The Cult of Calcio - Page 1291 of 1326 - Italian Football and Serie A News in English

On Her Majesty’s Service: Roberto Di Matteo’s Managerial Greatness

March 23, 2020 Luke Phelps Champions League, Chelsea, England, On Her Majesty's Service

Roberto Di Matteo was an understated player. Through Chelsea’s resurgence in the 1990s, he was at the heart of it. But it is as a manager that he achieved true greatness, leading Chelsea to lift both the Champions League and FA Cup trophies in a few months, in what was possibly one of the greatest managerial turnarounds in modern Premier League history.

Joaquin Peiró and That Famous Goal To Liverpool…

March 18, 2020 The Cult of Calcio Staff European Cups, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A

Joaquin Peiró passed away today at 84. He was a striker for the Grande Inter, an invincible lineup that won everything possible between 1962 and 1966 – Three Scudetto, two European Cups and one Intercontinental Cup. The goal Peiró scored to Liverpool in a European Cup Semi-Final invariably grabs one of the top spots in any Nerazzurro’s hall of fame.

On Her Majesty’s Service: Zola’s Inspiring Love Affair With Chelsea

March 17, 2020 Luke Phelps Chelsea, England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League 2 comments

The Premier League is home to hundreds of overseas players, but go back twenty years or so and there were much fewer in the English top-flight than there is today. Foreign players were seen as exotic, flamboyant and simply different from what English football fans were used to. One player who was certainly different, but for all the right reasons, was Gianfranco Zola.

The Short-Lived Epoch of Tommaso Maestrelli’s Lazio

March 15, 2020 Pietro Piacenza Hungary, Italian Football, Lazio, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

The tale of Lazio winning their first Scudetto in 1974 is a story of fights, quarrels, and kicks during training sessions. A story of weapons inside the changing rooms and internal tensions. And of a miracle that repeated itself every Sunday on the field, when coach Tommaso Maestrelli managed to turn tensions into a desire to win and striker Giorgio Chinaglia executed.

The Curious Case of Jurgen Klopp and Coronavirus

March 14, 2020 Abdullah Bashiti Bundesliga, Champions League, Europa League, European Championships 2020, La Liga, Liverpool, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2019-2020, U.S.A.

Jürgen Klopp is currently the world's best manager, at least according to FIFA. Yet, even the world's best sometimes make bad statements. But Klopp, being a highly charismatic, widely-loved figure, managed to turn his initial anger towards questions on the coronavirus to a message of hope and advice to everyone around the world.

Rugani Positive For Coronavirus, Juve and Inter Quarantined

March 11, 2020 The Cult of Calcio Staff AC Milan, Atalanta, Bologna, Brescia, Cagliari, Fiorentina, Genoa, Hellas Verona, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Italy, Juventus, Lazio, Lecce, Napoli, Parma, Roma, Sampdoria, Sassuolo, Serie A, Serie A 2019-2020, Spal, Torino, Udinese

Juventus defender Daniele Rugani tested positive for the COVID-19, the disease generated by the much-famed coronavirus. Rugani is the first player from a Serie A club to be infected. Juventus and Inter issued stataments announcing that their players and staff will likely need to undergo quarantine, casting further doubts on the prosecution of their football season.

Assi di Coppe: Atalanta Silence Agnelli In Historic UCL Night

March 11, 2020 Taimoor Khan Assi di Coppe, Atalanta, Champions League, European Cups, Italian Football

In what is an amazing underdog story from this season’s Champions League, Atalanta became the first team to book a place in the Quarter-Finals of the competition. A 4-3 win over Valencia embellished by a haul by Josip Ilicic was all the Bergamo club needed to make history. Their win was even more important given Juventus President Andrea Agnelli's recent rant.

Serie A Suspended Due To Coronavirus: What Happens Now?

March 10, 2020 Kolade Daniel AC Milan, Atalanta, Bologna, Brescia, Cagliari, Fiorentina, Genoa, Hellas Verona, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Italy, Juventus, Lazio, Lecce, Napoli, Parma, Roma, Sampdoria, Sassuolo, Serie A, Serie A 2019-2020, Spal, Torino, Udinese

Italy was placed under a total lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. With about three to four Serie A game-weeks now set to be outstanding after the suspension, what are the possible implications this may bring to the current season? According to multiple Italian media sources, there are now four possible scenarios after the ban.

Italy Lockdown Stops Serie A In Country’s Longest Day

March 9, 2020 Matteo Carnevale AC Milan, Atalanta, Bologna, Brescia, Cagliari, Fiorentina, Genoa, Hellas Verona, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Italy, Juventus, Lazio, Lecce, Napoli, Parma, Roma, Sampdoria, Sassuolo, Serie A, Serie A 2019-2020, Spal, Torino, Udinese

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that Italy will be in a total lockdown until at least April 3 to contain the coronavirus outbreak – extending to the whole country the extreme measures originally announced yesterday for 14 provinces only. The restriction also applies to any sports activity, including the Serie A and lower divisions.

Assi di Coppe: Atalanta Travel To Valencia as UCL Show Goes On

March 9, 2020 Din Havolli Assi di Coppe, Atalanta, Champions League, European Cups, Italian Football, Valencia

After squeezing through to the knockout stages, Atalanta’s Champions League debut is gathering pace. After a stellar performance at home by the hugely talented Italian side, they seem poised to go through. It would take a feat of epic proportions for Valencia to overturn the 4-1 advantage in a second leg which will be played behind closed doors due to coronavirus.

Juventus Regain Top Spot After Toppling Inter In Derby d’Italia

March 9, 2020 Abdullah Bashiti Inter Milan, Italian Football, Italy, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2019-2020

Under bizarre circumstances, Juventus and Inter played out a fan-less Derby d’Italia in Turin. With both opposing managers knowing what’s at stake, the match was very tactical. But it did have its moment of magic when Paulo Dybala scored the second goal for Juventus. Unfortunately, only the stadium lights and a few VIP’s were there to witness it live.

Previewing a Closed-Doors Juventus-Inter Derby d’Italia

March 8, 2020 Thomas Salvatori Inter Milan, Italian Football, Italy, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2019-2020

You know it is going to be a great game when it is dubbed a "Derby" even if the two sides don’t come from the same city. There are always huge expectations in a Juventus-Inter game, even with closed doors. Home side Juventus will likely benefit from the return of three important players, whereas Inter cannot afford to lose if they want to keep their Scudetto hopes alive.