Close to the historic city centre of Florence, slightly off the beaten track, there is a bar called ‘Antico Beccaria’. The local is the quintessential ‘football pub’ and distinctly...
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Spain 1982: Enzo Bearzot and the birth of ‘Silenzio Stampa’
Few events are truly unprecedented in football, but what happened during Italy’s 1982 World Cup campaign in Spain was just that, and its legacy endures to this day. In...
Read MoreClassic Match: Juventus vs. Bologna 1997/98
Match day 33 of the 1997/98 Serie A season would be one of the most dramatic in the leagues history. Title favourites Juventus welcomed Renzo Ulivieri’s Bologna to the...
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Edinson Cavani: The fire in Napoli’s renaissance
It was the end of 2009/10 Serie A season and opinions were divided regarding the success of Napoli’s campaign. At the season’s inception, great optimism had surrounded the San...
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Sampdoria: The Alternative Club Guide
Stadium: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, capacity 35,356 Also known as the Marassi after the local neighbourhood, the Stadio Luigi Ferraris is one of the oldest grounds in Italy. Built in...
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Tales from the peninsula: The Piacenza Derby – an empty rivalry
Back in early 2015, The Gentleman Ultra featured an article about Piacenza Calcio and their financial struggles. Now safe from the turmoil of recent times, the club hailing from...
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Merthyr Tydfil vs. Atalanta: The story of an unforgettable upset
Wales is a country where the oval ball dominates, yet there is one town in mid-Glamorgan where football is a religion and eclipses everything else. Merthyr Tydfil does not...
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Kazuyoshi Miura: The story of Japanese football’s first Serie A player
Hidetoshi Nakata begat Hiroshi Nanami; and Hiroshi Nanami begat Atsushi Yanagisawa; and Atsushi Yanagisawa begat Shunsuke Nakamura; and Shunsuke Nakamura begat Takayuki Morimoto; and Takayuki Morimoto begat Yuto Nagatomo;...
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Maurizio Zamparini: The successes and controversies of Palermo’s infamous manager-eater
Italian football’s lengthy association with infamous club presidents who regularly court controversy with outspoken remarks and erratic behaviour is well known. Even Silvio Berlusconi is mild-mannered and relatively dull...
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Tales from the Peninsula: Conflict in Reggio-Emilia
“This…we simply cannot accept it,” said one post on a Reggiana fans shared Facebook group. As with many contentious postings on social media platforms, the message was immediately shared...
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