To claim that Franck Kessie is the epitome of the modern midfielder is not an overstatement. And whilst it might be too early to deem him the ‘new Yaya...
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Gianluca Lapadula: The meteoric rise of the journeyman bomber
How does one describe an individual who has faced nothing but uncertainty, obstacles and doubt, only to emerge triumphant? Resilient, and it’s one of the many adjectives befitting of...
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Celebrating the stereotypical brilliance of Billy Costacurta
The idea that Italian football is all about defending is a well-worn cliché. Any regular viewer of contemporary calcio will tell you that this is no longer the case...
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Tales from the Peninsula: The night an unrecognisable Fiorentina beat Juventus
“I stopped playing 30 years ago, but this welcome is worth one or two Scudetti,” new Fiorentina Vice President Giancarlo Antognoni told the press after Fiorentina’s home game with...
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Grande 50: Part IV
KEITA BALDE DIAO Age: 21 Club: Lazio Country: Senegal Kicked out of Barcelona’s youth team for putting an ice cube in a team-mate’s bed, Keita Balde Diao has gradually...
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Grande 50: Part V
NICOLÓ BARELLA Age: 19 Club: Cagliari Country: Italy Born and bred in Sardinia’s capital, it is no surprise that Barella’s career has been coloured in shades of red and...
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Grande 50: Part II
ANTONIO BARRECA Age: 21 Club: Torino Country: Italy A product of the Torino youth system, Antonio Barreca captained the club’s primavera to the finals of the Campionato Primavera in 2013...
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Grande 50: Part III
GABRIEL BARBOSA Age: 20 Club: Inter Milan Country: Brazil The 20-year-old forward arrived in Milan dubbed the ‘new Neymar’, but like so many who have been before him, being...
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Grande 50: Part I
When Paul Pogba arrived at Juventus on a free transfer in 2012 he was a brash and raw 19-year-old. He had bags of promise, but hadn’t even begun to...
Read MoreClassic Match: Fiorentina vs. Juventus 2000/01
Fiorentina welcomed high flying Juventus to the Stadio Artemio Franchi in May 2001. With just five games of the season remaining, Carlo Ancelotti’s Juve had it all to play...
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