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 This outdated defensive role, also known as the sweeper, was cleverly orchestrated by the following Italian legends:...
Read More
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...
Read More
The top 10 Azzurri kits of all time
What’s your favourite Italy jersey? The question sounds simple, but the answer, and the thought process involved in reaching a decision, is anything but. When I asked writers and...
Read MoreClaudio Ranieri: Laying the foundations for the modern Chelsea
It was fitting that Claudio Ranieri took his title-winning Leicester side to defending champions Chelsea on the final day of the 2015/16 season. As the match unfolded, both sets...
Read More
Tales from the Peninsula: Tickets, touts & transport strikes in Naples
It is 15.00pm on Sunday afternoon and tipping 34 degrees as I step out of the railway station, but more than the heat it’s the visual impact that overwhelms...
Read MoreWhen God smiled at Mancini: The craziest Serie A comeback of the 21st Century
They had become a garden with no water, an oak with no leaves, a dry and thirsty land where vessels were filled only with shame for failing to triumph...
Read MoreLuciano Spalletti: The past and present of Italy’s last great innovator
Different yet, somehow, so similar. Rome and Milan are, in terms of traditions, culture and lifestyle, worlds apart. Football, however, makes no exception. The rivalry between the teams from...
Read More
Mario Balotelli: A portrait of adversity
The year is 1461 – Portuguese explorers have just sailed onto the shores of modern day Sierra Leone, just above the Gulf of Guinea. It’s the tipping point of...
Read More
Exploiting an untapped gem: Could the city of Venice benefit from selling its football?
‘TGU guest writer, Patrick Graham, studied history in Venice for three months, becoming attached to their local team Venezia FC, recently promoted to Serie B. Whilst there, it struck...
Read More