Luke Phelps, Author at The Cult of Calcio

How Might Sandro Tonali Fit Into Antonio Conte’s Inter Lineup?

June 21, 2020 Luke Phelps Brescia, Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market 4 comments

Inter and Juventus are the front-runners to sign Brescia's Sandro Tonali this summer, but how might he fit into the starting line-up under Antonio Conte? And would he be suited to Conte’s Inter at all? Conte’s Inter like to play in a 3-5-2 set-up and Tonali would likely be looking at either Brozovic or Barella as his main competition to break into the Inter first-team.

On Her Majesty’s Service: The Cult Hero That Was Fabrizio Ravanelli

June 9, 2020 Luke Phelps England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League

Fabrizio Ravanelli had two separate spells in English football with Middlesbrough and then Derby County, proving himself a popular figure with both. He became a cult hero of both Boro and Derby fans’, and the fact that he scored 31 goals in all competitions in his first season for a relegated team in the Premier League shows just how underrated he may have been.

A Coppa Italia Preview as Calcio Finally Comes Back

June 7, 2020 Luke Phelps AC Milan, Coppa Italia, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Juventus, Napoli

Italian football will return on 12 June as Juventus, Milan, Napoli, and Inter square off to conquer the Coppa Italia. All eyes will be on the remaining games of the domestic cup - the second leg of the Semi-Finals and the Final to be played in the space of four days. The clash between Juventus and Milan will kick-start football again in Italy after three months.

On Her Majesty’s Service: Samuele Dalla Bona’s Desperate Demise

May 30, 2020 Luke Phelps On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League

Whilst the Premier League has seen some great Italians join its shores, very few of them are actually made in England. That is with exception to Samuele Dalla Bona. After he swapped the Atalanta youth academy for the Chelsea one, many believed him to be the next best thing to come out of Italy, but what followed was unprecedented and untimely.

On Her Majesty’s Service: The Rise and Fall of Massimo Maccarone

May 21, 2020 Luke Phelps England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League

A name that rings true with Middlesbrough fans, Massimo Maccarone was an eccentric addition to the long list of fine Boro strikers. From Fabrizio Ravanelli to Mark Viduka, to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Yakubu, and Maccarone - the Riverside has long been the home of some great forwards, but the latter proved many wrong with his performances.

On Her Majesty’s Service: Carlo Cudicini Could Have Been a Star

May 13, 2020 Luke Phelps Chelsea, Italian Football, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League

Carlo Cudicini lasted 22 years as a professional goalkeeper, with 13 of those being spent in England between Chelsea and Tottenham, making him one of the Premier League’s longest-serving Italian stars. But for all his talent, it seems he was always with the wrong club at the wrong time and somehow forged a reputation as a "back-up" player.

On Her Majesty’s Service: Attilio Lombardo’s Stint at Crystal Palace

May 6, 2020 Luke Phelps England, Italian Football, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League, Serie A

Attilio Lombardo was one of the most robust right-wingers of the '90s. He spent a year-and-a-half in England, playing for the newly-promoted Crystal Palace in 1997. His move shocked many, as Lombardo had only just reached the heights of Italian football with Juventus and he swapped that all to become Palace's star player of an otherwise forgetful season.

On Her Majesty’s Service: Gianluca Festa’s Hard-Hitting Days

April 29, 2020 Luke Phelps England, Italian Football, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League

The North East of England has never been a hot-spot for incoming European footballers, but Gianluca Festa broke the mold when he joined Middlesbrough in 1997. Festa was an iconic Premier League player, renowned for his hard-hitting, no-nonsense style of defending, and also for his goal-scoring touch. A player who Boro fans will associate with their "glory days."

On Her Majesty’s Service: The Injury Hell of Alessandro Pistone

April 25, 2020 Luke Phelps England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League

The Milan-born Alessandro Pistone made 149 Premier League appearances between 1997 and 2007, playing for both Newcastle United and Everton. A quick, forward-thinking, and generally reliable full-back, he could perhaps have moved up in the Premier League or even play for Italy, if he wasn’t so prone to the physio’s table.

On Her Majesty’s Service: Alberto Aquilani’s Liverpool Missed Chance

April 14, 2020 Luke Phelps England, Liverpool, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League 3 comments

Liverpool had some forgettable Italian names in their ranks - Mario Balotelli, Andrea Dossena, and Fabio Borini to name a few. They all disappointed during their spell at the club and would move on without leaving any lasting legacy. But none joined with as much expectation surrounding them as Alberto Aquilani, and none endured as torrid a time at Anfield as he did.

On Her Majesty’s Service: The Turbulent Times of Paolo Di Canio

April 8, 2020 Luke Phelps England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League

Is there a word, phrase, or metaphor that hasn't already been used to describe Paolo Di Canio? The Premier League has long been home to the wild and the wacky, the brilliant and the obscene, and no single player fits all of those bills except the former Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United and Charlton Athletic man.

On Her Majesty’s Service: Benito Carbone’s Brit Tribulations

April 2, 2020 Luke Phelps England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League

Of all the Italian names to have graced English shores, Benito Carbone is one that you may well have forgotten. He arrived at Sheffield Wednesday in 1996 amid the "European invasion" of the Premier League and, despite always becoming a fan favorite wherever he played, his time in England always seemed to have a factor that was holding him back.

Author: Luke Phelps