Part I of a serialisation recounting the tale of three black pioneers who challenged and, in some cases, successfully changed perceptions around race and nationality in Italian football some fifty years ago.
Parma Calcio: A Season in Five Charts
How did they do it? The remarkable stats behind Parma’s Serie A survival
Italia ’90: The Forgotten Tragedy of La Favorita
Even by the standards of a World Cup, the selection of venues for Italia ’90 had an unusually political dimension.…
Gemellaggio: When Ultras Come Together
“We confirm the intention to end the rapport of friendship that has seen us tied to the people of Genoa…
Calcio Travel Notes: Pro Vercelli
Pro Vercelli established themselves as a powerhouse of Italian football during the early part of the twentieth century. They emerged…
Florence, Rome, Swindon: How the Grand Master of Italian Stadium Design Nearly Made His Mark in England
Pier Luigi Nervi is widely regarded as the godfather of reinforced concrete design. He was an outstanding engineer and architect,…
Ivano Bonetti: Scudetto winner and Football League trailblazer
Originally posted on The Gentleman Ultra:
On the night of the 20th May 1992, Sampdoria trudged off the hallowed Wembley turf having…
Calcio Travel Notes: Salernitana
The port city of Salerno is immortalised in the photography of Andreas Gursky. He was on a family holiday in…
Damiano Tommasi: The Unassuming Midfield Master
With black tousled hair and an unkempt beard, Damiano Tommasi strikes an unmistakable figure as president of the Italian Footballer’s…
Fabio Quagliarella’s Indian Summer
Sampdoria’s Christmas gift to their supporters was news of a contract extension for Fabio Quagliarella. With the evergreen forward receiving…