The English have successfully stamped out hooliganism from their sport and yet at the same time have arguably anaesthetised the atmosphere. The terraces have been eliminated and spectators are not able to stand during a match. Still, though, if such is the price to pay to make a safe ground for families and true supporters of the game and not the tribe, I would gladly welcome the same to Italy.

In truth, I support the passion and the culture behind the Ultras but not the damage and harm they carry along. The mighty task accomplished by the English game has made the safety of attendance a normality and not a right.

Fabio Cannavaro, who has spent the last two seasons with Real Madrid, has said that, though his heart will always be with Italy, he prefers to remain in Spain where the stadiums are more conducive to spectators and families.

He has criticised the media for repeatedly displaying the fanatical exploits of fans, most notably those of Atalanta last campaign when tearing down the protective glass of their stadium after the accidental death of Gabriele Sandri at the hands of the police. Though he makes a good point, banning them from the media is only partial to the concerns of their hold on the game.

Stadiums have began to employ stewards rather than the "negative" presence of the police force, feeling that they would be more receiving of a less authoritative means of public order. Herein lies the basic problem; the distrust, or rather distaste, for the police force. Quite often you see instances where officers are too busy texting on their cell phones rather than aiding the public or keeping the law.

On the other hand you have citizens who take pleasure in bending the law, which is also the result of a basic disrespect for it. I hate to make broad generalisations because much of Italy is incensed by this social structure, and the same can be said about the police force which is not full of baton-wielding brutes but also rational men and women who are concerned with the health of their country.

Explosives have no place in a public space, yet even after stricter search measures were introduced to search fans, flares and smoke bombs still find their way into the curva. Care is taken to deny you of your bottle cap at the purchase of a bottle of mineral water, yet the real elements of harm remain. Much less damage can be rendered by a plastic bottle cap than a scalding flare.

Despite all this, stadiums are changing for the better. Fiorentina have created a wonderful atmosphere at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, largely thanks to the caring guidance of chairman Andrea Della Valle and the exciting football he has engineered with the exceptional tactician, Cesare Prandelli, who has instilled a positive spirit of sportsmanship in his team.

In the past season, after a defeat to Inter, the Viola lined up along the sideline and applauded the Nerazzuri which spurred enthusiasts to call for all games to be closed with handshakes.

The football of Italy should be better appreciated, as should its rich wealth of UNESCO world heritage sites (the most in the world) yet both are by and large taken for granted. We can only hope that the stadiums can be reclaimed, that the beauty of the football produced in Serie A will be the only point of reflection, and one day fans can rival each other solely with the merits of their team on the field and not with each other.

PS. For those interested in the food of the Derby del Sole, I will leave quick suggestions for what to eat from both of these rich cities. In Rome please make an effort to try one of two simple dishes; pasta carbonara or pasta cacio e pepe and one can never go wrong in the morning with a cappuccino and cornetto for breakfast. In Napoli have the espresso along with their famous rum-soaked pastry the babà. Most importantly, this is the birthplace of the pizza, so you can never go wrong just biting into a round of fresh mozzarella di bufala.