Following the publication of our Serie A team of the 1980s and 1990s articles, it was only natural we would tackle the 2000s next. After the golden era of...
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Age is just a number: Calcio’s 12 greatest veteran goalscorers
On February 2, 2019, Fabio Quagliarella was on the brink of writing history. He had scored in 11 consecutive games for Sampdoria and needed just one more goal to...
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France ’98 and the staffetta: Baggio vs. Del Piero, the race for Italy’s no. 10
Origins If the word ‘staffetta’ is translated into English, it roughly means relay. The word is generally associated with athletics – contests between two or more teams in running...
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Gol di Grosso: Italy, Germany and that night in Dortmund
For generations of football fans, Italy are the quintessential World Cup team. Skilful, stylish and exciting, Gli Azzurri have been involved in some iconic World Cup moments. While many...
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Reporting for duty: When Serie A’s superstars did national service
“The next young player who says he does not want to play for England should be ordered to ring the parents of a soldier who has died serving his...
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Roberto Baggio’s redemption: A story of two World Cup penalties
According to Buddha’s teachings, “it is not prayer, not grace and not sacrifice that brings redemption, but only knowledge. The knowledge lies within the power of the individual”. It...
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Football Italia at 25: Celebrating Gazzetta’s greatest golaccios (part III)
This month celebrates a quarter century since an unknown twentysomething called James Richardson emerged as a staple in our lives via Channel 4’s groundbreaking coverage of Serie A. Following...
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Following in the footsteps of Roby Baggio: Bernadeschi, Juve and the search for a No 10
After a stunning performance in Serie A’s most entertaining game between Fiorentina and Napoli last season, the next morning’s papers hailed Federico Bernardeschi as a worthy heir to Roberto...
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The triumphs and tensions of a strike partnership: Del Piero and Inzaghi at Juve
Some of football’s greatest sides are built on some form of partnership or triumvirate. Manchester United had Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke in the 1990s’, Milan had their Dutch...
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Goal O’ The Times: Alessandro Del Piero vs. Lazio (1994)
Often a player can embark on a breakthrough season. We’ve all seen it before; the youngster who finally fulfills their early potential, the player of modest ability who suddenly...
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