Tag: champions league

The Derby D’Italia: Serie A’s great advert

In October 2024 I walked out of the San Siro after Inter had surrendered a 4-2 lead against Juventus to draw the Derby D’Italia. What had I just witnessed? The match was insane, two of the top teams in a top 5 league going hammer and tongs to win a game of football. And so early in the season. A stark contrast from the recent Premier League “big matches” we’ve seen, cagey 0-0 draws or scrappy 1-0 wins. The best league in the World doesn’t always deliver where its headline matches are concerned.

As I settled down after that match, I settled my mind on the opinion that this was just a great game. A one-off spectacular. We wouldn’t see it again would we?

Going into this first international break of the season as an Inter fan I was dreading the derby. Inter were too unpredictable, too fragile, they were playing a Juve team who seemed to start with a steely determination. The only thought in my head was meek defeat. A 2-0 or 3-0 had already been accepted in my head and the mood at Inter Club London – where I took in the game – was not much different.

And so it was in the 14th minute of the game when Lloyd Kelly – much maligned in his short Juve career – expertly steered home a half volley into the bottom of Sommer’s goal. Here we go again, Inter just aren’t up to it this season, is Chivu the wrong choice? But the fickleness of football fans – myself included – was exposed when Inter fought back into the game. Inter were looking for redemption and they found it through a man looking for his own redemption story in an Inter shirt. Hakan Calhanoglu had left the club in the summer. “Injured” throughout the Club World Cup in the summer while his agent touted him around Turkey looking for a return, he was the subject of Lautaro’s ire after defeat to Fluminense. He responded with his own angry statement, Milan fans said “I told you so” and he was to leave.

But after Galatasaray couldn’t agree a fee since signing Osimhen, Calha was going to have to stay put. Cue a statement professing his desire to work hard for Inter, some staged photos with Lautaro and he was integrated back into the squad. To his credit, there was no Isak or Wissa behaviour, he showed a willingness to play at Inter – now he was stuck here.

And so to the 30th minute on Saturday evening, he swept home decisively on his left foot, Di Gregorio probably could’ve done better but Hakan was back. Inter fans were in delirium and the summer antics were forgotten. This was suddenly a contest.

For a few minutes anyway. Kenan Yildiz is in my FantaCalcio team and he justified his selection with yet another outrageous goal. Smashing home into the bottom corner from around 25-30 yards out. Again, there’s a question mark over the goalkeeping, but wouldn’t that just be a bit of bitterness? Let’s take nothing away from a World Class strike from the young Turk, surely now on the radar of Europe’s top clubs.

When the half time whistle went, the fans at Inter Club London were breathless, but optimistic. “We’re playing well, it just needs to be better in both boxes” was the prevailing opinion. With the beers restocked for the second half, Inter drew first blood, the man on a mission Hakan Calhanoglu went and bettered his first strike with a stunning chest and volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Absolute pandemonium in the Inter Club. Not one mention of summer transfer sagas. I guess it goes to show, if you show up and do your job, most transgressions can be forgiven. Maybe when the dust settles there’ll be a conversation to be had, but at that moment, he was a god amongst men.

With Juve reeling, Inter stepped on the accelerator. A dominant spell had resulted in a goal, and they weren’t done. They could smell blood. Like the biscione that adorned their badge during the late 80s they bit back at Juve again.

Marcus Thuram rose highest from a corner and nodded into the net. Let me tell you, if Thuram’s own celebration was muted, the supporters at Inter Club London were not. This was the closest I’ve ever seen to a match atmosphere in a pub. Legs and arms were flying everywhere. Inter led their most bitter rival 3-2, there was only 15 minutes to play. Surely the most improbable of victories was beckoning. Surely?

Expectation is the enemy of joy isn’t it. It took 6 minutes for Marcus Thuram’s younger brother to equalise for Juve. A silly foul given away by Bastoni, an unmarked player in the box and Inter had handed the momentum back to their arch rivals. “Merda” cries all over the pub. What was an expectation of victory became the hope of a draw. Fingernails were being chewed to the bone. Hair being pulled out. Eyes covered.

As we entered stoppage time you can’t help but think, “well a draw isn’t so bad actually”. Sure it’s annoying to blow a 3-2 lead but a point away to Juventus, it’s alright. That is until teenager Adzic announced himself to Italy and the world with a remarkable strike from some 30-35 yards out. What on Earth he was doing shooting remains a mystery, the easy ball was out to the right to build a move. But for some reason the young lad, with next to no backlift, decided to send a powerful effort towards Yann Sommer’s goal. There’s a few questions for Inter stopper to answer given he gets a big hand to the ball, but again, you should just be applauding the spectacular strike. I’ve never been in a room as full as the one I was in Saturday night that was completely stoney silent. Not a sound. A single “Merda” broke the silence eventually.

There’s all kinds of analysis that can be done after a game like that. You can look again at both sides mentality, Worlds apart, you can study the decisions made in the Inter Milan defence. I’ll leave that to the football experts, I deal in emotion. Once I’d picked myself up from the floor, downed three more pints and then thought about the match I had one overriding thought. What a game.

It has everything. Redemption for Calha, world class strikes, brothers in opposing sides, two fairly novice managers battling with big clubs, end to end football, young players announcing themselves in the best way possible and one man’s march towards a definite future Ballon D’Or. This was the advert Serie A needed. Derided by some as a “has been league”, this game showcased the exact opposite. It was exciting, it swung both ways, the lead changed hands and it was the younger stars on the pitch who shone the brightest.

I haven’t seen a La Liga or Premier League that exciting in years. The next day I watched Man City easily despatch their city rivals United in a no contest. A week before I barely stayed awake as Liverpool edged past Arsenal 1-0. I know there’s more money at stake in England, it makes those games much tighter. I know they’re probably better “tactical battles”. But I’m not after that, I’m looking to be excited. I’m after Pazza Inter. And they’re back.

16th Sep 2025
Matchday One: What did we learn?

Matchday one is over, and frankly I’m exhausted. Around 11pm last night Torino were put out of their misery by the referee and Inter went top of Serie A thanks to their 5-0 win. The first games back on Saturday night feel like a million years ago already. So, what have we learned so far?

Don’t sleep on the promoted teams

As Milan learned to their cost on Saturday evening, you can’t just rock up and expect to beat the newly promoted sides. Baschirotto scored a lovely header and despite the Milan equaliser, goal of the weekend went to Cremonese’s Bonazzoli with that athletic finish. Cremonese beating Milan 2-1 at the San Siro was definitely story of the weekend, but another promoted side caused problems for their opponents too.

Pisa took a shock lead in Bergamo and although Atalanta were well on top in the second half, they couldn’t get the job done. Scamacca scored their equaliser in the 51st minute and it seemed as if they’d go on to win comfortably, but it wasn’t to be. Pisa dug in and held on for a valuable point.

Sassuolo offered up the least resistance out of the new boys. Ok, they were up against a very good Napoli, but there wasn’t the same level of stubborn determinism that Pisa and Cremonese showed.

Inter are BACK

One swallow doesn’t make a summer but this was a statement win from Inter. There didn’t seem to be any Champions League hangover for them, Chivu kept the 3-5-2 but implemented a much more aggressive pressing style in there. The amount of times Inter won the ball back high up to create chances was madness, Lautaro scored from pressing the keeper and Bonny’s debut goal came from Torino messing about too much with the ball.

ThuLa are back with a bang

Torino were poor but Inter were very good. Sucic had a game to remember, dominating the midfield and creating as many chances as he prevented Torino from having.

Inter need to reduce the average age still, especially in defence, if this aggressive pressing style is to work, but it was a great start. Only downside, the late subs saw them change the shape to this 4-3-2-1 and it allowed Torino to get a foothold on this game, Inter seemed a bit confused by their roles in it. If Chivu eventually wants to switch to this, it should be done gradually and carefully.

Roma have the new Batistuta

Or at least that’s what the Roma Argentina fan club declared about Evan Ferguson. Gazzetta picked it up and sensationally ran with the comparison. However, Ferguson didn’t even score on his Serie A debut.

It was a confident performance, providing both chances and good link and hold up play, but he didn’t score. And he probably should have in at least one scenario.

I think he’ll work out and I’ve said as much before, it was a confident debut, but maybe we all need to calm down a bit… Wesley got the goal that would beat Bologna, on his debut and Roma started with a fairly comfortable win.

Ferguson celebrates, but not his goal

Ominous Como

Nico Paz will probably be back at Real Madrid next year and based on his performance Sunday alone it’ll be well deserved. A truly magnificent free kick goal put the gloss on a comfortable win over Lazio after he had already provided the assist for Tavos Douvikas.

Lazio’s one bright moment was a goal disallowed for offside that didn’t really require the VAR intervention it got.

Jonathan David dream debut

Strikers at Juve over recent years haven’t always had it their own way so the Canadian will have been pleased to start with a goal. Dusan Vlahovic went from maligned sideline player to important addition as he completed the scoring.

Both goals were assisted by probably future Real Madrid star Kenan Yildiz. Sorry for putting that out into the universe Juve fans, but they always come knocking for any remotely creative player. Yildiz was once again magnificent, a bright spark in what might be a potential glum season for Juventus fans. Parma offered very little resistance here so the big tests are still to come for Juve.

The only downside was a late red card for Cambiaso.

And breathe…

So there we have it, week one done and sewn up. Three days to go until it begins again when Cremonese take on Sassuolo Friday evening.

26th Aug 2025
Legends of Calcio: Alessandro Del Piero

“He is football’s gentleman, but also a killer in front of goal.”

This is how Marcello Lippi once described Alessandro Del Piero and it’s hard to find a more perfect summation. Elegant yet ruthless, soft-spoken yet decisive, Del Piero embodied the romantic spirit of Italian football while quietly carving out a legacy as one of its most lethal forwards. From his trademark curling finishes to his unwavering loyalty to Juventus through triumph and scandal, “Pinturicchio” left a mark not only on the pitch, but in the hearts of calcio lovers worldwide. This is the story of a true legend — the boy from Conegliano who became a global icon.

Alessandro was born in 1974 in Conegliano and while playing locally for San Vendemiano used to play in goal, something his mother encouraged as he would sweat less and would also less likely pick up an injury. It was his brother, Stefano, who noticed the young Alessandro’s skill and suggested he play as a forward.

It seemed to work and by 1988 Padova had noticed his talent and snapped up the young Del Piero. He would make his senior debut at the age of 17 in Serie B and in 1993 he scored his first goal in a 5-0 victory over Ternana. This was the start of a prolific goalscoring career which would see him score in every single competition he played in.

A young Del Piero making his debut for Juventus

Following his short spell in Padova, Del Piero transferred to Juventus for just over 5 billion lire and he would stay for over 19 seasons, staying loyal through triumph and scandal. Del Piero made his debut in September 1993 against Foggia, and would score his first Juventus goal a week later against Reggina. During these early years at Juventus he was often called “topolino” by veterans for his quiet demeanour and big ears!

This nickname would soon be replaced to Pinturicchio, after the Renaissance painter, which was coined by Juve President Gianni Agnelli to reflect his artistry. Nowhere was this more evident than a November 1993 match against Parma, where a 19 year old Del Piero netted a stunning hat trick despite starting on the bench. His status as a generational talent was cemented a season later when he played a key support role as Lippi’s Juve won the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa.

As Baggio departed to Milan in the mid-90s, Del Piero was handed the famous Juventus 10 shirt. Over the next few seasons, Del Piero as a focal point would become the keystone of Juventus’ attacking play. He perfected his “Gol alla Del Piero”, curling in from the edge of the box, and in 1996 started in the Champions League Final that Juventus won against Ajax. He would also be present as Juventus reached the next two finals, losing both.

Alessandro lifting his only Champions League trophy

Del Piero’s career seemed to be at an all time high, his stock constantly rising including being added the the Euro 96 squad for Italy, however, it would all come crashing down over the next few years. In November 1998 in the final moments of a match with Udinese, Del Piero picked up a serious ACL and MCL injury, which would keep him out for the remainder of a season where Juventus would suffer. Over the next couple of seasons, Del Piero would struggle to regain full fitness and would suffer many niggly injuries as Juventus struggled to assert and dominance in Serie A.

All would change in 2001, Conte had left Juventus and Del Piero was named captain and in the 2001-02 season, a rejuvenated squad won the Scudetto in a dramatic final day. Alessandro scored 16 goals and dragged Juve through several tight matches.

A familiar site, Del Piero celebrating another goal

The next season he was again crucial in another run to a Champions League Final and another in which Juventus would lose, this time on penalties against Milan at Old Trafford. Over the following seasons he was key as Juventus won back to back Scudetti under Fabio Capello. The Calciopoli scandal would revoke these titles, and enforce a relegation to Serie B for Juventus, stars would leave the sinking ship. Del Piero, rather predictably, stayed to fight on for his team. Unsurprisingly, in 2006/07 he was top scorer in Serie B as he dragged Juventus back to Serie A.

Later in his career, Del Piero became an ageless icon, winning the Capocannoniere aged 33 with 21 Serie A goals in 2008. A year later he scored twice for Juventus at the Bernabeu, receiving a standing ovation from the home support there. In his penultimate Juventus season, he broke the all time Juventus goalscoring record of Giampiero Boniperti and in his last game, Del Piero came good one last time for Juventus, scoring past Atalanta as Conte’s team won Serie A unbeaten.

At the end of 2011-12 Alessandro Del Piero finally bid farewell to Juventus after 19 seasons in which he became their all time top scorer and all time appearance holder with 705 games and 290 goals. It nearly wasn’t so though – during the late 90s there was a move to Manchester United on the cards…

One of the most intriguing “what if” moments of Alessandro Del Piero’s career came in the late 1990s, when Sir Alex Ferguson made a serious approach to bring him to Manchester United. After Juventus reached consecutive Champions League finals in 1996, 1997, and 1998, Del Piero had firmly established himself as one of the world’s premier forwards. Ferguson, searching for a technical, creative forward to complement the likes of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, reportedly saw Del Piero as the perfect fit. According to interviews years later, the move was genuine — but Del Piero declined the offer, citing his deep connection to Juventus and loyalty to the club that had helped make him a global star. “Leaving Juve never really crossed my mind,” he said in a 2019 interview. “Even though it was Manchester United — and it was a huge honour — my heart was in Turin.” It became a defining moment in his career, symbolising the kind of loyalty that’s increasingly rare in modern football.

Del Piero wasn’t just a Juventus legend however, over 13 seasons, he would make 91 appearances for the Azzurri, scoring 27 goals. The most famous of which was undoubtedly Italy’s second in the 2006 World Cup Semi-Final against hosts Germany. In typical fashion, Del Piero cut in from the left hand side and curved a ball beautifully from the edge of the area and into the top corner. Italy would go on to win the final and Del Piero lifted the World Cup – his only honour for Italy.

Sealing the deal for Italy

During his career he would win 6 Scudetti (in theory it could’ve been 8, Google Calciopoli), a Champions League, one Coppa Italia, 4 Supercoppas, a UEFA Super Cup and one Intercontinental Cup. After Juventus he headed to Australia for a spell in the A League with Sydney FC, where he was known as “Alex” due to the locals struggling to pronounce Alessandro! The greatest comment on his career probably came from a former team mate and eventual opponent, former Ballon D’Or winner Zinedine Zidane once said of him, “If I had to pick a player to watch for pure aesthetic joy, it would be Del Piero.”

Alessandro Del Piero… A true Legend of Calcio.

31st Jul 2025
Fallen Giants: Sampdoria’s Scudetto and Decline

In the summer of 1991, as the giants of Milan, Turin, and Naples counted their trophies, a club from the Ligurian coast ripped up the script. Sampdoria — a team built not on superstars, but on friendship, vision, and sheer defiance — stunned Italy by winning the Scudetto. Led by the fiery genius of Roberto Mancini, the lethal instincts of Gianluca Vialli, and the quiet charisma of manager Vujadin Boškov, they conquered a league at the height of its golden era. But just as quickly as they rose, Sampdoria began to fall. Within a decade, the dream unraveled — a tale of missed chances, lost leaders, and the harsh reality of modern football. This is the story of how a family-built dynasty captured the heart of Italian football… and how it slipped away.

Traditionally, Genoa were always the more decorated club until this point, but in 1979 something happened in the city that would flip this on its head. Temporarily.

Born in Rome just before the Second World War, eventually settling in Genoa in 1955, Paolo Mantovani became a shipping magnate over his lifetime and, although originally a Lazio sympathiser, he became a fan of Sampdoria and would purchase the club he grew to love on July 3rd 1979. Mantovani transformed Sampdoria over his stewardship from a yo-yo club in Serie B into a European and Italian powerhouse – briefly.

Vujadin Boskov

Mantovani planned to operate the club completely differently to our previous article’s subject – Parma. His plan was to build Sampdoria up into an irresistible force. He was quoted as saying, “I don’t buy champions, I build them”. The change in Sampdoria was accelerated by the 1986 appointment of Vujadin Boskov. The Serbian manager would bring tactical discipline and strong man management. The Serb employed a straightforward, compact, disciplined 4-4-2 system – with emphasis on wide play and a lethal strike duo,

Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli celebrating together one of many times…

That duo was already in place at the club when Boskov was appointed, with Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli forming a deadly duo that would last until the summer of 2021 when Vialli was assistant to Mancini as Italy won the European Championships.

Mancini started his career with Bologna before making the move that would make him. He joined Sampdoria in 1982 and through his time there, he would go on to make over 400 appearances and score 130+ goals. He formed a deadly duo with Vialli when he joined in 1984 from Cremonese. Vialli would stay for 8 seasons and contribute over 80 goals in this period.

Those numbers might sound low, but for a club of Sampdoria’s stature, it was immense. The duo, nicknamed The Gemelli del Gol (the Goal Twins), did enough to fire Sampdoria to their first (and only) ever Scudetto. During that 1990/91 season, while it was still 2 points for a win and a 34 game season, Samp scored 57 goals on their way to securing the title, conceding only 24 goals on the way. During this season, they captured key wins like 2-0 away to Inter at the San Siro and 1-0 over Milan at home. The title was clinched on 19th May when they crushed Lecce 3-0.

The players celebrate with the fans after winning the 1991 Scudetto

Mancini and Vialli weren’t the only ones who were making a name for themselves in this team. A young goalkeeper by the name of Gianluca Pagliuca was impressing, on his way to becoming Italy’s number one. Attilio “Popeye” Lombardi was working away tirelessly on the wing and Pietro Vierchowod was a defensive rock known as Lo Zar.

It wasn’t just a Scudetto season for Sampdoria though, they would see European success with a 2-0 victory in the European Cup Winners Cup over Anderlecht in Gothenburg – Samp’s first European trophy. They would have an opportunity to add another to the collection next season.

During the 1991-92 season, Sampdoria would be the sole Italian representative in the European Cup – now the Champions League. Back in this era, only the champions of each nation made it into the cup. Sampdoria would open up with a two legged tie against Norwegian champions Rosenborg. They would be despatched easily with a 5-0 and 2-1 victory, making it 7-1 over the two legs.

Round 2 proved slightly trickier for the Italian champions, scraping through against Kispest Honved of Hungary. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, they inspired themselves in the return leg into a 3-1 victory, narrowly getting into the Group Stage after a 4-3 aggregate win thanks to two goals from Vialli.

With the competition splitting into two groups of 4 for Round 3, effectively an 8 team Semi Final with the top team in each group making the final, Sampdoria were drawn with Red Star Belgrade, Anderlecht and Panathinaikos. Sampdoria progressed with relative ease, losing only once to Red Star, while winning 3 and drawing 2 matches. They topped the group 2 points ahead of Red Star and the only team in that group with a positive goal difference.

Sampdoria line up for the European Cup Final against Barcelona at Wembley

It remains their only European Cup Final appearance to date. The other half of the draw was somewhat trickier, with Dinamo Kiev, Benfica, Sparta Prague and Barcelona competing to face Sampdoria in the final. It probably comes as no surprise that Barcelona would progress from this group and face off against Samp in the final at Wembley Stadium in London.

The final at Wembley Stadium was the last to be held before the European Cup format was abolished and rebranded as the Champions League. Neither team had won the European Cup before so whoever would take away the trophy would become the 19th overall winner of the tournament.

A Sampdoria team featuring Pagliuca, Mancini, Vialli, Bonetti, Lombardo and Vierchowod would face a Barcelona team stacked with names such as Zubizaretta, Koeman, Ferrer, Guardiola, Laudrup and Stoitchkov. The expectation was that Johan Cruyff’s superstars would crush Sampdoria and their constant overpunching. Things in football rarely turn out as expected though and at the end of 90 minutes, the scores were locked at 0-0.

It would take something special to win this game, and unfortunately for Sampdoria it was provided by Ronald Koeman. In the 112th minute, he stepped up to lash in a spectacular and memorable free kick to break Italian hearts. Sampdoria and Mantovani had come so close to fulfilling the impossible dream, they’d got to the final hurdle and stumbled. A lot of eggs were put in this European basket and a 6th place Serie A finish meant the decline had started.

Boskov had declared the European Cup final would be his last hurrah and he’d be moving on. He would briefly return to Sampdoria a few years later, but the magic had gone. Vialli was sold to Juventus that summer for a then World Record €12.5m and the team was weakening. Mancini would remain more loyal and stay until 1997 before moving on to Lazio.

On 14th October 1993, Paolo Mantovani passed away at the age of 63 with lung cancer. Sampdoria mourned. His second child Enrico Mantovani would step into the role of President and vowed to continue his fathers legacy. However, during these years, fortunes at the club began to slip away. It’s hard to compete with the big superpower clubs just once, but to sustain it with a “family atmosphere” and hard work is damned near impossible. Enrico did recognise this and would add Jurgen Klinsmann, Giusseppe Signori and Vincenzo Montella to the ranks. They would win the Coppa Italia – their 4th – in 1994 while finishing third in the league under the enigmatic Sven Goran Eriksson.

However, gradually, the core of the team was sold, Pagliuca went, as did Lombardo and Vierchowod and by 1997 Eriksson had gone to Lazio and taken Mancini with him. The club was gradually losing its identity, the management door was a revolving one and eventually, following a 2-2 draw at Bologna in 1999, Sampdoria were relegated to Serie B for the first time in 17 seasons. After the death of Paolo Mantovani the club appeared to gradually lose its direction, it became harder to compete with the other Northern powerhouse clubs like Juventus, Inter and Milan.

Sampdoria were briefly relegated earlier this year

Since then, Sampdoria have spent some time bouncing around between A and B, they did briefly return to Europe in 2010 but this soon collapsed after the sales of Cassano and Pazzini. The club has continued on its downward curve and this season were finally relegated to Serie C, before being given a slight reprieve. Thanks to the difficulties of Brescia, and their subsequent points deduction Samp got a second chance at survival with a relegation play off against Salernitana. They would win the tie, sort of, with the second leg being abandoned with them 4-0 up on aggregate thanks to protesting Salernitana fans. Hopefully this is used as a chance for Sampdoria to kick on and return to their former glory.

Before getting a reprieve from Salernitana and Brescia

Wherever they are now, it’s hard to argue that Sampdoria’s Scudetto is one of the more romantic ones in Serie A. A true underdog story and a romantic notion that a team could be built rather than bought. Mancini and Vialli’s friendship is legendary in the sport and the Samp way was to mix grit and determination with style and flair, unique for a non-giant. Sampdoria’s fall serves as a cautionary tale of poor succession planning and the dangers of losing the visionaries within the club. But I like to think of their legacy as per Vialli’s words when talking about Sampdoria, “Winning with friends is worth more than winning alone”. And isn’t that what football’s about?

21st Jul 2025
Legends of Calcio: Paolo Maldini

A name that transcends rivalries. Universally admired by teammates, rivals, coaches and pundits. The embodiment of Italian defensive mastery. The art of defending, personified. One Club Man. Elegance, Intelligence, Loyalty. Is there a bigger legend of Calcio than Paolo Maldini?

Born in 1968 in Milan, Maldini quickly rose through the ranks at AC Milan and would make his debut at the age of just 16 in 1985. By the time he retired in 2009 he had made over 900 appearances in all competitions for Milan, appeared in 7 major tournaments for Italy, won 7 Serie A titles and 5 Champions Leagues.

The man who would be cited as inspiration by John Terry, Gerard Pique and Virgil Van Dijk. His career took him all around the World, collecting trophies. But he never left Milan and he never won a thing with Italy.

A young Maldini making his debut.

Hi father, Cesare Maldini was on the coaching staff in 1985 when he made his debut, and his son Daniel would begin his career at Milan with his Dad as Technical Director. He’s since moved on, as has Paolo, and Milan feels a bit emptier for it.

Maldini would win his first Serie A title in 1988 as part of the irresistible pressing side of Arrigo Sacchi. He formed part of an indomitable back line with Baresi, Tassotti and Costacurta. His first European triumph wasn’t far behind when Milan dismantled Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in the final in 1989.

Milan would win back to back European Cups, defeating Benfica 1-0 in the final in 1990 with a defensive masterclass from their famous quartet.

The best was yet to come in Europe, however, and in 1994 Milan defeated the great Cruyff Barcelona 4-0 in the final, with Maldini putting on a clinic as a fill in centre back. Europe provided plenty of low moments too, though, with arguably the worst coming in 2005.

Paolo scored the fasted ever final goal (at that point) when he put Milan 1-0 up against Liverpool in Istanbul. By half time it was 3-0 and their name was on the cup. Fate had other ideas, however, and Liverpool roared back in the second half, eventually winning on penalties after extra time.

Despite the defeat, Maldini was praised for his leadership and sportsmanship that night in Istanbul. It would be avenged two years later though, when a 38 year old Maldini captained his side through a knee injury to a 2-1 victory over the same opponents.

A much happier Paolo Maldini

England provided another sweet Champions League moment for Maldini too, when he lifted his first one as captain in 2003. Not only did Milan defeat the old enemy Juventus, but they did so in Old Trafford, Manchester – birthplace of his father Cesare.

Back home in Italy, Maldini collected trophies like they were prizes in a cereal box. By the time of the Juventus final in 2003, he had already won 6 of the 7 titles he would win. Milan also won a Coppa Italia title with him, as well as 5 Supercoppas.

But it was internationally that Maldini was hardest done by. Making his debut against Yugoslavia in 1988, at just 19, he would play 126 games for the Azzurri across 7 tournaments but only collect runners up medals.

Paolo Maldini in action at Euro 96

The first of these came in the 1994 World Cup, when he was ever present in Italy’s run to the final. He captained the side for the first time too, after Franco Baresi was injured. However, three missed penalties in the final meant that Italy wouldn’t win the tournament and his medal would be silver.

He would remain captain of Italy after the tournament and would miss the chance to lift a major honour again when in Euro 2000 in Holland and Belgium, Italy lost the final to France 2-1 after extra time.

The absolute scandalous refereeing performance at the 2002 World Cup that saw Italy eliminated to South Korea in their home tournament eventually proved too much for Maldini and he announced his retirement from the international game to focus on Milan.

It was a good decision, Maldini played a further 7 years for Milan, eventually hanging up his boots after 902 matches and 33 goals in all competitions. He even received his first ever Red Card in that final season.

The best were terrified of taking on Maldini

Maldini was quoted as saying that, “If I have to make a tackle then I have already made a mistake”. He embodied the ideals of the perfect Italian defender with the way he read the game. His coolness under pressure, composure on the ball and a fabulous range of passing. He was uncompromising, tough, but fair and sporting.

These were all traits he would take into his next role, as Technical Director of Milan. He had the role from 2018 until leaving in 2023 under something of a cloud after tensions with the club’s owners RedBird Capital. His exit has been viewed by some Milan fans as the moment when the team started to lose its identity.

Maldini was widely regarded as one of the World’s greatest defenders of all time – known for his elegance, positional intelligence and loyalty. Inspiring a wealth of modern defenders, Thiago Silva (once of Milan) summed it up nicely with, “I dreamed of being a defender like Maldini”.

And the truth is, there’s no one quite like Maldini…

Maldini bids farewell

16th Jul 2025
Banter Milan FC – Are the banter years back for Inter?

Firstly, straight off the bat, let me make it absolutely clear that “banter era” is a phrase used in modern football that I abhor. For an over 30s man like me, it represents everything I don’t like about modern day football. But it seems strikingly appropriate to describe Inter at the moment.

It seemed for a while that the banter era was over at Inter. Conte came in to the club in 2019 and promptly turned their fortunes around, coming runner up in the 2020 Europa League final and then winning a Scudetto a year later. A couple of Coppa Italia and Supercoppa triumphs followed under Simone Inzaghi and they finally added their second star in 2024 as well as competing in two Champions League finals.

But that second Champions League final was where it all seemed to come undone for Inter. An ageing and already exhausted squad was stuttering in the Serie A race with Napoli and were unceremoniously dumped out of the Coppa Italia by city rivals Milan in an embarrassing 3-0 defeat.

A complete collapse against Lazio in the league followed and meant that Napoli had to slip up at home in their final league game. They didn’t, became champions and Inter were second. But no worries, they had a Champions League final to compete in barely a week later.

Inzaghi picked up another medal, but not the one he wanted

Everything began to unravel in the wake of the Scudetto disappointment when Gazzetta broke the news that Simone Inzaghi had been approached by Saudi club Al-Hilal. Surely this wouldn’t be seriously entertained? Yep. News broke that his wife and representatives were in Saudi Arabia in the build up to the final. An eye watering €30m per year on offer should he decide to make the move.

A distracted Inter were shocking in the final, slapped 5-0 by a remarkably good PSG side and that was that. No trophies this season. Immediately the fingers began pointing, and most of them landed squarely at Inzaghi’s feet. He was too distracted, he’d already planned to leave, apparently he’d already began tapping up players to join him… We’ll never know the truth but in the wake of the embarrassment and abuse, Inzaghi decided Arabia and a shitload of money was a better bet.

Inter were left licking their wounds, but had designs set on Cesc Fabregas. The young Como coach is impressing and it wasn’t his first link to an outside job. However, he plumped for staying by the lake and building something with Como, another embarrassing pursuit for Inter. That forced the clubs hand and at the last minute before travelling to America they landed on former defender Christian Chivu.

Chivu is learning on the job, and needs to do so quickly

Their former youth team coach had managed 13 games in Serie A with Parma at the end of last season and while a popular person, his appointment has received a mixed bag of reviews.

Still, a trip to America and a chance to put the shambles of the start of 2025 behind them and prove everyone wrong. The start of the trip was only the start of the issues, Hakan Calhanoglu was a target for Galatasaray and his agent promptly flew to Istanbul to try and get a deal going. Oddly enough, Hakan was then injured and would miss every Inter match during the tournament.

Their first game, a 1-1 draw with CF Monterrey was typical of Inter in the second half of the season. Dominant on the ball, creating chances but a combination of poor defending and profligacy meant they had to come from behind to rescue the point.

Worse was to come, in a victory over Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds, Inter were 1-0 down thanks to poor defending (again) and chasing a game they never really had the creativity to do. Leave it to Lautaro to pull something from nowhere from a set piece (as he did in match 1) and then Carboni to break the hearts of the tired Japanese side.

Matchday 3 was a significant improvement. A comfortable 2-0 win over River Plate that in truth, could’ve been more. Maybe Inter had clicked, maybe they were back? Don’t get carried away.

They went into last night’s perfectly winnable game against the only team with an older defence than them (probably in the World) and laboured from the start. 1-0 down thanks to some poor defending by De Vrij and Darmian and questionable goalkeeping from Sommer, they never truly looked like having the creativity or ideas to break down Fluminense.

A second goal on the break for Fluminense capped a well deserved victory for them and a thoroughly well deserved defeat for Inter.

Lautaro not holding back…

But at least the season was now over, a chance to rest before next year and come back fighting to move on. You wish. Inter were straight into the playground, with Lautaro calling on anyone who didn’t want to stay and fight for Inter to “just leave”. Lautaro, however, was positively diplomatic when compared with Marotta who bluntly put it as, “he means Calha”.

That’s that then.

Calha’s wife put out a message on Instagram (now deleted) that was akin to something your mum’s friend puts on Facebook mid-divorce. Something to do with trust and loyalty or whatever.

Hakan responded with his own statement on his Instagram page today ending with, “History always remembers those who stood tall, not those who shouted the loudest”. All it was missing was a black and white picture of Tommy Shelby holding a shotgun and it would’ve been perfect.

In amongst all this, there was some good news! Ange-Yoan Bonny arrived in Milan for his medical ahead of a €25m deal from Parma. The 21 year old is part of the club’s strategy to lower the average age of the squad and add some much needed depth. Nico Paz, Giovanni Leoni are two others who are linked heavily with Inter this summer. They might want to sort out what’s happening inside the club first though.

One thing’s for sure, this soap opera at Inter isn’t finished yet.

Pazza Inter!

1st Jul 2025
Chivu’s Inter: What did we learn in game one?

The Club World Cup has provided a lot of talking points in the build up to the tournament. And a few more now the tournament is underway. Chief among them is, who does this actually benefit? From forklift drivers conceding ten goals to completely empty stadiums and matches played in blistering heat with exhausted players, the tournament is prompting discussions.

But there may be one man, or one club who can benefit greatly from these glorified exhibitions. Christian Chivu walked into Inter Milan this month hot on the heels of Simone Inzaghi’s swift exit after the Champions League Final humiliation. The UCL final was the latest in a line of Inter collapses as they went from quadruple to trophyless in a matter of weeks.

A tired looking team and pundits questioning pretty much everything about the team. Its age, its rigid formation, the full backs… In any other season, the players would be on holiday now and Chivu and his superiors would be guessing who was going where, what was happening with transfers, who would be able to step up from the younger groups. Instead, they have at least three games to check it out.

Sebastiano Esposito and Asllani starting last night, with de Lima and Sucic off the bench, was a nod to Chivu taking the opportunity to check out a few players. I would expect to see a much less experienced line up for the game against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds too.

Christian Chivu checks out what his players can offer

Chivu started off with the tried and trusted 3-5-2 that Inzaghi so fervently developed. At its best, Inzaghi’s Inter bewildered opponents with positional interchanges, overloads and energy. At its worst, the shape was too predictable, lacked defensive width and left an ageing squad struggling for their life in midfield.

However, what we saw last night was a little different. In the incredible Californian heat the first half saw an energetic press, quick one touch football and resulted in a lovely move that saw Lautaro equalise at the end of the first half.

Lautaro tries again

Asllani’s clipped ball over the top marked his improvement from a player who appeared more than a little lost in the closing months of last season. The Inter fan base will take a bit more convincing if he stays at the club, and he just might with Calhanoglu flirting with a move to Turkey.

The same problems that Inter struggled with last season began to show through at the end of the game and their predictability shone through. Lautaro’s offside goal was another lovely move and if the one touch football persists, Inter will get it right – they always manage to.

There’s a lack of real creativity in Inter’s midfield. Mkhitaryan is 36 years old and looks every day of it in the burning Pasadena sun. Barella is nowhere near the player he was a year ago, but is it any wonder? The Italian has been almost ever present for club and country for around 3 seasons now. He looks like he needs a long summer break.

Barella, in need of a break, toils in the sun

With a team with the highest average age in Serie A pace is always going to be a problem and with no Dumfries or Thuram in the line up it becomes stark that Inter will struggle in transitions. The final issue is the sheer profligacy in front of goal. Despite the aforementioned problems they face, Inter were by far the better team in this game and should’ve scored three or four goals quite easily.

That they didn’t harps back to games that ultimately cost them the Scudetto last season. Milan away in March being the most obvious example. The midfield problems they face is mostly nitpicking, they still created a lot, but they do need to get better at putting that ball in the back of the net.

The good news for Chivu is, he’s got a couple more games at least to make a full assessment of his squad and to begin to impress ideas upon them before the window opens and the squad takes a well earned break.

Xabi Alonso might take notes.

18th Jun 2025
A Champions League Disgrace: What Happens Next For Inter

In Milan fans of the Rossonero were holding a mock funeral for Inter’s Champions League final last night, but inside Inter’s organisation there’s already a full post mortem underway. On the receiving end of a record Champions League Final drubbing to a brilliant PSG, coming second in Serie A and losing to Milan in both the Supercoppa and Coppa Italia it’s not exactly a marquee season for Inter.

Until March they were very much looking at the possibility of a banner season and a second ever treble, going down in history with Mourinho’s team of 2010. However, a complete collapse in the league and a hiding from Milan in the Coppa semi final put paid to that. But morale boosting ties with Barcelona gave Inzaghi and his team some breathing space from too many external questions.

Last night, however, the chance to save their season and go down in history passed them by. Inter simply never arrived in Munich. A midfield that went completely missing, a confused Acerbi marking no one, Di Marco running in rings and an isolated forward line and this was not the Inter we’d come to appreciate over the last couple of seasons.

Everything Inter did to beat Barcelona’s press in those two memorable matches recently was missing, they completely went to pieces. Inzaghi didn’t seem to have an answer, rigidly sticking to his 3-5-2 in the face of its obvious failure on Saturday. Confusing substitutions and the refusal to use last minute hero Davide Frattesi meant Inzaghi faces legitimate criticism from both outside and inside the club.

Speculation began over Inzaghi’s future in the run up to the final with Gazzetta breaking the news that Al-Hilal were prepared to pay him €30m a year to break free from Inter and go to the Club World Cup with them. Last night, in his post match press conference he refused to confirm he’ll lead Inter in the tournament in America next month.

The rumours are now picking up with La Repubblica reporting that everything will be decided in a meeting Tuesday with the clubs hierarchy. There’s even a rumoured list of ready made replacements with Cesc Fabregas the front runner after his fabulous season at Como. Roberto De Zerbi from Marseille and former Inter defender and current Parma manager Christian Chivu are also on the list.

This fits firmly with the owners plan to introduce some young fire into the club. Oaktree made it clear that their strategy is to reduce the average age of the squad, something fans will be delighted by after the leggy performance of an ageing side last night. Nico Paz, the 20 year old Argentinian midfielder at Como is reportedly high on the list along with 25 year old Canadian striker Jonathan David.

They have already added Tomas Palacios, Argentinian Centre Back last August, he spent this season on loan at Monza. The club also secured their 11th Primavera title this season (the Under 20s crown), with a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in the final.

Oaktree have a plan to freshen Inter up and last night’s “performance” probably sped this process up significantly. However, all isn’t doom and gloom over at Inter. The Gazzetta reported this month that Inter have money to spend. The Oaktree takeover from Steven Zhang is complete, the last few seasons of free transfers and big sales have boosted the coffers and given some Financial Fair Play breathing space. The almost successful European run has added millions to the bank and the Club World Cup will do the same.

The one thing Inter need to do before any of this freshening up is decide what to do with their manager. Inzaghi exposed his own weakness on Saturday night against PSG and his negotiating position isn’t as strong as it was in March. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see the club decide on a different direction, but don’t start writing the obituary of Inzaghi’s Inter yet…

1st Jun 2025
The three players who can win Inter the Champions League tomorrow night…

Inter seem to be an overwhelming second favourite for tomorrow nights Champions League Final in Munich. This despite dumping out Bayern Munich and a rather spectacular punchers victory over Barcelona in the Semi Final. The British Media are unashamedly pre-crowning PSG for the first time with Europe’s greatest prize.

So can Inter actually pull it off? Well, anyone who’s watched anything in Serie A this season will have a definite opinion: “maybe they can?” Inter have been consistently inconsistent. An absolute schellacking of Lazio 6-0 at Olimpico in December was hot on the heels of defeats in Leverkusen and Florence.

Unconvincing results against Milan and Fiorentina in January was followed up with a disappointing defeat to Juventus and when Napoli stumbled in May, Inter tripped over their own feet to throw away a victory against Lazio and with it, the scudetto.

But there was always a sense in these final months of the season that Inzaghi’s eyes were on a much bigger prize, one he never got his hands on as a player and one he let slip away two years ago as a coach. Inter’s rotation was heavy in the final weeks of the season because tiredness was clearly affecting this ageing squad.

Which brings us to tomorrow night in Munich, and after scoring 7 in two matches against the probable “best team in Europe”, Inter have a chance to make history and become European champions for a fourth time. To do it, they’ll need some key players to come big for them – and I’ve picked out three who will be key to bringing “old big ears” back across the Alps to Milano.

Lautaro Martinez – The Relentless Captain

Lauti – or El Toro – has hit an impressive 9 goals in this seasons tournament and the captain is likely to be fit to start tomorrow. He’ll almost certainly be partnered with Marcus Thuram, one of the most fearsome duos in Europe.

Martinez hit his 150th Inter goal against Bayern Munich and became their all time top European scorer, overtaking the great Sandro Mazzola. He’s their all time top foreign scorer and 5th all time scorer.

Il Capitano has a habit of flying under the radar when it comes to recognition across Europe, but the World Cup and Copa America winner will have the keen attention of the PSG defence tomorrow evening.

Davide Frattesi – The Midfield Dynamo

It’s almost guaranteed that Frattesi won’t start this game of football, Inzaghi is known to prefer his three of Calhanoglu, Barella and Mkhitaryan. However, you only have to glance at his scoring record from the bench to realise that he doesn’t just contribute – he scores HUGE goals.

Last season in March, Inter were faltering in their scudetto pursuit away at Udinese. 1-1 with seconds left on the clock when Lautaro hit the post, everyone on the pitch was watching except for Frattesi who followed in and smashed home the winner – exactly as he had done in the 2-1 home victory against Hellas Verona in January that year.

Then there’s the winner at tomorrow’s final venue earlier in the tournament against Bayern and the extra time winner against Barcelona. In fact, 5 of his 14 Inter goals have been scored on or after the 88th minute. If the game is tight in the second half, Inzaghi will 100% turn to this bundle of energy to tip the tie in Inter’s favour.

Francesco Acerbi – The Defensive Pillar

While all those around you are losing their heads, keep yours. In the San Siro on May 6th 2025 that’s exactly what Acerbi did. He bid a fond farewell to defensive partner Darmian and head off up to the attacking positions. The man that had overcome depression, alcoholism, the death of his father and testicular cancer (twice) has very little to be afraid of and incurring Inzaghi’s wrath for abandoning his post is one of them.

Sure enough, in the 93rd minute, the boyhood Inter fan smashed a Dumfries cross high into the net and the rest is history. He’s not only a great makeshift attacker though, Acerbi is a downright pain in the backside to play against. A master of the Italian art of defending, the 38 year old will have to pull out all the stops against a much younger, quicker and fitter PSG forward line. But you don’t get where Acerbi is without a few tricks up your sleeve…

So in short, yes Inter can win it. I wouldn’t mind betting that if they do, these three players will have a significant say in matters.

30th May 2025