Even by Italian standards, Trieste is a unique city. Located in the far north east of the country, it is a city that has a somewhat chequered history, especially...
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Massimo Donati and his Celtic Crush
“Strachan eyes up Milan maestro”. These were the words on every Evening Times stand throughout Glasgow City Centre. Celtic were on the lookout for a replacement for captain, Neil...
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Lega Pro: Organised Chaos
The anticipation is building. The fixtures have been released and the squads are being fine-tuned for the opening day. Even after a summer filled with football, there remained...
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Faas Wilkes: Inter’s Original Dutch Superstar
The city of Milan is no stranger to having players from the Netherlands leave an everlasting impression on its inhabitants. When asked to connect the two, most people think...
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Masters Versus champions: British Perceptions of Calcio in the Fascist Era
On 2 April 2013, Paolo Di Canio entered the pressroom at the Stadium of Light to begin his first press conference as Manager of Sunderland AFC. The line of...
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Chievo Verona: The Donkeys who dared to fly
“When donkeys’ll fly, we’ll have a derby in Serie A,” chanted the gleeful fans of Hellas Verona. Year after year, decade after decade, they poured scorn on their long-suffering...
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The transfer that sparked a riot: Baggio to Juventus (1990)
Transfer dealings between rivals often leave fans feeling resentful or betrayed – take Miralem Pjanic’s departure from Roma as a suitable recent example. Few moves, though, incite urban riots....
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C.S. Lebowski: Continuing their project in the face of adversity
Locked away among the pedestrianised streets in the San Frediano district of Florence lies an open green space where local children play football. This in itself is not an...
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On the march with Tally’s Army: Stand up for the Boys in Green
On New Year’s day, when an ex-student of mine, a proud Veronese with a curious west coast drawl, asked if I would be interested in going to France for...
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Familiar Foes: Italy and Ireland renew acquaintances
It is a small country on the fringes of Europe, a country whose people have spread knowledge, ‘craic’ and a deal of mischief to the four corners of this...
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