and get out – anywhere you like – that is parking!!!
Even though the day is short as i travelled in this morning… after only an hour ….we stop … we have to have lunch which takes nearly two hours …all good on the effective communication/team-building front..!
End of the day – I head towards the station via Navigli and sit and watch the second half of Italy vs. Costa Rica in the World Cup.
My colleague tells me that the guys in the bar are being quite racist about the Costa Ricans. I don’t know if this is a universal dynamic or just in this bar on this street? It is a real mixture of VERY smart guys in suits and others in football shirts. They certainly take their football seriously and the proclamations of injustice are thrown theatrically towards the TV . Italy lose. England are therefore officially knocked out of the World Cup as they needed Italy to win to leave any hope. Italy may still win. England certainly won’t!
As was usual with the English there was a lot of hype over this World Cup – could we do it..? could we win? Unfortunately it is not going to happen. With the Premiere League we have the best footballers in the world `but no space for development or growth of home-grown players. The argument goes that our players get to compete with the best players in the world so they will be better. Unfortunately when you have teams like Manchester City starting with NO English players you are going to struggle for development due to lack of numbers of home-grown players coming through..
Anyway England lose. Italy will lose and who knows who will win the world Cup… Brazil probably?!
I say goodbye to Italy.
Hope to be back soon. Milan is buzzy – and next year sees the EXPO – where the world comes to Milan so will be back for sure..
And the headline for EXPO?.. Feeding The Planet…
Forza Azzurri..!
Paul Bourne on tour 