The Cult of Calcio - Page 1184 of 1206 - Italian Football and Serie A News in English

Stronger Than a Stalker: Quagliarella’s Return from Hell

March 31, 2019 Matteo Carnevale Italian Football, Italy, Serie A

Fabio Quagliarella was in his athletic prime when in 2009 he signed a dream deal to play for his hometown club Napoli. But his honeymoon would last only one year, as the following summer he abruptly moved to Juventus. The reality behind his transfer would emerge only years later, when he could finally reveal that he had to leave Napoli due to a stalker.

Italy, Six Goals and Six Points on the Road to Euro 2020

March 27, 2019 Matteo Carnevale Euro 2020, Italian Football, Italy, The Azzurri

Grabbing six points in the two initial games of their Euro 2020 Qualifiers should be put in the right perspective: Group J is far from being a difficult one. Still, Italy’s 6-0 win over Liechtenstein last night, embellished by a double by Fabio Quagliarella and a new goal by young talent Moise Kean, was enough to warm the hearts of Italian supporters.

Barella, Kean Make Mancini Smile as Azzurri Beat Finland

March 24, 2019 Matteo Carnevale Euro 2020, Italian Football, Italy, The Azzurri

Roberto Mancini’s young Azzurri are off to a good start on their way to Euro 2020. Italy beat Finland 2-0 in Udine last night to pass their first test to win back access to the football aristocracy. Goals by Niccolo’ Barella and Moise Kean, whose combined age is 38, showed that the Italian coach’s work to rejuvenate the Belpaese football movement is starting to bear fruit.

Better Than Barcelona: The Remuntada of Pianura

February 3, 2019 Matteo Carnevale Carpi, Italian Football, Serie D

On March 8, 2017, Barcelona overturned a four-goal deficit in the second leg of a Champions League match. But only few people know that, years earlier, Napoli-based club Pianura had performed an even more incredible remuntada as they beat Carpi 8-2 in the retour match of a Serie D play-off Semi Final after losing 0-5 the first act.

River Overcome Boca in Historical Libertadores Final

December 10, 2018 Matteo Carnevale Boca Juniors, Copa Libertadores, River Plate, The Grass Is Greener

River Plate won the Final of the Two Worlds. The most awaited, tormented, and postponed match in recent football history ended in the hands of Los Millonarios as they topped Boca Juniors 3-1 at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid to capture the Copa Libertadores 2018. Marcelo Gallardo’s one-touch football prevailed over the Xeneize side after 120 minutes of intense futebol.

Throwback Thursday: Un vulcano spiana la strada al triplete interista

November 5, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza Barcelona, Champions League, European Cups, Inter Milan, Throwback Thursday

The last time Inter and Barcelona squared off at San Siro Stadium was on April 20th, 2010. It was the first leg of a Champions League Semi Final. Due to an ash cloud generated by an Icelandic volcano, the Blaugrana had to reach Milan via bus as most European flights were cancelled. The Nerazzurri won 3-1 and took one step further towards their fantastic "triplete."

Throwback Thursday: A Volcano Paved The Way To Inter’s Triplete

November 5, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza Barcelona, Champions League, European Cups, Inter Milan, Throwback Thursday

The Grass Is Greener: Will Vinicius Join Viral Valladolid?

November 4, 2018 Carlos Molano Liga, Real Madrid, The Grass Is Greener, Valladolid

Right before last summer, Real Valladolid unexpectedly won the playoffs of the Spanish Segunda Division, getting promoted to play in La Liga. After struggling for four seasons in the second tier of Iberian football, the dream of a city, the dream of a region became true. Who would have thought that Ronaldo Nazario de Lima could show some interest in buying the club?

The Grass Is Greener: Boca-River, The Game of the Century

November 4, 2018 Carlos Molano Boca Juniors, Copa Libertadores, River Plate, The Grass Is Greener

Whether it is El Clásico, a Champions League tie or the World Cup Final itself, a top-level match is often billed as “the biggest game of the century” or suchlike. But this time, with Buenos Aires rival clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate facing each other in the upcoming Copa Libertadores Final, the epithet will be even more appropriate.

Throwback Thursday: Il fatale Cinque Maggio dell’Inter

October 27, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza Inter Milan, Lazio, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

On May 5th, 2002, three teams were still battling for the Scudetto with only 90 minutes to go. Inter, leading the ranks with 69 points, were due to play Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. It was supposed to be an easy win for the Nerazzurri, in view of their long-lasting friendship with the Roman side. But Lazio's midfielder Karel Poborsky had a different idea...

Throwback Thursday: L’Inter affossa il Milan, la retrocessione si avvicina…

October 21, 2018 The Cult of Calcio Staff AC Milan, Inter Milan, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

When they met for their second Derby di Milano in the 1981-82 season, Inter and Milan were facing two opposite situations. With 10 games left, the Nerazzurri were only four points behind the leading duo Fiorentina-Juventus. Milan, on the other hand, lied in the penultimate spot of the league table, and were desperately struggling to avoid relegation.

Throwback Thursday: When Inter Pushed Milan To Serie B

October 18, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza AC Milan, Inter Milan, Serie A, Throwback Thursday