We met in Piazza Tolomei, a quaint little square surveyed by a statue of the Capitoline Wolf. The symbol is ubiquitous in Siena, as is the Balzana, the white and black coat of arms...
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Anne O’ Brien: The Unknown Legend of Calcio
(Anne O’ Brien right) Five Scudetti and two Coppa Italia’s. There isn’t a footballer alive who wouldn’t be happy with that trophy haul come the end of their career....
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Italians in Spain (Part 1) – The First Arrivals: Calligaris, Del Pinto and Bollano
From left to right: Aridex Calligaris, Sergio Del Pinto & Angelo Bollano The name Aridex Calligaris will not mean much to most football fans. In fact, there is very...
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Celebrating Chievo
At the age of 86, Chievo Verona are one of Italian football’s youngest sides. They were founded in 1929 by a group of enthusiastic football fans and factory workers...
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The Poignant Tale of Pierluigi Casiraghi
Pierluigi Casiraghi arrived in England in May 1998. Bought by Chelsea manager and Italian compatriot Gianluca Vialli, the Italian arrived from Lazio as a then club record of £5.4million....
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An Undying Love Affair – Argentines and Serie A (IV): Gabriel Omar Batistuta
By the 1990s, the loophole that allowed footballers to play for more than one country had long since been closed. However not since the Oriundi of 1934 had Argentinians been so...
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Andrea Figus, from Calcio in Cagliari to Surgery in Colney
The name Andrea Figus is not a name that will spring to the mind’s of many Serie A followers. Even die hard Cagliari fans may have difficulty remembering their...
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Remembering Dario Hübner: The Bison who Topped Serie A’s Scoring Charts Aged 35
Thierry Henry (aged 24), Arsenal, 24 Goals, English Premier League Champions Raul (aged 24), Real Madrid, 24 Goals, La Liga Champions Marcio Amoruso (aged 27), Borussia Dortmund, 18 Goals,...
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Hidetoshi Nakata: Calcio’s Samurai
He burst on to the world stage in the summer of 1998 as a skinny 21-year-old representing Japan in their historic first World Cup. His distinctive bright orange locks...
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It’s Zotti not Totti
“He is born to be a Goalkeeper. He knows he must keep his feet on the ground because in football you are always under scrutiny.” Carlo Zotti is not...
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