The 71-year-old man wept. “Do not do this,” he said, his words barely audible through the tears. “Do not do it.” He stood at the locked gate of the Reggiana headquarters, a…
Tag: italy
As the clock inside Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion ticked towards 11:15pm in the July night, the watchful eyes of some 65,000 people are witnessing a frantic World Cup semi-final. The 0-0 draw between the…
Before Gigi Buffon there was Lorenzo. The latter’s career, inclusive of legend at Milan, was also notable for a bitter personal and professional rivalry
Quiz time. How many players can you name that have played in consecutive World Cup finals? Ten? Come on now. Twenty? Now you’re trying. Any more? In fairness, to play in successive…
“WHAT DISTINGUISHES NAPLES from other large cities is something it has in common with the African kraal: each private attitude or act is permeated by streams of communal life. To exist, for…
In the summer of 1992, Fabio Capello and AC Milan found themselves within the enviable situation of trying to improve upon perfection. The previous season, domestically at least, had been word-perfect for AC Milan.…
Rarely has a single photograph encapsulated the quintessence of one footballer and, by extension, his team, nation and culture, with such spontaneity and artistry in equal measure. The picture in question was captured…
THE WORLD CUP IS MAGICAL. For any fan of the sport, whether your country is participating or not, it is something to look forward to, and the fact that it only occurs…
THERE IS NO CITY quite like Florence. Quintessentially Italian in culture, its history is both artistically rich and intertwined with political upheaval. The architecture is breath-taking, food and wine exquisite, and day-to-day…
HE WAS A creative midfielder who never piled on the goals but was rather known for his ability to make his teammates look good. He was a wonderful dribbler in a pre-YouTube age…
Finding the back of the net in today’s era of plastic footballs and packed defences has become a tailored art and relies as much on speed of instinct as it does on outright…
THE COMMON ATTRACTION we often have with footballers derives from what these individuals accomplish with the boots laced up and between the lines. Whether it’s a timely back-heel that comes off with…
As featured on Guardian Sport As a football fan living in the United States, it blows my mind how many games are available on television these days. I’m 33 now and can…
FOURTEEN MINUTES INTO EXTRA-TIME, after he opened the scoring for Argentina and Dick Nanninga equalised for the Netherlands, Mario Kempes burst into the box. He charged past two Dutch defenders and bundled…
THE CROWD AT THE GIUSEPPE MEAZZA WAS DELIRIOUS. Mauro Icardi just converted a penalty in the 90th minute to clinch a 3-2 win for Inter over AC Milan in the Derby della…
AFTER 73 MINUTES of an all-action display, the fans in the deafening Juventus Stadium stood on their feet to applaud their hero as he departed the pitch. Six months without any football…
Moving to Juventus for a world-record £12 million, Gianluca Vialli has to overcome a poor start to reach modern hero status in calcio
In part two of a four-part series looking at the career of Gianluca Vialli, his memorable Sampdoria years are recalled, including his ascent in Europe