Five things Aaron Ramsey will have to get used to playing for Juventus

Whether Aaron Ramsey arrives at Juventus before the end of the month or in the summer, it now seems certain that the Welshman will follow in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen John Charles and Ian Rush and wear the famous black and white of Italy’s most successful club.

Playing for Juventus comes with a strict code of conduct which means players must behave themselves at all times both on and off the field.

Ramsey will also have to get used to life in Turin, so here’s a guide that may help him to settle in to his new environment.

The annual Villar Perosa Friendly

This is willy waggling at its most obscene and has been an annual event since 1955.

Basically, it’s a game that takes place between the first-team squad and the youth team in the small commune of Villar Perosa around 40km southwest of Turin and the place where the clubs owners and Fiat supremo’s the Agnelli family, own their huge estate.

This is not like the usual first team v stiffs game however, where players get the chance to kick lumps out of each other and call it bonding, oh no; it’s a chance for fans to meet the squad, have their photo taken with the Scudetto trophy which Juve wins (nearly) every season and for the local café owners to up their prices by around 50-per-cent.

Eating

When Aaron finally settles into his luxury villa or apartment, he’ll naturally want a house warming party.

If he opts for a traditional spread then he’ll need to go for Bagna Caoda, which is a dish from the Piedmont region of Italy dating back to medieval times. Basically, it’s a fancy sort of Italian fondue made up of garlic, anchovies, oil and butter which is placed in the centre of the table where diners dip their raw or cooked vegetables.

Who knows if everyone’s keys end up in the ashtray at the end of the night?

Reading

If Ramsey thinks that the Evening Standard sometimes gives him unnecessary stick, he’ll need to develop a thick skin if he wants to read the local sports journal that’s published in Turin.

Of the three main Italian sports dailies, Tuttosport is by far the worst, so whenever Juventus or Torino acquires a new player, the publication will produce a 20 page supplement giving the reader an insight into the Welshman’s private life, including the quality of his toilet paper.

Most people outside of Turin feel that the journal itself should be used instead of loo roll, such is its reputation.

Getting around town

Unlike central and southern Italy, Turin’s proximity to the Alps means its bloody cold in the winter, so Aaron will have to get used to putting his life in his own hands by zipping around town in a Fiat 500 or Smart car.

The natural choice for any Torinese is the former, due to the fact that the Agnelli factory builds thousands every week and all the Juventus players can take advantage of staff discounts.

Should the Welsh midfielder decide to take a stroll around his newly adopted city however, then he’ll need to be aware that red lights don’t necessarily mean stop in Italy and Zebra crossings are mainly there to give the local council an excuse to use up some of their yearly expenditure.

Shopping

Mrs Ramsey will be salivating at the thought of regular shopping trips to Milan which is just down the road.

The fact that most budget airlines fly into nearby Bergamo means that friends and family will also be able to pay regular visits to some of Italy’s biggest fashion houses.

Footballers playing in Italy and spotted shopping in Milan are ten a penny however; so the Ramsey’s will have to wait their turn to get on the front cover of “Chi” magazine, the Italian version of Hello which every week, has a snap of a celebrity couple on their mobiles weighed down with Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana merchandise.