In perhaps the toughest league to make it as a number 10, Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti proved many wrong and rejuvenated the fantasista
Tag: italy
Few defenders in the modern era of football have been more intelligent, widely-respected or consistent as AC Milan and Italy legend Franco Baresi
Between winning unlikely titles with Fiorentina and Cagliari, shining for Italy, and battling with Dino Zoff, Enrico Albertosi remains a true Azzurri great
Despite their undoubted talent, Pagliuca, Peruzzi and Toldo would spend parts of their careers in the shadows after the emergence of Gianluigi Buffon
With a modest record, Salvatore Schillaci headed to Italia 90 as the Azzurri’s final player. What followed was the most glorious but brief summer in the sun
An inspiration and role model, Francesco Acerbi beat testicular cancer before becoming one of Serie A’s very best defenders at Lazio
Coverciano is a glittering venue that celebrates football above all else, protecting the past while looking to the future as it shapes Italian coaches
Likeable and pragmatic, Cesare Maldini would invigorate three iterations of the Italy under-21 side and l;dad them to glory between 1992 and 1996
Lauded by his peers and fans as one of the finest defenders in history, Alessandro Nesta represents the final breed of the great Italian defender
They were the heavy underdogs but had a cult following in England’s north east. With that behind them, North Korea would pull off one of the great upsets
Petty accusations of foul play act as a smokescreen for European arrogance: Italy were simply humbled by South Korea at the 2002 World Cup
Luca Toni may not have gone down as the most glamorous or talented, but he was prolific. And when you’re a centre-forward, that’s all that really matters
Lazio had not been champions since 1974 but a team containing Simeone, Mancini, Ravanelli and Verón ensured that they won the title in their centenary year
He’s scored goals, dealt with racist abuse and handled the media pressure – but can Moise Kean really become one of the world’s best players?
The son of Enrico Chiesa, a hero in purple of Fiorentina and beyond, winger Federico may take the family name to even greater heights
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…
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
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