Tag: milan

Patrick Kluivert and a lesson in scoring goals

Wheeling away in celebration, Patrick Kluivert attempts to take his top off only to think better of it halfway through. It’s the 85th minute in the 1995 Champions League final and he’s just…

Ronaldinho and the eternal journey to joy

IN THE LONG ANNALS OF FOOTBALL, two Ronaldos stand out. The first – the original to many – was O Fenômeno, the Brazilian striker capable of the most audacious burst of pace at his…

Franco Baresi: the greatest defender in calcio history

Illustration by Federico Manasse Italian football is first and foremost defined by defence and tactics. No player in the history of calcio more closely defines these ideals than Franco Baresi of AC…

The new order: A.S. Velasca, art and football

A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH for ‘art and football’ conjures the proverbial mixed bag of results. Online stores pedalling various prints and t-shirts, YouTube clips featuring an array of Brazilian World Cup dream…

Amsterdam’s last night of European glory

IT WAS 14 SEPTEMBER 1994 and Ajax were up against AC Milan. Never before or since had a single football match transversed generations with such poignancy and awe. Under a pregnant Dutch…

From AC Milan to political maestro: the story of Kakha Kaladze

Social media has become something of a breeding ground for letting the average supporter know what former football greats (and not-so-greats) are currently up to. However, somewhere mixed in with the postmen,…

Nereo Rocco: the mad king of catenaccio

This feature is part of The Masterminds THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL has seen a litany of great managers come from the Italian peninsula since the earliest days. These strategic thinkers and innovators…

Filippo Inzaghi: the jilted poacher who conquered Europe

The thought of becoming a football superstar is a childish reverie that most youngsters casually engage in at one point or another. It can be a torturous exercise because plenty will never…

The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and European football’s boom

IMAGINE IF LONDON’S FOOTBALL CLUBS collaborated in European competition. Would a combined side of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham players stand a chance against major European cities, or would the likes of Barcelona, Madrid…

A Tale of One City: Milan

This feature is part of A Tale of One City Italian football is missing something. Throughout the storied lifetime of Serie A, there have been many of the greatest players to grace the…