He woke up groggily, still half-asleep, and looked around. He recognised the room but was less…
Tag: italy
The genius of Gianfranco Zigoni, Italian football’s most outlandish character
For a country that’s linked so intrinsically with catenaccio, Italy has had its fair share of…
Gianni Rivera: the greatest playmaker in AC Milan history
Football fans support the team they do for various reasons, although most usually rely on…
The violence and the victory of Marco Materazzi
In 1532, Niccolò Machiavelli published a now-famous treatise on leadership and governance. ‘Il Principe’ advised that,…
Gigi Meroni: the art-loving wing genius who hit the pinnacle of calcio before his tragic death at 24
Opera was born in Italy at the end of the 16th century and soon spread…
Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini: the greatest defenders in calcio history
This feature is part of Duology At the heart of almost every successful team is…
Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso: the artist and the warrior
This feature is part of Duology Rosso e nero are more than just colours to…
Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta and the last stand of great Italian defending
This feature is part of Duology The Italians prize their art. It is something that…
The triumph and tragedy of Armando Picchi and Gaetano Scirea, the legendary liberos who died by 36
For me, the term Calcio immediately conjures up images of the iconic blue shirt of…
Paolo Rossi: an incredible career of intoxicating peaks and controversial troughs
The very mention of Paolo Rossi can conjure to mind just one image, and this…
How Gianluca Zambrotta became one of the modern era’s finest full-backs
Marcello Lippi is an undisputed legend in football. Not only was he the mastermind behind…
The destruction of Reggiana, a proud club from a historic football region
The 71-year-old man wept. “Do not do this,” he said, his words barely audible through…
How Fabio Grosso became an unlikely Italian icon
As the clock inside Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion ticked towards 11:15pm in the July night, the watchful…
The World Cup Series: 2002 and 2006
The first World Cup held outside of Europe and the Americas, 2002 in Japan and…
Remembering Lorenzo, the original Buffon, and one of calcio’s most epic personal rivalries
Locked within a legendary Milanese rivalry, AC Milan’s Lorenzo Buffon didn’t just duel for goalkeeping…
The drama, passion and emotion of the 2001/02 Serie A title race
It was the culmination of a fascinating and gripping title race that had it all:…
Arrigo Sacchi: the greatest nobody of all time
This feature is part of The Masterminds He came as a former shoe salesman, left as…
The story of Luis Monti, the only man to have played in World Cup finals for two different nations
Quiz time. How many players can you name that have played in consecutive World Cup…