Many among the 70,000 crowd gathered in the San Siro released an involuntary gasp as Spanish referee Antonio Lahoz blew a shrill, long note from his whistle. As the...
Read MoreReporting for duty: When Serie A’s superstars did national service
“The next young player who says he does not want to play for England should be ordered to ring the parents of a soldier who has died serving his...
Read MoreRoberto Baggio’s redemption: A story of two World Cup penalties
According to Buddha’s teachings, “it is not prayer, not grace and not sacrifice that brings redemption, but only knowledge. The knowledge lies within the power of the individual”. It...
Read MoreTGU Interview: Author Matteo Fontana talks Calcio during Italy’s years of lead
On 12 December 1969, an explosion ripped through the foyer of the Banca Nazionale dell’Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana in Milan. Seventeen people were killed and 88 more were injured....
Read MoreSuccess in Sardinia: Allegri and the Cagliari years
Massimiliano Allegri has arguably been Italy’s most successful coach of the last decade. During this time, he has compiled an enviable CV, winning the Scudetto at AC Milan in...
Read MoreAzzurri: The story behind Italy’s nickname and colours
Words fail us. When it comes to love or grief, they can never fully articulate how we feel inside. How can the word ‘love’ really convey what we mean...
Read MoreA vanished dream: the story behind Paolo Maldini’s bitter Milan farewell
It has become a familiar image in Calcio. The camera pans to the stand and picks out a legend of the club. But they are not there just to...
Read MoreUn maiale non può allenare: Carlo Ancelotti’s troubled time at Juventus
It was the final day of the 1999/00 Serie A season and as torrential rain and wind battered the Renato Curi stadium, Carlo Ancelotti and his Juventus side were...
Read MoreClassic Calcio Kits: Torino 1990-93
Shirt: Torino (home) Season: 1990-93 Manufacturer: ABM Sponsor: Indesit / Beretta Worn by: Rafael Martín Vázquez, Enzo Scifo, Luca Fusi, Walter Casagrande, Gianluigi Lentini. It’s not feasible to write...
Read MoreParma Calcio 1913: Rising from the ashes
It took the court just 10 minutes to declare Parma FC bankrupt in March 2015. It was a quick decision, finally ending months of torment after the mismanagement of...
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