Moses is Coming to Italy!

A new shirt for Moses (Photo:  Sky Sports)

My love of football is well recorded on these and other pages. As is, I hope, my love of Judaism. Now and then these two passions intersect, usually in a playful way. For example, it makes me smile whenever Robert Lewandowski (a Polish centre-forward who is a prolific goalscorer for Bayern Munich) celebrates a goal

Hurrah, another goal for Bayern!

because, apart from enjoying his skill and success, he also brings to mind my all-time favourite Jewish liturgical composer Louis Lewandowski.

a pensive moment for Louis Lewandowski

I love hearing a name from the world of religion being uttered in such a diametrically opposed situation as a football pitch.

And so it is that today I celebrate the news that Inter Milan, a top-level Italian football team, has signed (for now on loan, but with the prospect of a permanent move) Victor Moses. I look forward to his exploits, especially as described by Italian commentators!

PS sorry I don't have a photo of Moses son of Jethro from the Torah. Best I can do is this from my Jews with Horns post in 2011

Photo: ravaj 2011

Cat Stops Play

Adding insult to injury, the Turkish club Besiktas has not only been knocked out of the Champions League football tournament by Bayern Munich, but they've also been charged by UEFA for allowing a cat on the pitch. According to the BBC, the exact charge is "insufficient organisation". As if anyone has ever been able to herd a cat!

Meanwhile, on Twitter, the cat was voted MoTM:

That reminds me of a previous MoTM winner at Loftus Road vs Leicester City a couple of years ago:

3rd February 2019 UPDATE

Yesterday a black cat on the pitch during the Everton loss to Wolves held up play for 7 minutes. Particularly amusing was the commentator's description of the cat's movements. You may find it on this BBC page (which also remembers other similar events, including the one that originally engendered this post).

Italian Alias

Those who know me may be surprised that I have been watching some of the Rugby World Cup this week. I'm still mystified by the intricacies of egg-chasing, but understand enough to follow and appreciate the scoring. Old and new connections meant that when some channel-hopping landed me on the fervent singing of the Italian national anthem, I stayed for a bit of Italy vs O Canada.

I was very excited to hear the commentator refer regularly to a player called Edoardo Gori. I know from football experience that famous people often moonlight as athletes, e.g. my favourite composer of 19th century Jewish liturgical music Mr Lewandowski who recently scored 5 goals for Bayern Muenchen, and former leader of the Children of Israel, Moses, who is now scoring goals for West Ham United. It was great to discover that behind the Italian spelling, Mr Edward Gorey is currently giving a Gothic aspect to the world of Rugby Union.