The Cambridge English dictionary defines ‘superstition’ as a “belief that is not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but is connected with old ideas about magic, etc.” If...
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Paolo Poggi: the forgotten story of Italy’s itinerant goalscorer
If Italian football was a Trivial Pursuit category, Paolo Poggi would feature prominently among the answers. The scorer of the fastest-ever goal in Serie A? Poggi, of course. The...
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Stadio Artemio Franchi: Architecture as progressive as the Duomo di Firenze
Purple permeates the Tuscan city of Florence in tribute to the football team that represents it – ACF Fiorentina, aka La Viola. It is said that the club’s colour...
Read MoreMai dimenticato: The tragedy of Piermario Morosini
A huge roar of “Come on!” reverberates around White Hart Lane. It is an FA Cup quarter-final with the winner heading to Wembley. But there is no football going...
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TGU Book Review: Il Re Calcio II, by Paul Grech
The image of Lazio club manager Angelo Peruzzi celebrating the side’s 2017 Italian Super Cup triumph over Juventus is what inspired Paul Grech to write the second part of...
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Giuseppe Meazza and Luigi Ferraris: In celebration of original stadia
The 1986 FIFA World Cup was supposed to be held in Colombia. In late 1982, the prospective host withdrew from its commitment, citing ‘economic difficulties’ (read as asymmetric internal...
Read MoreFernando Redondo in Milan: A time of frustration, grace and standing ovations
Fernando Carlos Redondo Neri cuts an angry figure as he reads from a prepared script. At what should be an exciting time for the player, he delivers carefully chosen...
Read MoreGianluca Signorini: The tragedy of Genoa’s hero and Italy’s most underrated Libero
In the contemporary age of calcio, the libero is an obsolete position. This outdated defensive role, also known as the sweeper, was cleverly orchestrated by the following Italian legends:...
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Tales from the Peninsula: Generosity, beauty & silverware in Milan
When my girlfriend, Maria, and I saw a poster advertising a trip to watch Milan versus Juventus at the theatre of football I had no reservations instantly contacting the...
Read MoreGiovanni Griffith: The Swansong of a cursed man
Every now and then, we are reminded of the fragility of a footballer’s career. Of how a single moment on the pitch can inject an unwanted interlude into a...
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