Born in 1944 in Leggiuno, Luigi (or ‘Gigi’) Riva displayed both artistry and power in a career spanning 15 years. A player who was once described as the most handsome man on Earth, became a folk hero on the island of Sardinia and an icon to followers of the beautiful game all over the world. His playing career started in 1962 with Leggiuno, his local club in Lombardy. The following season he was acquired by Cagliari where he was to spend the rest of his [...]
Born on the 1st October 1966 in the Clara Town slum of Monrovia, Liberia and raised principally by his grandmother, George Weah was a good student; he studied hard at Wells Hairston High School, although it was apparent from a young age that he was destined for football stardom. The young George Weah was prodigiously talented with a football at his feet but this aptitude wouldn’t truly become evident until he made the move overseas. Before he made his big [...]
One of the greatest strikers of modern football is of course Gabriel Batistuta, when you think of goals his name is one of the first that springs to mind. He enjoyed a fabulous playing career at the likes of Boca Juniors, Fiorentina and AS Roma, whilst also carrying his fantastic club form to the international arena. Born in Avellaneda, Argentina on 1st February 1969, Gabriel Omar Batistuta did not play football as his first sport as a youngster, he was [...]
Marcel Desailly is one of the most decorated players in the modern era of football, winning the European Cup on two occasions, Serie A, F.A Cup and of course World Cup and European Championship in what was a glittering career. He was born Odenke Abbey on 7th September 1968 in Accra, Ghana, though he changed his name upon his mother’s marriage. He moved to France from Ghana as a four year old with his mother who married a French diplomat. [...]
Luigi Meroni was born on February 24th 1943 in the sleepy town of Como just north of Milan. He was a magician with the ball, bandy legged, thin but incredibly fast and blessed with immense control of a football. He spent his formative footballing years with local side Como before being transferred to a Genoa side in decline. At Genoa Meroni was to become an idol, scoring beautiful goals, entertaining the crowds with fantastic dribbling that dazzled defenders. Though in [...]
Football and politics are two entwined entities and often throughout history have influenced each other. But one man encompasses this relationship more than most, his name is Zvonimir Boban. Born in the small town of Imotski, very near the Bosnian border, in the nationalist south of Croatia. He grew up in communist Yugoslavia, but as he neared adulthood Yugoslavia was crumbling. With communism heading for the exit door, nationalism was to rear its head, with Boban a very receptive consumer. [...]
There have been many great players to grace Serie A in recent times, but one of the most outstanding is Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved. A legend at Juventus after initially being brought to the peninsula by Lazio, he won Scudetti, Coppa Italia and numerous European honours, in addition to the plentiful array of personal accolades he collected during his nineteen year career. He started his career with Dukla Prague in his home nation and made his debut at the age [...]
Mention the name Roberto Donadoni to most people and the first thought that would creep into their mind is ‘incompetent coach’, but many forget he was a great winger and one of the reasons AC Milan dominated Serie A and Europe during the late eighties/early nineties. Born on 9th September 1963 in Bergamo, he was picked up by local side Atalanta where his glittering career began and after an outstanding season with the Atalanta youth side he made the step [...]
Juventus have had a plethora of phenomenal strikers over the years but there is one who stands out over his modern day rivals His name is Gianluca Vialli, a legendary centre forward and accomplished manager; as a it can be argued he started the Chelsea revolution we see today, laying the foundations for Claudio Ranieri, Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti to build on. He started of his career at hometown club Cremonese after playing youth football with Pizzighettone. His first team [...]
Pierluigi Casiraghi carved out a very respectable career in Italy with Monza, Juventus and Lazio, then moved to England to play for Chelsea. He now coaches the Italy U21 side. But what makes Pierluigi a Legend of Calcio? We will find out. Casiraghi started of his career in 1985 playing for local side Monza in Serie B and Serie C1, he helped them achieve promotion to Serie B, with one season of consolidation and 9 goals to his name, he [...]
Cast your mind back almost two decades, the Cold War was ongoing, Margaret Thatcher was leader of a Conservative government in the UK and everyone was doing the Vogue, courtesy of Madonna. But there was something else about 1990 that will have you in a world of excitement and wonder; it was indeed the performances of Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci for Italy at the 1990 World Cup. The tournament propelled the diminutive Sicilian from obscurity into world superstardom. Toto was born [...]
