Golazzo

Golazzo
Author: Jonathan Grade
Publisher:
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2020-11-10
Genre:
ISBN:

It was the deal of the century. British superstar Paul Gascoigne had joined Lazio and Channel 4 swooped to pick up live rights to Italian football for just £1.5 million. Serie A just happened to be the best league in the world and over the next decade millions would tune in to watch the biggest names on the planet. Saturday mornings were also about to be transformed with the launch of Gazzetta Football Italia. With the sharp wit of James Richardson allied to the dulcet tones of broadcasting legend Kenneth Wolstenholme, the show was an institution at the weekend. Having worked on the show since its inception Jonathan Grade gives a first-hand account of this iconic production. Golazzo: The Football Italia Years takes a nostalgic look back with some stories from behind the scenes in the days when Italian football ruled the world.

Forza Italia

Forza Italia
Author: Paddy Agnew
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2012-02-29
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 144811764X

When journalist Paddy Agnew and his girlfriend Dympna touched down in Rome in 1985 in search of adventure, sunshine and the soul of Italian football (well, Paddy was looking for that), they were travelling into the uncharted terrain of a country they did not know and a language they did not speak. It soon became clear that neither Italy nor Italian football would be boring. In that first week in Italy, Michel Platini and Juventus won the Intercontinental Cup, whilst just days later the PLO killed 13 people in a random shooting at Rome's Fiumicino airport. Paddy covered both stories. The coming years saw the rise of TV tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, as he became owner of AC Milan and then Prime Minister of Italy, naming his political party 'Forza Italia' after a football chant. In that same period, Argentine Diego Maradona became the uncrowned King of Naples, leading Napoli to a first ever Scudetto title in 1987, notwithstanding a hectic, Hollywood-esque lifestyle that mixed footballing genius with off-the-field excess. Forza Italia is a fascinating tale of inspired players, skilled coaches, rich tycoons, glitzy media coverage, Mafia corruption, allegations of drug taking and fan power - culminating in the 2006 World Cup victory that delighted a nation and a match-fixing scandal that shocked the world. It is also a personalised reflection on the consistent and continuing excellence of Italian football throughout a period of huge social, political and economic upheaval, offering a unique insight into a society where football has always been much more than just a game.

Football, Fascism and Fandom

Football, Fascism and Fandom
Author: Alberto Testa
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2011-11-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1408166070

Passionate, political and principled, the UltraS are the hardcore subculture of football supporters found in the stadiums of Italy. Amongst the most committed and uncompromising are two such groups who gather in support of the main football clubs of Rome - AS Roma and SS Lazio. Openly proclaiming neo-fascist sympathies, and not afraid of violence against rival supporters and police, these groups (the Boys Roma and the Lazio Irriducibili) are well-organised and determined to bring about social and political change and stamp out those who oppose them. The much-maligned football hooligans of England pale by comparison. Following years of research involving individuals inside these organisations, and drawing on exclusive interviews with each group's leading figures, Alberto Testa and Gary Armstrong present a fascinating account of the world of the neo-fascist UltraS.

The Immortals

The Immortals
Author: Arrigo Sacchi
Publisher: BackPage Press
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2021-10-27
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1909430544

When Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan destroyed Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in the 1989 European Cup final, everything changed. Studded with the world-class talents of their legendary three Dutchmen – Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard – they threw off the shackles of Italian football’s defensive traditions to pioneer a modern, high-pressing and boldly attacking approach. Sacchi revolutionised football and altered the DNA of the next generation of coaches, including Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. This is the story of the crowning achievement of one of football’s greatest-ever teams – told by the man who built it. This is the story of The Immortals.

Obsessed: The Autobiography

Obsessed: The Autobiography
Author: Johnny Sexton
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 409
Release: 2024-10-10
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1844885224

'Sexton will go down as Ireland's greatest ever player' Gordon D'Arcy, Irish Times No Irish rugby player has ever achieved more, or been a source of more inspiration to teammates and fans alike, than Johnny Sexton. In his hotly anticipated autobiography, Johnny tells the story of his life and explores the sources of his unmatched will to win. The Sexton era was marked by four European Cups, four Six Nations championships (including two Grand Slams), a series win in New Zealand, two stints for Ireland at number 1 in the world, and the World Player of the Year award. Always outspoken on and off the field, Sexton offers an honest look at his childhood, his seemingly inauspicious early experiences in club and professional rugby, his relationships with key teammates and coaches (including Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell, Ronan O'Gara, Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell), and his ideas about the game. Obsessed is more than just a brilliantly detailed account of a legendary playing career. It is also a work of deep self-exploration, tracing the psychological arc of a player who almost always felt embattled, who struggled with self-doubt, and who was still learning new lessons about being a team-mate and a leader into his late thirties. Intense, witty, perceptive and frank, Obsessed is an autobiography worthy of its author and the essential chronicle of an extraordinary era in Irish rugby. 'The best ever Irish player to play the game' Andy Farrell ‘Sexton is on that rarefied plane of athlete where even his mere presence can feel quietly decisive.’ Jonathan Liew, Guardian ‘An essential read for any keen follower of professional sport in Ireland’ Irish Independent ‘A must-read ... a revealing glimpse into the psyche of a serial winner.’ Robert Kitson, Guardian

Gazza in Italy

Gazza in Italy
Author: Daniel Storey
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 97
Release: 2018-06-21
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0008300879

A brilliant, funny and insightful analysis of Paul Gascoigne’s crazy up and downs during his three years at Lazio – a period which shows his entire career in microcosm.

Too Good to Go Down

Too Good to Go Down
Author: Wayne Barton
Publisher:
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2018-12-04
Genre:
ISBN: 9781909360624

When Manchester United were relegated in 1974, just six years after winning the European Cup, it was front page news. How could such a thing happen to the biggest club in Britain? Such a scenario would be even more unthinkable today than Leicester City winning the league. The story is one of the most dramatic in football history and yet, still, largely unexplored. Based on a BT Sport film being developed alongside the book, TOO GOOD TO GO DOWN examines the demise of Manchester United, from the moment Bobby Charlton described the club not winning Division One in 1968 as the best thing that could have happened, through the turbulent reigns of Sir Matt Busbys successors, to the crushing blow of relegation which, ironically, came at a time when the clubs young team were just about to bloom and win over a whole new generation. With brand new, in-depth and exclusive interviews with Tommy Doherty, Sammy McIlroy, Alex Stepney, Stuart Pearson, Lou Macari, Pat Crerand, Willie Morgan, Gordon Hill, Martin Edwards and Paddy Barclay, the most controversial story in the history of footballs biggest institution is fi nally told in full detail.

¡Golazo!

¡Golazo!
Author: Andreas Campomar
Publisher: riverrun
Total Pages: 544
Release: 2015-08-06
Genre: Soccer
ISBN: 9781780870397

"Golazo!" means "amazing goal!" And the word perfectly captures the unique, exuberant, all-encompassing, passionate role that soccer plays in Latin America. Andreas Campomar offers readers the definitive history of Latin American soccer from the early, deadly Mesoamerican ballgames to the multi-billion dollar international business it is today. Golazo! explores the intersection of soccer, politics, economics, high and low culture, and how passion for a game captured a continent. The triumphs, the heartbreaks, the origins and the future, the political and the personal-Golazo! is the perfect book for new fans and diehard followers around the world.