The air is warm and the sky is blue. Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, broods on the horizon, looming menacingly over the city. The smell of fresh fish combines with the…
Tag: italy
Damiano Tommasi: the unassuming midfield master who became Roma’s noblest of legends
Between helping Italy’s poorest and playing for free when injured, Damiano Tommasi was far more than just a legend on the pitch for Roma
Baggio vs Lippi: the anatomy of an unforgettable feud between two legends at Inter
Each a legend in his own right, when Marcello Lippi and Roberto Baggio came together at Inter in 1999, it would spark a monumental season of hate
The lies and the legacy of the 2004/05 Serie B season, the most chaotic in recent history
In what is arguably the most chaotic professional season in recent memory, Serie B in 2004/05 saw match-fixing and national scandal rock calcio
Gianni Brera: the man who brought us the great language of calcio
Few men have changed calcio like Gianni Brera. The journalist was a controversial figure but a genius who invented the modern lexicon of Italian football
How fate contrived to unfairly banish Mauro Camoranesi to the shadows
Mauro Camoranesi remains something of an enigma. Shielded away from the appreciation he deserves, almost like a frustrated winger trying to obtain the ball from the protective possession of a determined full-back,…
Victory in defeat: how Franco Baresi’s 1994 World Cup final performance elevated him to the realms of the greats
This feature is part of Virtuoso The punishing Pasadena heat had taken its toll – the lactic acid had built up and no amount of fluids taken on board could address the…
How Paolo Rossi put Brazil to the sword in 1982 in a goalscoring masterclass few predicted
This feature is part of Virtuoso Few things in sport are as sad, are as poignant, as watching an adored individual or team suffer a historic fall. To this day, there persists…
Francesco Toldo: the understudy whose semi-final masterclass helped Italy to the Euro 2000 final
This feature is part of Virtuoso The life of a goalkeeper is all about preparation for his understudy opportunity is something that, when presented, needs to be grasped, cherished and held onto…
Can Roberto Mancini right the wrongs of a tricky decade and usher in a new era for Italy?
It was in November 2017 at the famed San Siro in Milan that Italy suffered one of their most humbling defeats. The scoreless draw in a World Cup qualification playoff, after a…
Introducing Calcio II: the Football Italia years
Calcio is back by popular demand, and this time we’re headed for the Football Italia years, when Serie A ruled the world and the game’s greats adorned the peninsula. Wherever you were,…
How Marcello Lippi masterminded the resurgence of Juventus in the 1990s
This feature is part of The Football Italia Years Fans of most football clubs understand what it means to never win. It is a reality that they become accustomed to over years…
Etched in stone: the genius of Giuseppe Meazza
He woke up groggily, still half-asleep, and looked around. He recognised the room but was less sure about who the two women each side of him were. Sitting up in the ruffled sheets,…
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 mavericks. From Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano to Ezio Vendrame and Paolo Rossi, calcio is rich with subversives and trendsetters.…
Gianni Rivera: the greatest playmaker in AC Milan history
Football fans support the team they do for various reasons, although most usually rely on family or geography to dictate the colours that will run through their blood for the rest of…
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, in an imperfect world, man must do whatever it takes to succeed and thrive. Machiavelli argued 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 throughout most of Europe, an art form that has stood the test of time and still holds…
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 a solid back line, usually built around the central defensive partnership. They are the bedrock of the…