“Nobody thought we could get to this point,” were the words of SPAL coach Leonardo Semplici after his side had confirmed their promotion to Serie A last season. “We...
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Football Italia at 25: Celebrating Gazzetta’s greatest golaccios (part III)
This month celebrates a quarter century since an unknown twentysomething called James Richardson emerged as a staple in our lives via Channel 4’s groundbreaking coverage of Serie A. Following...
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Football Italia at 25: Celebrating Gazzetta’s greatest golaccios (part II)
his month celebrates a quarter century since an unknown twentysomething called James Richardson emerged as a staple in our lives via Channel 4’s groundbreaking coverage of Serie A. Following...
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Football Italia at 25: Celebrating Gazzetta’s greatest golaccios (Part I)
This month celebrates a quarter century since an unknown twenty-something called James Richardson emerged as a staple in our lives via Channel 4’s groundbreaking coverage of Serie A. With his...
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Calcio stops at Crotone: The decline of Sicilian football
The great absentee at last month’s Serie A fixture unveiling did not go unnoticed. In a packed football association headquarters in Milan, no representatives of Sicilian football teams were to be...
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The making of Alexis Sanchez: How Udinese helped polish a jewel of European football
At Udine, the video tapes were beginning to pour in. A talented teenager, wiry but tenacious, had caught the eye in Chile’s arid north, deep in the dusty copper...
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From hero to traitor: Following the career of Massimo Maccarone
In a usual sight, the striker wheels away from goal after steering the ball home. He rushes towards the dugout to celebrate with his teammates. But on this occasion, the...
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The 10 most controversial transfers in Serie A history
In a transfer window brimming with narratives, Leonardo Bonucci’s move to AC Milan is undoubtedly Serie A’s biggest story. His decision to swap Turin for Milan has rocked Italian...
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The bank of Napoli: Hasse Jeppson
Italian clubs have broken the world record for transfer fees 18 times in the modern era, more than those of any other country. During Serie A’s golden years between...
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Oriundi and national identity in a multicultural Italy
The last Englishman to win the football World Cup, certain wags will try to tell you, wasn’t born until 1977. You see, Simone Perrotta, the Roma and Italy midfielder...
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