If you were to interrogate an Italian football fanatic about the aspects that made him fall in love with Calcio in the first place, the answers might not be as straightforward as you would expect. Curiously, the style of play and his favorite club’s triumphs would seldom be on top of the list. On the contrary, most would point out little things – the subplots that could be overlooked in other countries, but are so deeply cherished in the Peninsula.
And when it comes to fascinating storylines, the ones that include family ties are certainly up there. After all, a brotherly rivalry in sports is something that many of us can relate to, even if lacking professional experience.
So with Juventus signing Khephren Thuram, the Derby d’Italia has now gained an extra flavor, as the midfielder will collide with his older sibling Thuram who has now become a bona fide Inter star following last season’s exploits.
Nevertheless, Lilian’s boys won’t be the first brothers to share a football pitch in Serie A. In fact, the league has a rich history with famous siblings, and it’s time to take a look at seven of the most memorable brotherly connections in Italian football
These are stories of alliances, rivalries, banter, bragging rights and even personal feuds. These are tales that encapsulate almost every facet of Calcio.
Honorable Mentions
Let’s begin by enlisting a number of brothers who plied their trade their Serie A at the same time, but their stories were slightly less fascinating than the ones who made the cut:
- Emanuele & Antonio Filippini
- Lorenzo & Roberto Insigne
- Cristiano & Alessandro Lucarelli
- Antonio & Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Romelu & Jordan Lukaku
- Cristian & Damiano Zenoni
- Sandro & Ferruccio Mazzola
1. Giuseppe & Franco Baresi
When it comes to Calcio royalty, the Baresi family is on top of the mountain. While Derby encounters are often characterized by tension and borderline violence, the Derby della Madonnina is unique in this regard, earning the moniker of the “Cousin’s Derby” since most families in the city have representatives in the fanbases of both Milan and Inter.
Thus, no one could ever embody the dual nature of this encounter more than the two brothers who each led his troop to battle while donning opposing armbands. Giuseppe and Franco were exemplary professionals and dedicated club captains, but at the same time loving brothers. And somehow, they managed to find an equilibrium that doesn’t jeopardize one or the other.
Moreover, a famous twist in the tale speaks of a young Franco who tried to follow his older brother’s footsteps by entering Inter’s youth ranks, but was unwisely rejected by the coaches due to his small stature. Luckily, the younger sibling didn’t give up, but instead found himself a niche on the opposite side of the city, and eventually cemented himself as one of the greatest defenders to ever grace a football pitch.
2. Filippo & Simone Inzaghi
While the football gods are mostly known for their cruelty, the case of the Inzaghi brothers proves they can be fair on some rare occasions. During their playing careers, Pippo was blessed with an almost unparalleled talent for poaching goals. The legendary striker’s hitman skills meant he spent 15 years between Juventus and Milan, winning a host of trophies in the process.
But while Filippo’s career highlights include a World Cup triumph and a Champions League winning brace, Simone spent his playing days in the shadow of his older brother. Like his sibling, Simone played primarily as a striker, but his goal ratio was much more modest. His career even includes an agonizing four-year drought.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned football gods decided to swap the roles when the brothers hung up their boots, with Simone suddenly becoming the more prominent Inzaghi. The 48-year-old spent five successful years at the helm of Lazio who rewarded him for his loyalty by launching his managerial career, before earning a high-profile move to Inter and cementing himself as one of the finest tacticians in the country.
On the other hand, Pippo has found success in Serie B on a few occasions, but could never make the most of his top-flight opportunities with the likes of Milan, Bologna and Benevento.
The fact that two brothers battled one another both on the pitch and on the sidelines makes it a truly special brotherly rivalry, even though they unequivocally love and respect one another.
3. Fabio & Paolo Cannavaro
Here’s another 2006 World Cup winner with a less prominent younger brother. While Simone Inzaghi’s goal-scoring record was no match to Pippo’s, Paolo Cannavaro was never the world-class defender his brother Fabio was for much of his playing career.
The legendary Fabio went down in history books as one of the finest centre-back in history, winning honors at Parma, Juventus and Real Madrid. His heroics vastly contributed to Italy’s triumph campaign in Germany 2006, earning himself the moniker of “Il Muro di Berlino” (“The Berlin Wall”). He also remains the last defender to date to win a Ballon d’Or.
On the other hand, Paolo had a much more humble career, but still managed to achieve one particular feat that Fabio missed out on: Cementing himself as a club icon. While Fabio had somewhat of a nomadic career at club level, it was Paolo who did the family name honor by becoming a stalwart at its hometown club of Napoli, eventually becoming the Partenopei’s captain and an inspirational leader.
4. Giovanni & Giacomo Tedesco
While the vast majority of brotherly rivals involve some innocent banter and jokes, this one is certainly the exception. Let’s just say that these two Sicilian siblings crossed the line of healthy competition, to put it mildly.
Whether the Tedesco brothers shared a good rapport in their early years remains uncertain, but one thing is for sure, this rivalry reached its climax when Giovanni was representing Palermo while the younger Giacomo was defending the honor of Catania. In fairness, the toxic tension that engulfed the Sicilian Derby at the time certainly fueled whatever animosity the two brothers held against one another.
One particular incident saw Palermo beat Catania who were facing the threat of relegation. After the match, Giovanni was celebrating Sicily’s bragging rights alongside his fellow Rosanero teammates, something that the brash Giacomo found hard to swallow:
“I tried to make peace, but it proved futile. I was negatively affected by Giovanni’s behavior when, last season, he won the derby in the last five minutes and celebrated, as if he had won the Champions League. That behavior affected me on a personal level, because he didn’t consider my disappointment, given that I had lost and was also at risk of being relegated.”
Fortunately, the two brothers have reportedly opened a new chapter recently, but this one surely remains the most fierce brotherly rivalry in Serie A.
5. The Sentimenti Five
For our fifth entry, it’s only fitting to discuss the only family that provided Serie A with a whopping five siblings! Yes, FIVE.
So, ladies and gentlemen, we give you the Sentimenti Five. Perhaps they aren’t as famous or disputed as the Jackson Five, but they still represent a unique phenomenon in Italian football. And that’s not all. The family also included four more brothers who aspired to play at the top level but never made it. Otherwise, they could have almost fielded a whole lineup on their own.
The Sentementi brothers became known by their Roman numbers as some sort of code to distinguish them from one another. It goes as follows: Ennio (I), Arnaldo (II), Vittorio (III), Lucidio (IV) and Primo (V).
Lucidio was arguably the most famous of the five, having represented Juventus between 1942 and 1949. Nevertheless, it was during his earlier stint at Modena that he made history by becoming the first goalkeeper to score a penalty kick in Serie A. But here’s the catch, he did so by beating his brother Arnaldo in a relegation dogfight. Lucidio vividly celebrated his achievement while his enraged older brother chased him all over the field. The pair didn’t speak for two years.
6. Sergej & Vanja Milinkovic-Savic
Once upon a time, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was deemed to be the main attraction of the Spain-based Serbian family, while Sergej was somewhat overlooked as the older but less promising brother. Needless to say, things turned out slightly differently when the two siblings reached the senior level. Although Vanja has become a household name in his own right, he never truly enjoyed the stardom his brother achieved during his memorable stint at Lazio… at least not yet.
Sergej was arguably the most complete Serie A midfielder in his heyday, combining physical strength with an elegant touch that few could match. He was also a menace for goalkeepers as proven by the 69 goals he scored for the Aquile. Yet none of those strikes ensued against his sibling. Whether this is pure coincidence or due to a toned-down desire that occurs when he sees his 202-cm “baby brother” standing in goal, it remains a matter of perspective.
7. Diego & Hugo Maradona
While it’s hard to imagine it now, but there was one particularly special period in Serie A when the league hosted not one, but two Maradonas.
One was the most famous player of all time, “Il Pibe de Oro”, the most controversial hero/villain in World Cup history, a bona fide god in Naples, and arguably the greatest human being to ever practice the sport, whereas the other was… Hugo.
Nevertheless, when Napoli were boasting their Maradona and enjoying unprecedented heights thanks to his genius, Ascoli must have been jealous. But instead of bitterly ruing their luck, they decided to do something about it: satisfying their envy but signing their own Maradona and naturally slapping the Number 10 on his back… as you do.
Unfortunately for the Picchio, their Maradona only shared the last name and the hairstyle of his older brother, but had none of the iconic skills that Diego possessed. 13 appearances later, Hugo vanished from Serie A and went on to embark on a journeyman career, though his time in Italian football included an appearance against his brother’s Napoli.
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