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.
The news broke yesterday that Liverpool were continuing their PSR approved prolific spending spree and they’d aimed their cross hairs at Parma’s teenage centre half Giovanni Leoni. The 19 year old defender has risen quickly to prominence in Italy and while the top Serie A clubs were circling like sharks, none can match Liverpool’s spending power or the pull of the Premier League and we fully expect him to end up on Merseyside.
So the big question is for Liverpool fans: who is this kid and what can we expect from him? Well look no further, we’ve got all the information required for you to sound like you know your stuff down the pub this weekend.
Giovanni Leoni
Date of birth: 21st December 2006
Height: 6ft 2in
Position: Right sided centre back, right footed
Clubs: Padova (youth), Sampdoria, Parma (current)
International: Italy U19: 7 appearances
Overview
In winter 2024, the boy from Rome was loaned from Padova to Sampdoria in Serie B with an option to buy. His coach Andrea Pirlo quickly recognised his talent there commenting that he was “Sure he’d reach Serie A, he deserves it”.
In one of the more peculiar Italian transfer quirks, he was transferred to Sampdoria where he signed a three year contract on 25th June 2024. He then moved to Parma on 27th August 2024 following their promotion to Serie A.
Parma initially struggled in Serie A but when renowned former Inter centre back Christian Chivu came to the helm, they stepped up their survival fight and Leoni was named man of the match in hard fought 1-0 over the mighty Juventus. He was also widely acclaimed during a 2-2 against Inter where he ably defended Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.
Come this summer, Inter appointed Chivu as manager and they immediately began circling Leoni, as well as Juventus and Milan. Italian football being what it is, Parma wanted more than the three could afford, they wanted to make a deal and yet again the English Premier League has some money to throw at the deal and another young promising Italian talent appears to be heading to England. Maybe he can open an Italian restaurant with Calafiori.
Giovanni Leoni, Strengths
Leoni is cool under siege, it was his performance against Juventus that showed this. He has great concentration, his positioning is fantastic and he reads the game well, as per every single Italian defender ever.
Paolo Maldini once said, “if I need to make a tackle then I’ve already made a mistake” and Leoni embodies this. He rarely dives in, he’ll stay touch tight to his man and tracks cut-backs very well.
Leoni doesn’t turn the ball over cheaply. It’s often simple and safe distribution, he’ll help the team build through the defensive midfield and he has an average of 87.7% pass completion rate in Serie A last season.
He has a high volume of blocks and emergency actions, showing his appetite for reading danger, how he recognises situations arising and can snuff them out. He’s a typical “Italian Centre Half” in that he reads the game, snuffs out attacks and plays simply out of defence.
He has a great temperament, making his Serie B debut at 16 years of age and Serie A at 17. He remains a set piece threat with two goals from corners to his name so far.
Areas to Improve
Of course, no defender is perfect – no matter how Italian – and a teenager will obviously have areas to improve. Leoni isn’t slow by any stretch of the imagination, but at Premier League tempo he’ll be stressed by runners across his shoulder. His improvement will be required in his angles and first step acceleration.
Despite his height (over 6 foot), Leoni’s aerial win rate lags behind his peers. It isn’t a lack of willing, however, it’s his strength and timing in the air that needs work. He couldn’t wish for a better mentor than he would find at Liverpool with van Dijk.
Finally, his distribution is short and safe. His stats show very low progressive passes and carries – at Liverpool he would need to add line-breaking passes or carries to suit Liverpool’s possession game.
What can Liverpool expect?
In the short term, if the move is completed, Leoni would initially suit Liverpool as a depth or rotation centre back. There would be immediate competence in deep-block defending, set piece value and low-risk distribution. Working alongside a dominant aerial partner and a ball progressing number 6 he would learn quickly and adapt well in the Premier League.
In the medium to long term, I would expect his progression to make him one of the better defenders in England. If he can work well on his ball progression and his aerial ability in addition to his existing defensive anticipation he could be the next big Italian centre half, in the Cannavaro mould.
Summary
So there you have it, Reds fans, you’re going to be getting (it seems) a very able and promising centre back. He’s capable and still has room to improve in his game. Italians don’t always settle in the UK, they find it tough, so that mental aspect will be interesting to see. It looks on the face of it that he would be resilient enough to cope, given he made his professional debut at 16 and his Serie A debut at 17.
You can never predict the future, but Leoni certainly has a bright future in the game, hopefully he can succeed in England.
Tomorrow we’ll be exactly two weeks away from the beginning of the new season and the optimism that comes when no one has actually kicked a ball. By Tuesday morning, half the fans in Serie A will believe their season is already over, the other half will be boasting how this year is their year. But we’re going to peak even sooner than that on the blog and boldly chuck out some predictions two weeks ahead of time with the Mercato in full swing still. Bookmark this later to come back and laugh at!
Champions – The contenders
Napoli
Raced into a great Mercato with the signing of Kevin De Bruyne for nothing. A top, top player but doing nothing for Serie A’s image as a retirement home. With McTominay being nominated for a Ballon D’Or this week and some other smart acquisitions they’re rightly considered favourites amongst most bookmakers. Conte, however, will be the key. He already threw a tantrum and threatened to quit once, will he see the season out? They’ll be hoping so in Naples
Inter Milan
Last season Inter beat Lazio away 6-0, but they also lost at home in the Derby in the last minute. They also got to a Champions League final, which they lost 5-0. The point here is, who knows what Inter will show up from one week to the next? Their market has been a mixture of smart looking deals and ridiculous pursuits underlined by failure. Petar Susic looks a good signing, while the campaign for Lookman stumbles on. One alternative is Mason Greenwood, good goalscorer, questionable bloke. The fall out between Calhanoglu and Lautaro appears to have been papered over, so let’s see how the season plays out. New, inexperienced coach Chivu will have his work cut out. Second favourites with most bookies, there may be some value at 3/1.
Juventus
Juventus are always listed amongst the favourites no matter what. Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao will be key in any title challenge Juventus want to put up, if they put one up. Randal Kolo Muani wants to resign for them after his successful loan, Juventus want him, yet they can’t get the deal done. It’s been a strange window for Juve fans, Jonathan David came in and no one can tell if that’s a good thing or not. He’d be a great “option player”, but is he a regular starter? Tudor steadied the ship last year when he came in, but that’s easy for a caretaker to do, now he has the job full time, all his credentials will be put to the test.
Milan
A disastrous campaign last time out, they’ve offloaded some of the bloated squad and brought in some key players. Another feather in the cap for the retirement league is their signing of Luka Modric. The 104 year old Croatian will find life in Italy tough, but his reading of the game and ball playing ability won’t be affected by age. The acquisitions of Jashari, Ricci and Estupinian generate some excitement, as does keeping hold of keeper Mike Maignan. If they can keep Newcastle away from Malick Thiaw then they’ll consider it a summer well done. If they can shake off the absolute circus act they became last season, then maybe they’re an outsider for a 20th Scudetto and second star.
The Others…
Usually you’d highlight Atalanta as a dark horse outsider, but having seen Ivan Juric manage at Roma and Southampton last season and the fact Ademola Lookman is AWOL chasing his Inter move, I don’t see Atalanta troubling the top pack this season.
Their former boss, however, has gone to AS Roma who have made some smart moves in the window, appear to be keeping Dybala and Dovbyk and will inject youth into their team as Gasperini likes to do. I would keep one eye on them as the season draws on.
I’d be surprised to see Genoa or Bologna challenge for the title, but good runs put together in the last season, if they can repeat, could see them trouble the Champions League places.
And don’t forget about La Viola. Pioli is back in Italy and he has a point to prove. It looks like Moise Kean isn’t going anywhere and they’ve added veteran marksman Edin Dzeko to the roster. De Gea stays in goal and it would only take a solid mid-season run to see them pushing to return to Europe’s top table. The title is probably beyond Fiorentina, but Europe isn’t.
Verdict
Ok, balls on the line time…
Champions – Napoli
Champions League – Inter, Milan, Roma
Europa/Conference – Bologna, Atalanta, Juventus
I get it, no big surprises there. Juventus can change things if they secure Kolo Muani or another big striker, and I just fancy Milan to get it together this season. And as for Roma, I just like their business. I like Evan Ferguson and I like the way Gasperini plays football. They’ve got a chance.
Dark Horses
There’s a few clubs who could surprise us all and while they’re outside of the traditional “big clubs” in Italy, they could make a play for a European spot. This season, for me, it’s got to be Como 1907.
Yeah, alright, they’ve got the richest owners in Serie A and have had a busy summer, but they’ve got that small stadium, were in Serie D as recently as 2019. Any European finish would still be a massive achievement for this provincial side.
Cesc Fabregas flatly refused the move to Inter in the summer and insisted on staying with “the project”. Only good news appears to come out of this club, they’ve got some great young flair players and while some pundits are questioning them abandoning Italian players for South American gems, they’re bound to win more than they lose.
The only question marks really are whether they can mix it up and be tough when they need to and can they keep the group together. Well question one was answered the other night when they had a full on fist fight after a friendly with Real Betis, and question two was answered seemingly when Nico Paz and Cesc Fabregas chose to stay rather than heading down the road to Inter.
Don’t be surprised if Como end up playing European football next season.
The promoted teams
Always the favourites to go back down, how will the promoted sides fair next season?
Sassuolo
Dominant in Serie B last season, winning the league by some margin, it should highlight their readiness for top flight football. Yet they were comfortably relegated from Serie A the season before. They need to avoid becoming an Italian Norwich and stake a claim to stay in the league. Bookmakers make them the strongest promoted candidate to stay up, and the collapse of Armand Lauriente’s transfer to Sunderland is a big factor in this. The winger scored 18 goals and provided 5 assists last season and will be key to any creativity in Serie A.
Pisa
Got promoted and lost manager Pippo Inzaghi back to Serie B and rivals Palermo. Not a great start. However, they have replaced him with Alberto Gilardino and having made it back to the top flight for the first time in 34 years, they’ll be keen to hang on and stay there. Matteo Tramoni looks to be sticking around having banged in 13 goals last season for them, which is welcome. Veteran player Juan Cuadrado is also on board and the loan of midfielder Akinsanmiro from Inter boost their numbers nicely. They’ll need to replicate their strong defence from last season where they only conceded 36 goals on their way to second place.
Pisa collected a trophy for coming second in some Utter Woke Madness
Cremonese
Cremonese finished 4th last season, behind Spezia, but went up through the play offs. However, since the departure of Giovanni Stroppa who led them to promotion they have survival specialist Davide Nicola in charge. The Italian Sam Allardyce has rescued Crotone (2019/20), Torino (2020/21), Salernitana (2021/22), Empoli (2023/24). He will hope to replicate this with Cremonese, but will have his work cut out with a side who’ve only just spent more than €10m this Mercato.
Verdict
I can’t see past Cremonese for relegation I’m afraid. Sorry guys, but despite having Davide Nicola, it doesn’t look good for you. Sassuolo have the capability to stay up, but do they have the belief only time will tell. Pisa could dig in under Gilardino’s leadership and if they can continue their strong defensive record they definitely have a chance, but I think the rest of the league may prove too good for them.
However, bookmakers also look to the likes of Verona, Lecce and even Cagliari as potential relegation candidates.
I think ultimately, Lecce and Cremonese will go, one of Pisa and Sassuolo to join them…Sorry guys.
Top Scorer
Might as well just piss into the wind and pick a name here. Who can ever predict the top scorer? Even when Inter won two years ago and Lautaro took the prize it was his first time ever. Last season Mateo Retegui won it and promptly left Italy for Saudi Arabia. So who’s going to take it home this season?
Well, surprisingly, Lautaro Martinez is leading the bookies charge at 9/2, good value but he spent most of last season looking exhausted. Another 60-odd games last season won’t have helped him out. Moise Kean is next best at 11/2, but you can’t help but feel he needs Fiorentina to have a good season for him to win that title.
Jonathan David pops up third in a lot of lists, and at 7/1 there’s certainly some value in it. Again, if Juventus spend another 3 months imploding as per last season, his chance will have gone.
There’s some newbies to the league who have a shot too. I can’t hide my admiration for Evan Ferguson and with a solid pre-season of goals for Roma and Gasperini’s attacking style, he’s got a great chance to get it. Noa Lang at Napoli is a dark horse too. Not exactly a prolific career to date but Napoli will spend most of the season on the front foot and with the supply lines coming from KdB and McFratm, he should get chances. As will their other striker, Big Rom Lukaku. Always up there without ever winning the grand prize, he’ll have his eyes on it this season.
Verdict: For some value I’d go for an each way bet on Evan Ferguson, but for me it’s got to be Lukaku or Lautaro. Once a prolific duo, now on opposite sides of the title race. Their goalscoring might just tip the title in their team’s favour.
When I was growing up, Serie A was all about the biggest names, the biggest price tags and the biggest reputations. Now, that mantle has passed to the Premier League and as a cynical 30-something year old, I’m bored of all that. What gets me interested in football now is seeing academy graduates make it through. Watching them tentatively replace a bigger name in the 80th minute and then remembering that moment 4 years later when Liverpool pay €80m for him to sit on their bench.
So I’ve done a deep dive, with the help of some Googling and some podcast listening – and here’s who to look out for this season breaking through into Serie A, and some Serie A players who broke through last season who I expect to make an impact this time around…
Francesco Camarda (CF, Lecce on loan from AC Milan)
Age: 17
Nationality: Italian
Height: 1.89m
Profile: A prodigious striker who became the youngest player in Serie A history when he debuted for Milan aged just 15 years and 260 days. Camarda is a generational youth prospect, having scored over 400 goals at youth level and drawing comparisons to a young Erling Haaland due to his size, finishing instinct, and movement.
Tactical Analysis: Camarda excels in the box, using intelligent movement to escape defenders and make runs across the front line. He’s composed in 1v1 situations and has an advanced sense of space. He can operate as a lone striker in a 4-3-3 or as part of a front two in a 3-5-2, where his ability to combine and occupy centre-backs becomes even more dangerous.
Outlook 2025/26: Loaned to Lecce to gain first-team experience. Expect him to be eased in gradually but could finish the season as a starter. Key focus will be on how he adapts to the physicality of senior defenders.
Francesco Pio Esposito (CF, Inter)
Age: 19
Nationality: Italian
Height: 1.88m
Profile: The younger brother of Salvatore Esposito, Francesco Pio is carving out a name for himself as one of Italy’s most promising centre-forwards. Developed in Inter’s academy, he spent last season on loan at Spezia in Serie B, showing flashes of maturity, aggression, and technical development. He has represented Italy at every youth level and was impressive in Inter’s short Club World Cup campaign this summer.
Tactical Analysis: Esposito is a physically robust striker who plays with his back to goal exceptionally well. He’s strong in the air, holds up play to bring others in, and presses defenders with real intensity — making him a natural fit for teams playing a high-energy, vertical style. Technically tidy, with solid link-up play, he thrives when partnered with a more mobile or creative second striker.
Outlook 2025/26: Inter have opted to retain Esposito rather than loan him out again, despite interest from Serie A clubs and even Premier League teams. Signed to a new contract through 30 June 2030, he’s expected to be part of the senior squad in Chivu’s rotation system. While he may not start every match, Esposito is almost certain to feature as an impact sub or rotational starter, particularly in Coppa Italia and midweek fixtures.
Nicolò Savona (RB/FB, Juventus)
Age: 22
Nationality: Italian
Height: 1.92m
Profile: A tall, elegant full-back who rose through the Juventus ranks and began earning minutes under Thiago Motta. He is known for his intelligent positioning, clean tackling, and comfort on the ball.
Tactical Analysis: Savona operates primarily as a right-back but has the tactical intelligence to play in an inverted full-back role. He contributes to build-up by stepping into midfield, offering an outlet in possession, and helping to compress space in transitions. His aerial ability also provides an asset in defending set-pieces.
Outlook 2025/26: May not be around much longer in Serie A with the Premier League circling. I would fancy him to get plenty of minutes if he stays. Unfortunately with English clubs already interested, any stay would be very brief.
Aaron Ciammaglichella (CM, Torino)
Age: 20
Nationality: Italian
Profile: A product of Torino’s youth academy, Ciammaglichella is a highly rated central midfielder who has been compared stylistically to Lorenzo Pellegrini. He is part of Italy’s U20 setup and has been identified as a future national team player.
Tactical Analysis: A box-to-box midfielder who thrives in high-tempo matches. He presses aggressively, tracks back reliably, and has the passing range to play progressive balls. Capable of operating in a double pivot or as the advanced midfielder in a 4-2-3-1.
Outlook 2025/26: Torino are expected to hand him more consistent minutes off the bench, with the potential to become a starter in the second half of the season depending on injuries or tactical changes.
Giovanni Leoni (CB, Parma)
Age: 18
Nationality: Italian
Profile: A highly mature centre-back for his age, Leoni impressed with Parma and has seamlessly stepped up to Serie A level. Juventus and Inter have shown interest.
Tactical Analysis: Leoni is a modern centre-back: aggressive in duels, confident in possession, and adept at playing line-breaking passes. He reads danger early and positions himself smartly in a high defensive line. Particularly effective in a three-man defence where he can cover wide spaces.
Outlook 2025/26: Expected to start regularly for Parma if he’s still there come 23rd August. If Inter can offload some players it’s widely expected he’ll be playing there next season. Expect to see an Azzurri call up for friendly squads.
Simone Pafundi (AM/Winger, Udinese)
Age: 19
Nationality: Italian
Profile: Once dubbed the “Italian Messi” in youth circles, Pafundi has been a regular fixture in Italy’s youth teams and is slowly being integrated into Udinese’s first team. Despite his small stature, he boasts incredible flair and agility.
Tactical Analysis: Pafundi thrives in the left half-space, where he can drive at defenders and pick out passes between the lines. He’s best used as a roaming attacking midfielder or wide playmaker. Relies on quick feet, vision, and anticipation rather than physicality.
Outlook 2025/26: A make-or-break season. Needs consistent playing time and end-product to secure a long-term role in Udinese’s project or attract interest from bigger Serie A sides.
Lorenzo Venturino (RW, Genoa)
Screenshot
Age: 19
Nationality: Italian
Profile: Emerged at the back end of the 2024/25 season, scoring twice in Genoa’s final game. Fast-tracked through the academy, Venturino is one of Italy’s most explosive young wingers.
Tactical Analysis: Direct and pacey, Venturino is dangerous in 1v1s. He hugs the touchline and beats defenders with acceleration before cutting inside to shoot. Can also play off the left to utilise his stronger right foot.
Outlook 2025/26: Expected to be a regular feature off the bench, with growing responsibilities depending on his ability to deliver goals and assists in limited minutes.
Lorenzo Anghelè (CF, Juventus Next Gen)
Age: 20
Nationality: Italian
Profile: A sharp and mobile striker with a knack for finding space in the box. He scored regularly in Serie C and was rewarded with a senior debut last season.
Tactical Analysis: Anghelè is a classic poacher with intelligent positioning. He’s quick across short distances and capable of linking play with one-touch combinations. Best suited to a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 alongside a physical partner.
Outlook 2025/26: Likely to split time between Juventus Next Gen and sporadic first-team appearances. Could push for more minutes if injuries or squad rotation open a window, especially if they can’t get Kolo Muani over the line
As Serie A enters the 2025/26 season, the spotlight won’t just be on the usual title contenders or big-name signings — it will shine just as brightly on the emerging talents poised to shape the league’s future. From Camarda’s goal-scoring instincts to Leoni’s composure at the back, this new wave of Italian prospects reflects a league rediscovering its identity through youth development. Keep a close eye on these players — they might not just break through, but break out in a big way. The future of Calcio is already here — and it’s looking brighter than ever.
Cast your mind back to the 1990s (if you’re of age) and you’ll remember when Serie A was on top of the World. Calcio was King and the best players in the World were plying their trade in Italy. One team embodied it all, and it wasn’t one of the Northern Powerhouses. No, it was a provincial team from Emilia Romagna that caught fire, then burned out spectacularly.
The sugar daddies of 90s Calcio have all but gone, only the Agnelli family remains at Juventus, but the big clubs were able to ride it out. Milan and Inter face challenges, but they had enough behind them to survive the end of the deep pocket era. For the provincial clubs, however, times have been a bit harder and when Parma went pop, the explosion was spectacular.
They achieved their first ever promotion to Serie A in 1990 backed by the massive Parmalat dairy industry giant. Calisto Tanzi was the owner of both and he pumped money into the club to get it moving. Under the stewardship of Nevio Scala they won promotion to Serie A and immediately set about upsetting the apple cart.
Parma winning the 1992 Coppa Italia
In that first season 1990-91, they signalled their intent with a stunning 2-0 victory over Juventus on their way to finishing 6th and qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Their first silverware followed a year later when they defeated Juventus 2-1 in the Coppa Italia final over two legs, securing their first ever major trophy while finishing 7th.
Another trophy was collected in 1992 when they defeated Royal Antwerp 3-1 in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup final. Parma added the first of their superstars to their ranks by bringing in the great Faustino Asprilla from Atletico Nacional and finishing 3rd. Lorenzo Minotti summed up the feeling at the club around this time when he said, “We never felt like a small club – Scala gave us belief”.
In the UEFA Super Cup that summer, they took on the Italian giants of Milan and beat them 2-1 on aggregate, before adding Gianfranco Zola to their ranks. They went on to another European final, the Cup Winners Cup again, losing to Arsenal 1-0 in a tight game.
They finally bagged the big prize in 1995, winning the UEFA Cup by defeating Juventus in the final AGAIN… Dino Baggio scored in both legs as Parma won 2-1 on aggregate, securing their highest honour yet. This was the peak of Scala’s era, with the likes of Zola, Asprilla, Baggio and Benarrivo firing Parma to the big prize and a 3rd place finish in Serie A.
The next season saw something of a transition season, as they finished trophyless and in 6th place, Scala would stand down at the end of the season and a certain Carlo Ancelotti would get his big chance to lead a Serie A team, being appointed from Regianna.
Gianluigi Buffon making his debut for Parma
He immediately set about proving himself, by giving a young 17 year old goalkeeper his start in the game. I’m not sure whatever came of Gianluigi Buffon, but a quick Google confirms that Ancelotti made the right call. He also brought in a little known Argentinian striker for €4m from River Plate, Hernan Crespo would go on to be a huge success.
Hernan Crespo scored a few goals for Parma in his time…
Parma finished second in Serie A that first season, just two points behind Juventus. Ancelotti was unable to repeat the feat next season and left after a 6th place finish and a UEFA Cup semi final defeat. His move to Juventus came that next summer and yet again, the Parma story involved a twist with Juventus.
Alberto Malesani was the man chosen to replace him and he oversaw perhaps the greatest triumph and squad that Parma ever had. Parma finished 4th in Seria A in 1998-99 and won the Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italia and the UEFA Cup again, with a 3-0 win over Marseille. The team contained household names such as Gianluigi Buffon, Lilian Thuram, Fabio Cannavaro, Hernan Crespo, Enrico Chiesa and Juan Veron. It’s no wonder then that Cannavaro was quoted as saying, “That team could beat anyone on their day – we weren’t afraid of anyone”.
There’s no wonder when it looks like a Fantasy XI from early 00s Serie A!
A ridiculous line up for any team
The fall began soon after this. There was no league consistency, and despite another Coppa Italia triumph in 2001, Parma began to tail off. Crespo was sold to Lazio for around €56m, Buffon went to Juventus for a healthy €52m and Cannavaro moved to Inter. The exodus was swift and the reason soon became clear.
We’ll drift now from football to business, because in 2003 the Parmalat scandal broke. Europe’s Enron hit.
Calisto Tanzi had built Parmalat into a global dairy empire and used the money to buy Parma. To keep growing, Parmalat falsified accounts – inflating assets and hiding debts using offshore companies. By December 2003 a massive €14bn black hole had appeared and Europe’s biggest fraud case was confirmed.
Parmalat’s collapse triggered lawsuits and wiped out thousands of investors worldwide. Parmalat was the main source of income for Parma, they owned them and sponsored them. Overnight, funds dried up, transfers and wages were halted. Unlike the big northern clubs, there was no fallback money for Parma. Tanzi would be convicted and sentenced in 2008, but the damage for Parma was done.
In the words of Alberto Malesani, “Everything we had built vanished overnight”. The club would survive for around 10 years after this point, using loan signings and selling any promising talent and ownership would ping pong between small investors. Alessandro Lucarelli could have left at any point but didn’t, “I stayed because I’m a man of my word – Parma needed loyalty”.
Eventually, in 2015, Parma were declared bankrupt with debts of over €200m. The club was wound up and relegated to Serie D. Surely this was the end?
Not with Lucarelli around.
The club was reformed as Parma Calcio 1913 and the phoenix rose from the flames. Three consecutive promotions followed and by 2018/19, they were back at the top table with the big boys. It hasn’t been all plain sailing since then, they were relegated again in 2021 and struggled with money.
Kyle Krause took over at this point and stabilised the finances before a further promotion back to Serie A. Last season saw Parma struggle for a lot of the season before being saved after Christian Chivu took over. He’s gone now, but Parma have seen players and managers come and go before. They won’t be phased, in fact they’ll be buoyed by their spirit shown at the end of last season.
Parma are back in Serie A, are they here to stay?
It wasn’t just Parma have struggled since the gilded age of Italian football came to an end. The influx of money into England from TV deals saw the balance of power swing from Italy to England in the early 00s. The best players decided to head to England instead of Italy, pragmatism was needed and the sugar daddies that once bankrolled the greatest league in the world moved on.
Stadium infrastructure in Italy lagged behind England, Germany and Spain too. Municipalities owned most of the stadiums and couldn’t afford to improve the facilities as the 90s drew to a close. Matchday revenues fell with the TV money. Scandals like Calciopoli followed and exposed systemic failures in Italian football governance.
Parma’s fall mirrored the fall of Serie A’s dominance in a way. Clubs can’t match the spending of England and Spain, Juventus modernised as a club, no one else has really followed suit.
Whatever happens in the future, Italy seems to have settled back into a rhythm. Clubs regularly make the latter stages of European competition again. Juventus and Inter both recently made 2 Champions League finals each, Atalanta won the Europa League, Inter lost a Europa League and Fiorentina played in two Conference League finals with Roma also winning one.
Parma are back at the top table, the glory days are gone, but talk to anyone from Parma and there’ll be a glint in their eye as they talk about Crespo and Chiesa scoring in the UEFA Cup final against Marseille…
New kits are being “dropped” every day at the moment by the sides who’ll make up Serie A this season. There’s the new home kit, the away kit, the third kit, the special celebration third kit, the European away kit and the goalkeeper kit and at over €100 a time, it’s clear why teams do this.
And yet, what is wrong with them all? There’s very few I look at and think, “My word, take my money please”. As an Interista I’m very disappointed by this seasons crayon drawing away kit and the bizarre home stripes. Annoyingly, Milan’s away kit is a thing of beauty too.
But there was a time when Serie A kits were true works of art that were reminiscent of the renaissance artists of yesteryear. There’s a reason you’re more likely to see a classic retro effort in the Curva than the latest “effort”.
So what’s the best Italian kit of all time? I’ve made my choices, they’re below. Let me know what you think…
Inter Milan – 1989/90
I was always starting with Inter wasn’t I? This effort from the late 80s is a true masterpiece and puts the last few efforts to real shame. Inter finished third this season, but consistently win best kit compilations with this effort. Clean, simple and worn by the famous German trio of Brehme, Klinsmann and Matthaus it’s a lovely way to start…
Juventus – 1995/96
My word, this is a pure classic! They should’ve stopped designing Juventus kits here and just used this one consistently. And not just because they won the European Cup for the first time in 11 years. The Kappa creation, with the thinner stripes than we see today was complimented by the Sony sponsorship. Everything about this shirt works, give me this every season please!
Genoa – 1991/92
Genoa barely avoided relegation in 1992, but they should have been awarded an extra 5 points for this shirt alone. They did, however, reach the UEFA Cup Semi Final, narrowly avoiding an all Italian final by missing out to eventual winners Ajax. Torino knocked out Real Madrid, but that achievement means nothing when Genoa were rocking this simple classic.
Milan – 1988/89
Gullit. Van Basten. Rijkaard. Do you need any more than this? Ok fine, simple thin stripes, white shorts, total football – oh and a European Cup win. Just enjoy the kit.
Fiorentina – 1998/99
This might be my favourite shirt of all time. Not just in Italy. You don’t see many purple shirts in football but this just works. The Nintendo sponsorship is pure classic and the fact that it’s synonymous with Batigol just completes it. Great kit – 12/10
Perugia – 1999/00
Ok stick with me here. The dragon detailing on this kit is a fine addition. But let’s be honest, this is a slightly more English looking design than you’d get in Italy, almost reminds me of Charlton Athletic in these times. But Nakata running around in this shirt bring back fond memories. The kit makes it for that alone.
Roma – 2000/01
Any Scudetto kit is special for the team who won it, but this is a really smart kit. The classic collar, the orange trim, the Scudetto season, Francesco Totti and the start of the skin tight shirt era all made by Kappa. Pure. Italian. Gold.
Napoli – 1986/87
Diego Maradona won Napoli’s first Scudetto in this kit. I’m not saying anything else because that’s enough reason why this kit is great nostalgia. The Mars kit might be the more well known, but come on, look at that kit.
Torino – 1948/49
One of the greatest tragedies in Italian sport, the end of Grande Torino. It’s something to read about separately, this is a kit post. And that great team was characterised by this absolutely clean classic shirt. One colour, no sponsor, Scudetto on the chest, white colour. Perfection.
Lazio – 1999/00
Sven. Inzaghi. Salas. Scudetto. Lazio won the league with this kit, they also won the UEFA Super Cup and reached the Champions League Quarter Finals. Some utterly fantastic players wore this kit and the basic design along with classic Cirio sponsor make this an all time Serie A classic.
Honourable Mentions
So there were some efforts that were fantastic but didn’t quite make it. Rounds of applause to Parma in 1999, Sampdoria in 1992, Bologna in 1997 and any 90s effort from Bari please.
What do you think then? Are these the greatest kits of all time in Italy or have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments or comment on the X thread @EnglishCalcio.
It’s a new week, Monday comes and brings with it more from the soap opera that is Calcio. Football in Italy isn’t even being played at the moment but it’s still all going on…
1. Club World Cup Kicks Off in America
Ok so it actually kicked off yesterday, but this week is the turn of the Italians. Inter kick off against CF Monterrey on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning depending on where you’re reading this. Juventus get going on Wednesday night/Thursday morning against Al-Ain.
Inter will be hoping for a little better than their last outing, that Champions League humiliation. Juventus happy to be there without a European final since 2017. So far interest is very low, FIFA will be hoping it increases as time goes on. I’ll be out in Seattle at the end of the Group Stage so look out for some content on that!
2. Will there be anyone left at Milan?
Mike Maignan’s move to Chelsea may have broken down but that doesn’t mean he isn’t looking to move on. Chelsea will come back when the CWC slows down for them and with one year left he looks set to be sold this summer.
Theo Hernandez and Rafa Leao are also rumoured to be on the way out, with Bayern Munich a possible destination for both. That or Saudi Arabia anyway.
Luka Jovic is going at the end of his contract next month, looking likely to join Torino. That other Turin club, Juventus, are sniffing around Pierre Kalulu and Yunus Musah is in discussion with Napoli.
Calabria will also leave when his contract expires and the club confirmed that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is surplus to requirements. Along with fellow Englishmen Tammy Abraham and Kyle Walker departing at the end of their loan spells.
Can the last person to leave Milan turn off the lights?
3. The tug of war for Giovanni Leoni
The highly rated 18 year old is in high demand and it’ll be a miracle if the centre-back starts next season at Parma. Juventus are interested, as are Milan, Napoli, Torino and Inter. A move to Inter would probably appeal most, the shift in focus from Oaktree to younger players and his former manager Christian Chivu being in place will be a big pull.
Giovanni Leoni is a target for most of Serie A
But a bigger pull may be the Premier League. Thomas Frank might not be the newest face at Tottenham Hotspur for long, and the option for Parma to loan him back might sway them to accept this offer. Maybe he prefers the French Riviera? Monaco are also interested, and the chance to live a life of luxury in the millionaires playground has been a big pull in the past for players.
Watch this space, this race could go on a while, but needless to say it’ll develop significantly this week…
4. Sometimes maybe good, Sometimes maybe shit
Had to jump on and edit this part of the post this morning. The FIGC were telling us all that they had aaaaages to make this decision as there were no internationals until September.
Then out of nowhere they appointed Gennaro Gattuso. The former Milan player left his job at Hajduk Split earlier this summer and won the World Cup as a player with the Azzurri in 2006. He’s fiery, he divides opinion and he’s a strict disciplinarian. This will be one to watch through the World Cup qualifiers!
5. Josh Doig to Juventus?
Sassuolo’s 23 year old Scottish Full Back Josh Doig could soon be making a move to Juventus according to rumours. The Scottish Sun are reporting that around €13m would secure his signature for the Bianconeri. The Scottish revolution in Italy is certainly getting out of hand now, has no one watched any Scotland matches???
Italy has fallen in love with Scotland, and Juventus have eyes on Josh Doig
6. Chivu starts life with Inter
Ok, so we alluded to the FIFA Club World Cup earlier in the blog, but with the tournament kicking off, so too is Christian Chivu’s Inter Milan career 2.0.
The young coach, fresh from a spell with their youth team and then rescuing Parma was a very public second choice, but he’s a popular figure at the San Siro so he’ll get a chance to prove himself.
Will he stick with Inzaghi’s 3-5-2? Will he freshen up the side with some younger players? Just how many Parma players is he trying to sign? All of these answers will be a bit clearer by this time next week…
7. Edin Dzeko to get one last Calcio outing?
Rumours were starting late last week that potentially we will see Edin Dzeko in Italy one more time… The former Roma and Inter striker has just left Fenerbahce and the 39 year old is now linked with a move to Florence.
Edin Dzeko scoring for Roma twenty years ago probably…
Yes, that’s right, Fiorentina are apparently lining up a move for the veteran striker. He does guarantee goals, but at 39 does he guarantee games? A deal until 2027 is rumoured to have been offered which would see him play at the top level of Italian football until he’s 41. I’m sceptical, but Calcio constantly surprises you.
We’re only a month on from the end of the 2024/25 season in Italy and already there’s more talking points that throughout most of the actual season. And the main one seems to be, who on Earth is going to be managing in Serie A next season?
Axes have been wielded, resignations have been handed in and managers have been caught flirting with rival clubs. So what’s going on? And what’s still to come? Hopefully I’ve made sense of it below for you…
Fiorentina
After being appointed in June last year to replace Vincenzo Italiano, Fiorentina manager Raffaele Palladino has left the club “by mutual consent”. There’s no replacement as yet, although Stefan Pioli is being heavily linked with the role according to Viola Nation. Seen by some as a stabilising influence, he’ll need to use all his experience to turn around a gradual decline in Firenze.
Atalanta
After 9 very successful years at the club, Gian Piero Gasperini has left Atalanta. During his time in Bergamo, Gasperini led Atalanta into the Champions League five times and his tenure was characterised by swashbuckling attacking play. He famously led the team to the 2024 Europa League title.
His replacement at Atalanta? It’s a baffling one… Ivan Juric has been handed the reigns in Northern Italy. That’s the same Ivan Juric that oversaw a disastrous spell in Rome last season before heading to England to somehow make Southampton worse than they already were – avoiding being the worst team in Premier League history by 1 point.
Roma
Gasperini comes through the door at Roma replacing firm fan favourite Claudio Ranieri. His move “upstairs” may be put on hold, however, with the news that Spalletti is leaving the national team job. Ranieri is the favourite to take the Azzurri through the rest of the World Cup qualifying campaign. Watch this space!
Lazio
Across the city and Roma’s great rivals Lazio have also had a change in the dugout after a rather underwhelming end to the season. A comeback draw at the San Siro to hand Napoli the Scudetto was a brief highlight in an otherwise forgettable season under Marco Baroni. He was dismissed and Maurizio Sarri is back after a 15 month hiatus. Sarri was announced in spectacular fashion by the media team at Lazio and the former banker will be chain smoking his way through next season with the hopes he can restore the Lazio empire.
AC Milan
In Italy’s second city, change is also afoot. For the second time in a season Milan sacked their manager after Fonseca didn’t see in 2025, Conceicao is now also gone. An underwhelming season all round, Conceicao paid the price for an 8th place finish and no European football next season after a Coppa Italia final defeat. However, brief respite was offered in the shape of a 3-2 defeat of city rivals Inter in the Supercoppa final.
Allegri returns to Milan for next season after a break from the game following a trophy-laden spell at Juventus. In his first spell at Milan, he won the Serie A title and Supercoppa, Milan certainly hope he can repeat that next season.
Inter Milan
So near, yet so far to a treble. Dumped out of the Coppa Italia in the semi finals by Milan, beaten in the Supercoppa final, trounced in the Champions League final and second to Napoli by a point. Inter’s season could broadly be viewed as fairly successful until April. Simone Inzaghi was in demand from Al-Hilal and the news breaking in the run up to the final didn’t help their preparation.
A mutual parting followed a 5-0 defeat from PSG. Inter acted swiftly to woo Cesc Fabregas who promptly turned them down in a rather embarrassing episode. Christian Chivu is the man to take them forward. Their former centre back was manager of the Under 19 team who won the Primavera before being installed at Parma to secure Serie A survival. It’s a gamble, but Inter weren’t left with much choice with the Club World Cup on the horizon.
Torino
Further down the table, Torino parted company with Paolo Vanoli and replaced him almost immediately with Marco Baroni following his sacking by Lazio.
Parma
Parma only confirmed today that Christian Chivu had left the club after only a few short months. He replaced Fabio Pecchia in February and had the brief to save the club from an immediate return to Serie B. He did it, and then left for Inter. Rumours about a replacement are few and far between, but they’ll need to act fast to avoid losing out in the summer transfer window.
Italy National Team
In true bizarre fashion, national team manager Luciano Spalletti announced his own sacking in a press conference after a 3-0 defeat in Norway. But he’s not going anywhere yet… He’s managing the team tonight against Moldova before finally leaving. Clear? Thought not. Ranieri is the favourite to replace him since Calcio has some clear agenda on letting the poor guy retire in peace.
And there you have it. It’s been a matter of weeks since Serie A finished and the soap opera continues. Honourable mention to Juventus who look set to appoint Igor Tudor permanently after he finished off the season Thiago Motta started. Who do you think is the best appointment? Who’s undersold themselves and Who just got it plain wrong?
In a dramatic turn, Luciano Spalletti has been sacked after Italy’s embarrassing 3–0 defeat to Norway and a poor start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. He’ll still lead the team one more time, though—against Moldova on Monday—before stepping down.
2. Pioli or Ranieri? FIGC’s Next Head Coach Dilemma
Who steps into the Azzurri hot seat next? The Italian FA (FIGC) is torn between Claudio Ranieri—fresh off a Roma renaissance and desperate enough to postpone retirement—and Stefano Pioli, still basking in his Milan fame.
3. Chelsea Tries Club World Cup Heist on Maignan
AC Milan’s top-class keeper Mike Maignan is being eyed by Chelsea—who’ve made an emergency bid in hopes of registering him in time for the Club World Cup next week. Milan are lining up Roma’s Mile Svilar as a replacement. Classic mercato drama: massive tournament, ticking deadline, and goalkeeping musical chairs.
4. Italian Representation at Club World Cup
Speaking of the competition, Inter Milan have confirmed their participation, with a tough group including Monterrey, Urawa Red Diamonds and River Plate. And Inter will debut a new coach—with Cristian Chivu taking the reins. Meanwhile Juventus’ run will hinge on whether interim boss Igor Tudor impresses enough to earn the gig permanently. Expect some epic comebacks… or meltdowns.
5. Transfer Talk: Chalobah to Napoli, Svilar to Milan
Napoli are prioritizing Chelsea’s English defender Trevoh Chalobah to bolster Antonio Conte’s defence. At the same time, AC Milan are edging closer to bringing in Luka Modric, expect movement when the international duty ends. Napoli are also closely linked to Alejandro Garnacho and Jack Grealish – watch these closely over the next weeks.
6. Managerial Chairs Spinning Across Serie A
Atalanta have officially announced Ivan Juric as Gasperini’s successor after the legendary coach moved to Roma. Roma, in turn, confirm Gasperini on a three-year deal . Inter confirmed Chivu from Parma and Lazio have also re-hired Maurizio Sarri, one year after his departure, just in time to plan their summer transfer binge. It’s raining gaffer changes in Italy… umbrellas optional.
7. Season Wrap & Azzurri Warm-Up
We’re still raw from Napoli’s Scudetto triumph and Inter’s crushing Champions League final loss, capped by Simone Inzaghi’s departure. Now, the Azzurri need a lift ahead of the Moldova game—ideal for one last rally (or epic meltdown) before sweeping the coach saga under the rug. Let’s just hope they’ve practiced their goal celebrations.
Why It Matters
This week is pure Italian football theatre:
National team in turmoil = big story.
Transfers and coaching swaps will set next season’s tone.
Club World Cup puts Italian clubs on global display.
All against the backdrop of season-end fatigue and summer sizzle.
Brace yourself for press-room drama, comedic transfer photos, and hopefully some actual… you know… goals.
What are you most excited about? The national team drama, the managerial musical chairs, or who ends up playing keeper for Milan?
As the blog begins, it seems that I should lend some credibility to my self proclaimed “expertise” in Italian football. And like every other love story, it came about with falling in love with an experience rather than an individual. The weekend in question is one of my most recent experiences, but by far the most varied so it seemed like the best place to start. This blog will cover day one, so look out for days two and three coming…
In early April I travelled for “just another” Calcio weekender with my 15 year old daughter Isabelle in tow. I guess that makes us a little unique too, most people go to matches with their mates or their son, I take a 15 year old girl. Anyone who knows anything about 15 year old girls will know that spending time with Dad isn’t always viewed as cool and they certainly don’t appreciate early starts and late finishes! But God bless her, my kid Isabelle goes with it and I tend to pay for it the couple of days after we’ve returned.
Pizza and beer and football are three of my favourite things and I think the Italians do them all better than most of Europe.
So I earmarked the first weekend in April. Inter were away at Parma, which is not a million miles from Bologna. Bologna is easily accessible with Ryanair via London Stansted and the rail network in Italy meant that we had easy access to Parma. Further to this, Bologna would play Napoli the same weekend. With both Inter and Napoli chasing a Scudetto I knew there was no chance Italian TV schedules would allow the games to be on the same day.
£55 later and Isabelle and I have return flights booked from Stansted to Bologna. Ok, £55 is stretching it a bit, I added prebooked seats, fast track security and a checked bag for us to share so it was more like £200 between us. But come on, £100 a head to get to Italy and back in relative comfort once I’d added everything on? I can’t go to Manchester from London for that!
My go to when travelling is always Airbnb. I don’t really know why, hotels are great, especially if you can get breakfast included. I just like the local experience and those apartment buildings in Italy are a great authentic experience. We chose one on Via Pescherie Vecchie just off the central Piazza Maggiore. Naturally, with Ryanair and a night flight, it was late so we didn’t arrive at the apartment until 1:30am on Saturday morning, but whatever, we’re on holiday. Who cares?
The check in was so easy, there was a lockbox that I had a code to, we opened it and found the apartment key and let ourselves in. The place was “cosy” but again, who cares, we’re only sleeping here.
The ambience at 1:30am betrayed the ambience for the rest of our trip. At check in we were completely alone, waking up at 8am we were atop a busy bustling market street with Parma ham, parmesan and coffee the main wares being sold. Truly, it was fantastic, the sights and smells of Italy right there, absorbed in the culture. What else was there to do but head for a coffee in the Piazza. Honestly, sat there with my daughter with a cappuccino in the sun, picking at a croissant I have never felt so anti-Brexit. Europe is fantastic, what the hell were we doing leaving this place??
The chilled start to the day belied what was to follow. Saturday was the day of Parma v Inter. We still had to get to Parma, then we had to find tickets. Shit, I never mentioned, I still had no tickets for the main game we came to see! I’d tried online, surely I would secure a Parma ticket? They hadn’t sold out all season! Bullshit, they sold this game out immediately. No ticket. Well, there’s always a chance on the day…
The next best thing was paying slightly over the odds on Vivaticket. Secondary reselling sites are common in Italy and mostly they’re ok to be trusted. You’ll pay more than you would directly to the club, but if you’re desperate to see the game it’s a really good option. The only problem here was, nothing was hitting the website!
Now we reached desperation time. I joined every Parma fan group on Facebook. It must be possible, people must be surely not travelling to the game who have season tickets. Surely they’ll help out a foreigner in need?? Surely??
For about a week before the match I hit nothing but brick walls. But fuck it, I could travel to the game and surely find someone selling there? Isabelle and I set off for Parma from Bologna station, for a mere €14 each return. This is something I need to praise Italy for. The transport system is a joke compared to the rest of Europe. It’s cheap and it’s more often than not on time. Don’t get me wrong, try to get to Como in peak summer season and the trains arrive whenever they feel like it, but I’ve had nothing but broadly positive experiences on Trenitalia. I tend to use the English website to buy my tickets and just download them to my phone, but the big stations have super helpful staff who all speak your language and will help. Definitely don’t get caught without a ticket though! The wrong ticket’s fine, your ignorance as a tourist will be accepted, but having no ticket is a problem!
Anyway, 1h10 minutes or so later, Isabelle and I are pulling into Parma and the first thing we see is the Inter team bus parked up at a hotel opposite the station. We hang around for a bit, hoping for photo opportunities that never materialise before jumping in a cab to the ground. We’d hoped to explore Parma a bit but the tickets are more pressing. It’s a shame because Parma looks magnificent.
As we arrive at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, there’s hustle and bustle everywhere. But no one selling tickets! We hang around the shop, the ticket office and are informed that maybe by 3pm there’ll be some returns for sale. Not exactly promising. I increase my desperation to the Facebook Groups – “Please, I’m English, I’ve only travelled for the game” – but no response. Well, we have three hours, so let’s go grab lunch.
Easy as pie in Italy, avoid anything touristy looking and you’re getting a fantastic meal for next to nothing. The food is incredible in this country, always has been, always will be. It’s the first thing that always comes to mind when you think of Italy; pasta and pizza. So true to form, we drop into the first place we walk past and Oh My God look at this pizza below! Parma Ham and Parmigiana! That, in the sun with a cold beer and the world of work felt a million miles away!
Then suddenly a breakthrough… a message on Facebook, from a knight in shining armour! It was a simple message, “I have a woman ticket. 14 year old ok”. First I’d ever heard of a woman’s only ticket, but then there was a pin dropped to a pub around half a mile from the ground. And this is where it gets interesting. Really interesting!
Isabelle and I set off immediately on foot towards the pub, Google Maps reckons 25 minutes but I’m half running. We pass the ground and are now heading in the opposite direction, please god please!
On the final stretch a truly bizarre encounter. As we wander up the road, a VERY familiar figure walks out in front of us. No, surely it isn’t? It is, someone else just asked for a photo… “Lilian!” I shout, “A picture?”
Somehow, in this little back street cut through in Parma, I’ve bumped into former Parma and Juventus player and French World Cup Winner Lilian Thuram. His son now plays for Inter so it makes sense he’d be in attendance for this match. A lovely bloke, with very little English, he happily posed for photos with Isabelle and I before we head off to the pub.
As we approach the pub, it’s clear this is a testosterone charged environment. This is the Ultras. Mattia greets Isabelle and I at the door and ushers us in, I duly buy him a pint.
Now, the Ultras have a very mixed reception in Italy and Europe. Viewed on by some as nothing more than hooligans, but by others – including themselves – as the life blood of the club. They travel to every match, they rally the team when required, they organise charity events and they fill the stadium with noise and get every chant going. And yes, they fight each other.
It’s a complicated relationship that clubs have with their Ultras and the other fans at the clubs, which I won’t go into in any great detail here but if you want to know more, Tobias Jones’ book Ultra is a great insight into their World.
One thing I will say is, if you turn up and you’re ready to get involved and be part of their World – you cannot wish to meet a friendlier and more welcoming bunch. Immediately a Sambuca shot is thrust into my hand, a scarf wrapped around my neck and I’m welcomed.
Their English is probably only slightly better than my Italian and conversation is limited to saying names like “Gianfranco Zola” and everyone nodding and cheering. Mattia brings over his friend Andrea, an absolute tree of a man, who hugs me and welcomes me.
I explain the ticket predicament to him, “No problem”, he says, “we can get you in”. Pints downed, we march off the four of us to the ground, Mattia on his pushbike, and I’m handed Andrea’s son’s season card and his ID. Apparently I’m going to be passing for a 12 year old boy. Andrea explains that I just need to keep my thumb over the picture, “the only check the name matches”. Surely, surely, this isn’t going to work.
As we arrive at the Tardini, the throng of people at the gates parts and we are ushered to the front. Andrea must be a big deal I figure, and even more so when none of our tickets are even checked, we’re ushered into the ground. I hand over – as agreed – a €50 note to Mattia and he takes us into the underbelly of the huge open Kop behind the goal. Again, the queues part and we are handed a beer each, more people come to kiss Andrea on each cheek – yep, he’s the guy here.
Mattia takes Isabelle and I into the stand in the last few minutes before kick off and it is absolute pandemonium in there. People are everywhere, there are far more people than there’s space for and we take our place a third of the way up a staircase. There’s no stewards or security inside this stand, another quirk of the Ultras sections – the club expects them to self police. Largely it works. Yeah it’s over subscribed and there’s a strong smell of weed around, but there’s good vibes only here.
As the game kicks off, no one is paying any attention whatsoever. The young lads down at the front are on their perch, back to the pitch facing the crowd, megaphone to their mouths starting every chant. Flags everywhere wave around, we can only catch glimpses of the match through the singing, jumping, flags and general party vibe. Football is secondary today to everyone just getting together and catching up on their weeks. Perhaps it’s not always like this, Inter are top and Parma scrapping to survive, so defeat is generally accepted before a ball was even kicked.
And sure enough, Darmian gives Inter the lead after 15 minutes and the away section erupts behind the opposite goal. Right on half time, Thuram doubles Inters’ lead with potentially one of the worst goals he’ll ever score. And no one noticed. The noise never stopped, the singing never stopped, the flags never stopped. They’re here to support their team, not to react to a setback.
In the second half a new Parma emerge, pulling a goal back on the hour before equalising on 69 minutes from Ondrejka. And you can bet your life that there were spectacular scenes on the equaliser. Limbs everywhere, people falling downstairs, beers being hurled in the air, pure delirium, this was a brilliant display of emotion and it was impossible not to raise a smile for them. Ultimately they deserved it, they fought right until the end and Inter were poor. The game ended in a draw, this was to be the theme of the weekend, 2-2 but it felt like a victory for Parma. They deserved it.
As we filtered out of the stadium, I joined my new friends back at the same bar and we had a few more beers and sambucas, posed for photos and exchanged numbers to become friends for life. Every now and again I still get a text from Andrea after a matchday and we briefly speak to each other in broken English about football. One day they want to join me in Gillingham for a match, I think they’ll be disappointed by the atmosphere.
I sat on the 10pm train back to Bologna with Isabelle and shared a smile with no words as we ate kebab. This was everything we loved about travelling to Italy to watch football, the experiences, the dashing around, the new friends, the atmosphere and the crazy games. And, above all, it’s only day one. There’s two days left yet…
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