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
Tag: italy
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
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
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
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
This feature is part of Duology The Italians prize their art. It is something that has become a part of their culture, a part of their history for centuries and it still…
The very mention of Paolo Rossi can conjure to mind just one image, and this is entirely understandable. It’s July 1982 in Barcelona at the Estadi de Sarrià. Wearing the Azzurri number…
Marcello Lippi is an undisputed legend in football. Not only was he the mastermind behind Italy’s 2006 World Cup success – at a time when the country needed sporting joy the most…