Portraits Archives - The Cult of Calcio

This is a day of sorrow for Lazio who lost their legendary captain Giuseppe

Scudetto-Winning Lazio Captain Giuseppe Wilson Dies at 76

March 6, 2022 The Cult of Calcio Italian Football, Lazio, Portraits, Serie A

This is a day of sorrow for Lazio who lost their legendary captain Giuseppe "Pino" Wilson on Sunday morning. Aged 76, defender Wilson was the captain who led the Biancocelesti to their first, historical Scudetto in 1974. He suffered a fatal stroke in his house in Rome.

Inter defender Tarcisio Burgnich, the timeless “number two” of the Nerazzurri lineup across the 1960s passed away on Wednesday at 82 years of age

Farewell to Tarcisio Burgnich, the Timeless “Rock” of the Grande Inter

May 26, 2021 The Cult of Calcio Inter, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Portraits, Serie A

Inter defender Tarcisio Burgnich, the timeless “number two” of the Nerazzurri lineup across the 1960s, passed away on Wednesday at 82 years of age. A master of the Italian art of no-nonsense defending, he was known as “The Rock” and his very name sounded granitic and impassable.

Inter legend Mauro Bellugi passed away on Saturday of Covid complications. He was 71 years old and had recently suffered amputation of both legs.

Former Inter Defender Mauro Bellugi Dies of Covid Complications

February 20, 2021 Matteo Carnevale Inter, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Portraits, Serie A

Inter legend Mauro Bellugi passed away of Covid complications on Saturday. He was 71 years old and had recently suffered amputation of both legs. Bellugi still kept his morale high and even managed to joke about it, complaining that "they took away from me the leg with which I scored my only goal at Inter!"

Serie A Heroes: George Weah, Milan’s Untameable “Lion King”

December 10, 2020 Marco Celani AC Milan, Hall of the Heroes, Italian Football, Italy, Portraits, Serie A

First Name: George. Family Name: Weah. Those four letters attached to a number nine shirt will always make a pleasant shiver run up any Milan supporter's spine. Weah was an atypical “number nine” with impressive physical and technical characteristics. He made the red-and-black side of the San Siro fall in love despite scoring less that one would expect considering his massive skills.

Between the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st Century, the history of Juventus was enameled by the presence of a unique player: Alex Del Piero

Serie A Heroes: The Days of “Pinturicchio” Alex Del Piero

November 5, 2020 Marco Celani Hall of the Heroes, Italian Football, Italy, Juventus, Portraits, Serie A One comment

Between the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st Century, the history of Juventus was enameled by the presence of a somewhat unique player. It was September 12, 1993 - 15 minutes before the end of a match against Foggia - when La Vecchia Signora fans got introduced to a Padua-born boy with the face of a nice guy and a sublime right foot. His name was Alessandro Del Piero.

A Brief History of Parma Owners from Calisto Tanzi to Kyle Krause

September 21, 2020 Matteo Carnevale Italian Football, Parma, Portraits, Presidential Portraits, Serie A

U.S. Businessman Kyle Krause completed the purchase of Parma on a reported 100M dollar deal. Krause chose a turbulent stage to turn his love for calcio into a real involvement. Parma is a city hungry for football and whose fan base crave for stability and reliability as - from the days of Calisto Tanzi on - the last 30 years have been a rollercoaster for the Gialloblu faithful.

The "Fenomeno" Ronaldo Luis Nazario del Lima is one of the fondest memories from the 1990s for Inter fans

Serie A Heroes: Once Upon a Time, the “Fenomeno” Ronaldo

September 10, 2020 Marco Celani Brazil, Hall of the Heroes, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Italy, Portraits, Serie A

September 22, 1976, is a day that means a lot to Brazil, to Inter fans, and to the whole world of football: That’s the day when, in Rio de Janeiro, one of the best players ever was born – Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, better known on the world football stage simply as Ronaldo. The first Ronaldo, and for many the only one. This is the story of a truly unique player.

The Eight-Year Journey of James Pallotta at Roma

August 6, 2020 Abdullah Bashiti Italian Football, Portraits, Presidential Portraits, Roma, Serie A

James Pallotta has officially sold Roma to fellow American billionaire Dan Friedkin, for a reported fee of around 600 million euro. Pallotta's eight-year stay in the Eternal City will be remembered as having had some really enjoyable phases, most notably the Barcelona Champions League comeback, but will also be remembered as being trophy-less.

From Serie A Winner to Homeless: The Sad Story of Pietro Puzone

June 27, 2020 Matteo Carnevale Italian Football, Napoli, Portraits, Serie A

Pietro Puzone once won the Scudetto with Napoli playing alongside Diego Maradona. Today, he lives as a homeless person in his native town of Acerra. The sad story of this former football player has been making headlines in Italy over the past few days as a video of Puzone living in dreadful conditions circulated in multiple sport media outlets.

Farewell To Pierino Prati, Milan’s Man of The Hat-Trick

June 22, 2020 The Cult of Calcio Staff AC Milan, Italian Football, Portraits, Serie A

The world of calcio lost another giant as former Milan striker Pierino Prati died at 73 today. Just a few days after Mario Corso, another iconic player from the 1960s left this world, taking away a good share of sweet memories from the most aged football fans. Prati went down in history as the first player to have ever scored a hat-trick in a European Cup Final.

Mario Corso Dies at 79, Grande Inter Lose Another Piece

June 20, 2020 The Cult of Calcio Staff AC Milan, Italian Football, Portraits, Serie A

The Grande Inter – the almost-invincible Nerazzurri squad from the 1960s - lost another piece as unforgettable number 11 Mario Corso died on Friday aged 79. Corso was known for his trademark “dead leaf free-kick” consisting of hitting the ball on the inside of the foot to give it such an effect as to make it dip or curl at the last minute.

Throwback Thursday: Helenio Herrera, The Wizard of Grande Inter

June 3, 2020 Abdullah Bashiti Inter Milan, Italian Football, Portraits, Throwback Thursday 2 comments

Inter's history is filled with a special affiliation to controversial, charismatic managers, whose pioneer was without doubt Helenio Herrera. Every die-hard Nerazzurri fan would be forever grateful to that man, who would later become referred to as Il Mago ("The Wizard") and who forged the legendary epoch of the Grande Inter during the 1960s.

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