Football in Italy

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Football in Italy
Stadio Olimpico 2008.JPG
Stadio Olimpico in the capital Rome, used by Lazio, Roma and also the Italian national team
Country Italy
Governing body FIGC
National team Italy
First played 1898
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions

Football (calcio in Italian) is the most popular sport in Italy.[1] The Italian national football team is considered to be one of the best national teams in the world. They have won the FIFA World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), trailing only Brazil (with 5), runners-up in two finals (1970, 1994) and reaching a third place (1990). They have also won one European championship (1968), also appearing in two finals (2000, 2012), one Olympic football tournament (1936) and two Central European International Cups (1927–30 and 1933–35).

Italy's top domestic league, the Serie A, is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world and it is often depicted as the most tactical national football league.[2] Italy's club sides have won 48 major European trophies, making them the second most successful nation in European football. Serie A hosts three of the world's most famous clubs as Juventus, Milan and Inter, all founding members of the G-14, a group which represented the largest and most prestigious European football clubs; Serie A was the only league to produce three founding members. Juventus, Milan and Inter, along with Roma, Fiorentina, Lazio and Napoli are known as the Seven Sisters of Italian football.[3] Italian managers are the most successful in European Football, especially in competitions such as the Champions League. More players have won the coveted Ballon d'Or award while playing at a Serie A club than any other league in the world.


Illustration of a game of Calcio Fiorentino from 1688

Other forms of football were played in Italy in ancient times, the earliest of which was Harpastum, played during the times of the Roman Empire.[4] This game may have also been influential to other forms throughout Europe due to the expansion of the Empire, including Medieval football. From the 16th century onwards, Calcio Fiorentino, another code of football distinct from the modern game, was played in the Piazza Santa Croce in Florence. Some famous Florentines were amongst players of the game, particularly the Medici family including Piero, Lorenzo and Alessandro de' Medici.[5] As well as Popes such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII[5] who played the game in the Vatican. The name calcio ("kick") was later adopted for football in Italy.

Italian football is born: Turin and Genoa[edit]

The modern variation of the game was brought to Italy during the 1880s. The title of the first Italian football club is a controversial one, the most commonly cited in popular history is Genoa Cricket and Football Club who were formed as a cricket club to represent England abroad, founded by Englishmen in 1893. Three years later in 1896 a man named James Richardson Spensley arrived in Genoa introducing the football section of the club and becoming its first manager.[6]

However, evidence exists to suggest that the first club may have been from Turin. Edoardo Bosio, a merchant worker in the British textile industry had visited England and experienced the game. He returned to Turin in 1887 and was motivated to help spread football in his homeland. He founded Torino Football and Cricket Club that year while Nobili Torino ("Turin Nobles") soon followed.[7] The second club bore the name of noble because it contained the Duke of the Abruzzi and Alfonso Ferrero di Ventimiglia (who would later become a president of Italian Football Federation (FIGC)[8]). The two merged in 1891 to form Internazionale Football Club Torino,[9][10] By 1898 the rival federation FIGC had been formed, with its center originally in Turin and the first two presidents as Mario Vicary and Luigi D'Ovidio.

FIGC created the Italian Football Championship with the four founder clubs been; Genoa, FBC Torinese, Ginnastica Torino and Internazionale Torino. The first competition of which was held at Velodromo Umberto I in Turin on 8 May 1898 and was won by Genoa. While it was common for clubs to compete in both FIGC and FNGI competitions early on,[10] the titles won in the FIGC championship are the only ones officially recognised by the modern day league.[11]

In the following years, the tournament (called Prima Categoria) was structured into regional groups with the winners of each group participating in a playoff with the eventual winners being declared champions. Until to 1904 the tournament was dominated by Genoa, who won 6 titles in 7 years. Between 1905 and 1908 a Final Group among regional champions was contested to award the title and the Spensley Cup. Juventus won his first title and Spensley Cup in 1905, but the two following championships were won by Milan.

The Italianisation and the "split" of the Championship[edit]

In November 1907, FIF (Federazione Italiana Foot-Ball, the former name of FIGC) decided to create an Italian championship reserved only for Italian players in order to allow weaker clubs composed only by Italian players ("squadre pure italiane", "pure italian teams") to compete and win the "Italian championship" against the big clubs composed mostly by stronger foreign players ("squadre spurie internazionali", "spurious international teams"). The former championship, where foreign players, too, were allowed to play, was renamed "Federal Championship". In 1908 FIF organized two championships in the same season:[12]


The big clubs (Genoa, Torino and Milan) withdrew from both the championships in order to protest against the autarchical policy of FIF. The Federal Championship was won by Juventus against Doria. On 7 May 1908, three days before Juventus-Doria 5–1 (the decisive match), the newspaper La Stampa wrote: "Il match di domenica si annuncia oltremodo interessante, trattandosi del possesso definitivo della Coppa e del titolo di Campione d'Italia" ("The sunday match is announced to be very interesting, since it will definitely award the Cup and the title of Champions of Italy").[14] However, Juventus wasn't awarded the Spensley Cup because Milan (the former champions) refused to award the Cup to the new Champion, Juventus, giving it to Spensley and his team, Genoa.[15] In November 1908, FIF decided to award the Spensley Cup permanently to Milan. 1n 1908 The Italian Championship and Coppa Buni were won by Pro Vercelli beating Juventus, Doria and US Milanese. However, only Pro Vercelli was later recognized as "Italian Champions 1908", forgetting the Federal Championship won by Juventus.

In 1909 season, two different championships were organized:


The Federal Championship was won by Pro Vercelli, beating in the Final US Milanese, while Juventus was eliminated in the first round of Piedmont Group by Torino. On 25 January 1909 La Stampa wrote: "E la Juventus godrà di un certo riposo, che le auguriamo foriero di miglioramento di stile di gioco, e preludio necessario ad assicurarsi l'altro campionato, quello più ambito ancora: il Campionato italiano!" ("Juventus will enjoy some rest; we hope that this rest will improve the play style and will be the necessary prelude to win the other championship, the most coveted one: the Italian Championship!").[16] The Italian Championship was won by Juventus, beating in the Final US Milanese.[17] However, only Pro Vercelli was later recognized as "Italian Champions 1909", forgetting the Italian Championship won by Juventus.



According to an article in the newspaper La Stampa dated 24 December 1909, at the end of the season will be "proclamato campione italiano il Club meglio classificato fra le squadre pure italiane, e campione federale il Club meglio classificato tra le squadre spurie internazionali" ("proclaimed Italian Champions the best placed club among pure italian teams and Federal Champions the best placed club among Spurious International Clubs").[19] At the end of the season, Pro Vercelli and Inter placed both in the first place, so a playoff was needed in order to assign the Federal title (the Italian one was won by Pro Vercelli). This season was the first victory for Football Club Internazionale Milano, who defeated the fourth team (boys 11 years old) of Unione Sportiva Pro Vercelli Calcio in the final by a score of 10–3.[20]

National championship[edit]

A first national competition organized by the Italian Federation of Gymnastics (F.N.G.I.) was played in 1896 and won by the S. Udinese G.S. team from Udine (north east Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region). In 1897, a second national gymnastic-football tournament was staged by the FNGI and was won by S.G. Torinese. In 1898 the Federation Italienne du Football (FIF – FIGC) was finally formed and the first national championship was organized, with regional tournaments and playoffs. This is considered to be the first proper national football championship and was won by Genoa.

National teams[edit]

The Italian national team, called Azzurri or squadra azzurra for their blue shirts, are the second-most successful national team in the world. During the 1970s to early 1990s Italy became famous for their catenaccio, thus heralding a long line of world class defenders such as Virginio Rosetta, Pietro Rava, Carlo Parola, Giacinto Facchetti, Armando Picchi, Gaetano Scirea, Antonio Cabrini, Claudio Gentile, Franco Baresi, Giuseppe Bergomi, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta.

A women's team, an under-21 team, an under-20 team, an under-19 team, and an under-17 team also compete.

Their honours include:

World Cup 4 2 1 7
Olympic Games 1 0 2 3
European Championship 1 2 1 4
Confederations Cup 0 0 1 1
Central European International Cup 2 2 0 4
Total 8 6 5 19

World Champions squads[edit]

European Champions players[edit]

European competitions for clubs[edit]

  • 12 UEFA European Cups won in 26 finals (first with Spain)
  • 7 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups won in 11 finals (first is England with 8/13)
  • 9 UEFA Cups won in 15 finals (first)
  • 9 UEFA Super Cups won in 12 finals (first)
  • 9 Intercontinental/World Club Cups (first with Argentina/Brazil)

In Total:

  • Italy, 44 cups and 66 finals (first)

UEFA Champions League[edit]

The following teams have advanced to the final in the UEFA Champions League.


  2. ^ The Big Five Leagues
  3. ^ Le sette sorelle dell'Italcalcio
  4. ^ "Roman Football". Retrieved August 2007.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. ^ a b "Calcio Storico Fiorentino". Retrieved August 2007.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  6. ^ "English Players in Italy". Archived from the original on 21 September 2007. Retrieved August 2007.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  7. ^ "Edoardo Bosio and Football in Turin". Life in Italy. Retrieved August 2007.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  8. ^ "The Presidents". FIGC. Retrieved August 2007.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. ^ "Die Geschichte des Fussballs". Cosmpolis. Retrieved August 2014.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  10. ^ a b "Italy – List of FNGI Champions". Retrieved August 2007.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  11. ^ "Campionato Serie A – Albo D'oro". Lega Calcio. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved August 2007.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  12. ^ Chiesa, p. 18.
  15. ^ Chiesa, pp. 20–21.
  16. ^ "I Campionati Federali a Torino. La vittoria del FC Torino.". La Stampa. 25 January 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  18. ^ Chiesa, pp. 23–24.
  19. ^ Chiesa, p. 24.
  20. ^ "Italy – Championship History 1898–1923". Retrieved 26 April 2007. 
  • Carlo Chiesa, La grande storia del calcio italiano, published in installments on Il Guerin Sportivo, April 2012

External links[edit]