Serie A is one of the most competitive leagues in Europe and the world. The League boasts world-class teams and players including Juventus, the two heavyweights from Milan, Napoli and Rome. But it is a club based in Lombardy that is catching the attention of football pundits and fanatics alike. Atalanta B.C. was established in […]
Italy
Old Footballers You Might Not Know Of: Sandro Mazzola
Making it as a professional footballer is not easy. Making it when you are the son of a footballing legend is really not easy. To make it after finding out at 7 years old that your legendary father, who is still considered one of the best Italian players of all time, dies in Italian football’s […]
A Nod to the Future: The Fresh Faces From Italy’s Friendlies
As well all painfully know, there is no Italy squad travelling to the World Cup in Russia. However, there is a small silver lining in what seems like one of those huge, never-ending, grey clouds. The silver lining does, in fact, have a blue hint to it as Luigi Di Biago’s Italy squad called up […]
Scipio still blue as Italian’s work in progress continues!
After the 2-0 defeat to Argentina, Italy rebounded with intent to correct wrongs against an in form England at Wembley stadium. Italy manager; Di Biagio, whilst not content with the defeat also relented the pessimistic tone and eulogised that, “We must do better than in Manchester but we’re on the right path” Indeed that sense […]
The Azzurri on course to knock down English Defences!
As Italy returned to training, there was one thing on their mind, to get back on track after a faltering start against Argentina in which they succumbed to two second half goals by Benega and Lanzini. This was supposed to be the reanimation of Italian hopes after a disastrous qualifying campaign for this summer’s World […]
Italian Tarantella drowned out by Argentinian Tango!
It was supposed to be the rebirth of Italy as Luigi Di Biagio set up his Italy side in an attacking formation to take the fight to an Argentina side which had rested its main protagonists. However, many of the same issues still lingered that saw them miss qualification for this year’s World Cup…and the […]
Arise Ye Blues and Forget Ye Not the Fallen!
In the first of the international friendlies, Italy square up against Argentina at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, whom many are tipping to win the World Cup this summer in Russia. Unfortunately for the Italians and for fans of the Azzurri. Italy will not be present however they have an opportunity to make their presence […]
The Italian Renaissance and the Azzurri Blues
When Italy failed to qualify for this summer’s World Cup, the whole Italian nation entered a period of mourning…shell shocked that the famous Azzurri would not be present at the tournament. In fact this was the first time this had ever happened to the four-time winners and many were asking what could possibly have gone […]
Vive la Revoluce! Zdenĕk Zeman, Foggia and the Serie A tactical rebellion
“If you score 90 goals then it shouldn’t really worry you how many are conceded.” Zdeněk Zeman Italy’s Serie A in the early 1990’s was dominated by defences, a time of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Giuseppe Bergomi and Jurgen Kohler. 1991/92 and 1992/93 champions, Milan, scored 74 and 65 goals during the 34 game campaign, […]
Milan Cruise as Lazio Falter on a Mixed European Night for Italian Clubs
Ludogorets 0-3 AC Milan As Italian clubs come under fire for prioritising Serie A over European competitions, Milan proved otherwise as they took no prisoners in Bulgaria. Gennaro Gattuso named a full-strength squad led up top by Patrick ‘Wonderkid’ Cutrone, who opened the scoring with a smart glancing header just before half-time. Milan deserved the […]
Andrea Pirlo | Regista
The deep-lying playmaker is a role often used in Italian football at both domestic and international level. The Italians even have their own name for the role. Regista. In Italian, regista translates to director. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that one of the greatest deep-lying playmakers of all time is an Italian. Andrea Pirlo. […]
Stalking a Striker: Fabio Quagliarella
Imagine this: you surround yourself with your loving family, you achieved your dream job of playing for your boyhood team, with a city of adoring fans who will sing your name week in week out; your life is going great. Out of nowhere your world is rocked upside down. Your private life, violated. You receive […]
Forget the World Cup: Italy’s Next Generation is Booming
As hard as it is to imagine, there will be no Italy at the 2018 World Cup. Anyone could argue from dusk till dawn why the national team is in the situation it’s in, and whether the Italian Federation has somewhat dug its own grave. But, it’s far more optimistic (and less painful) to focus […]
The five foremost features of Serie A: Week two
In match week two of Serie A, fans were treated to a host of goals including screamers from Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski and Torino’s Andrea Belotti, while Paulo Dybala bagged a hat-trick and Mauro Icardi collected his second brace in as many weeks. Juventus, Napoli, Inter and AC Milan have so far lived up to their […]
Italy’s Future XI: 2018 World Cup
It is officially August. Already. At this point in the summer, pretty much everyone wants the new season to begin. Pre-season friendlies and tournaments are okay stop-gaps to fill the time, but there’s only so many times you can read the same transfer speculation before succumbing to boredom. Therefore, here is something a little different […]
Filippo ‘Pippo’ Inzaghi – The Prolific Poacher
When thinking of a clinical ‘fox in the box’ the person that comes to the top of that list is none other than Filippo Inzaghi. The Italian talisman whose accolades rank him up as one of the most clinical strikers in World football; ‘Pippo’ as he is known in the Italian media, backs up his […]
Final day blues for the Nerazzurri – A title that slipped from Inter’s grasps
2001/02; a time when Italian football was coming towards the tail end of its peak as the greatest league in the World, a season that went right to the wire and saw the famous ‘Golaço’ have its last intro on British terrestrial TV. A season that saw controversy, bankruptcy, an overachieving underdog and some of […]
Coverciano – The Italian Job
Coverciano, also known as Casa Italia, located in Florence Italy, is the central training ground and technical headquarters of the Italian Football Federation. Footballing nations all have their own styles and philosophies, so what makes Italian coaches more appealing, successful and coveted more than the others? Italy has a coaching school called Coverciano, where trainee […]
Alberto Gilardino
May 2, 2007. Milan. Manchester United’s Champions League dreams hang in the balance after a narrow 3-2 home win in the Semi-Finals over an imperious AC Milan side featuring the likes of Kaká, Pirlo, Seedorf and Gattuso. Chasing the tie in Milan after falling behind 4-3 on aggregate, 24-year old Italian striker Alberto Gilardino latches […]
With Humility and Ingenuity: Italy Faces Off Against Albania and the Netherlands
Giampiero Ventura will have to show humility and ingenuity as Italy plays Albania, in an historical World Cup Qualifier, and the Netherlands, in a prestigious friendly. Humility against Albania will go a long way to ensure that the Azzurri will not underestimate the threat posed by them. Ingenuity against the Netherlands will allow Ventura to […]