Though he may not be on the stage when the 2017 Ballon d’Or winner is announced – the usual suspects, with the possible addition of Gigi Buffon, will, doubtless,...
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Six of the best: Celebrating Batistuta’s greatest thunderbolts
Gabriel Omar Batistuta scored 200 league goals during his 13-year stint in Italy and attempting to choose his best effort is nigh-on impossible. Deft flicks, powerful headers, acrobatic volleys...
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Mark Bresciano: The Australian champion with Italian roots
Roots in many ways define us. How we are raised shapes us for the rest of our lives. Growing up in Australia as a young boy, Mark Bresciano –...
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Goal O’ The Times: Antonio Cassano vs. Inter (1999)
“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent,” Roberto De Niro passionately tells his son in the 1993 movie ‘A Bronx Tale’. While it’s debatable whether indeed that is...
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Appreciating Simone Inzaghi: The younger brother ready to take centre stage
Sibling rivalry is as ubiquitous as siblings themselves and its intensity can remain ferocious deep into adulthood. Nowhere is this truer than in Italy where, with a cultural history...
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Sebastian Giovinco and the big fish-small pond quandary
It is ironic to say that a league that incorporates both the United States and Canada is a small pond, but, in the general scheme of world football, that...
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An ode to Massimo Ambrosini: Often underappreciated, always unwavering
After 12 years, AC Milan needed a new captain. Paolo Maldini had retired a blue-eyed God, seven Scudetti and five Champions Leagues weighing the armband down considerably. There were...
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Classic Match: Juventus vs. Roma (1983) – A titanic tussle between ruthless rivals
If you’re a fan of Italian football and, like me, spend far too much time watching online clips of old action from the Peninsula, there’s a good chance you’ll...
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Paul Elliott: The English tower of Pisa
“When I got transferred to Pisa, my first game was against AC Milan. I marked the great Ruud Gullit and I always remember when I challenged for the ball...
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Suso Fernandez: The rise of AC Milan’s Il Cardellino
It all started with Rafa Benitez. You might ask how Jesús Joaquín Fernández Sáenz de la Torre, otherwise known as “Suso”, has a connection with the now Newcastle manager....
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