Football in Italy

Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the Football World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006), trailing only Brazil (with five); Italy is the current title-holder. Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful "footballing" nation in Europe.

History

Harpastum and Calcio Fiorentino

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. [cite web | url=http://www.show.me.uk/site/make/Romans/STO100.html| title=Roman Football| work=Show.me.co.uk | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] This game may have also been influential to other forms throughout Europe due to the expansion of the Empire, including Medieval football in England.

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.cite web | url=http://www.globeit.it/caf/storia5.html| title=Calcio Storico Fiorentino| work=Globeit.it| accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] Some famous Florentines were amongst players of the game, particularly the Medici family including Piero, Lorenzo and Alessandro de' Medici.cite web | url=http://www.globeit.it/caf/storia5.html| title=Calcio Storico Fiorentino| work=Globeit.it| accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] As well as Popes such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIIIcite web | url=http://www.globeit.it/caf/storia5.html| title=Calcio Storico Fiorentino| work=Globeit.it| accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] who played the game in the Vatican. The named "calcio" ("kick") was later adopted for football in Italy.

Italian football is born: Genoa

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. [cite web | url=http://www.rsssf.com/players/eng-players-in-it.html| title=English Players in Italy| work=RSSSF.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007]

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.cite web | url=http://www.lifeinitaly.com/sport/history-italian-soccer.asp | title=Edoardo Bosio and Football in Turin | work=Life in Italy | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] The second club bore the name of noble because it continued the Duke of the Abruzzi and Alfonso Ferrero di Ventimiglia (who would later become a president of FIGC [cite web | url=http://www.figc.it/english/storia/presidenti_intro.htm | title=The Presidents| work=FIGC| accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] ). The two merged in 1891 to form Internazionale Football Club Torino, [cite web | url=http://www.cosmopolis.ch/cosmo18/fussball18.htm| title=Die Geschichte des Fussballs| work=Cosmpolis| accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] where nobles and workers played side by side; this was the first club in Italy purely dedicated to football. [http://www.lifeinitaly.com/sport/history-italian-soccer.asp LifeinItaly.com] ]

Introduction of the Italian Football Championship

The earliest prominent variation of an annual Italian football championship was created by a gymnastics federation called the FGNI during 1896, in the form of Concorsi Federali di Calcio.cite web | url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/ital-fngichamp.html| title=Italy - List of FNGI Champions| work=RSSSF.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] The first competition was held in Treviso and was won by S Udine GS in a 2-1 victory over PG Ferrara.cite web | url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/ital-fngichamp.html| title=Italy - List of FNGI Champions| work=RSSSF.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] 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,cite web | url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/ital-fngichamp.html| title=Italy - List of FNGI Champions| work=RSSSF.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] the titles won in the FIGC championship are the only ones officially recognised by the modern day league.cite web | url=http://www.lega-calcio.it/ita/atim_albo.shtml| title=Campionato Serie A - Albo D'oro| work=Lega Calcio | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007]

National championship

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.The first national championship was won by Genoa Cricket & Football Club

F.I.F - F.I.G.C. Official Italian Championship:See Serie A, Italian football league system

National team

The Italian national team, called "Azzurri" or "squadra azzurra" for their blue shirts, are the second-most successful national team in the world.Their honours include:
*4 Football World Cups
*1 European Football Championship
*1 Olympic Gold Medal
*5 European Championships U21
*3 European Championships U18
*2 European Championships U16
*7 Summer Universiades
*8 World Military Championships
*1 European Futsal Championship

They have been finalists in:
*2 World Cups
*1 European Championship
*2 Bronze medals at Olympic Games
*2 European Championship U21
*4 European Championship U18
*3 European Championship U16
*2 Summer Universiades
*4 World Military Championships

World Champions Squads

European Champions players

European competitions for clubs

*11 European Cups/Champions League won in 25 finals. (first with Spain)
*7 Cup Winners' Cups won in 11 finals (first is England with 8/13)
*10 UEFA Cups/Fair Cups won in 18 finals (second is England with 10/17)
*8 Supercups with 11 finals (second is England with 6/11)

In Total:
*Italy, 36 cups and 65 finals.
*England, 33 cups and 52 finals.
*Spain, 32 cups and 60 finals.

UEFA Champions League

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

*A.C. Milan (1992-93 - Runner up, 1993-94 - Champion, 1994-95 - Runner up, 2002-03 - Champions, 2003-04 - Quarter-finals, 2004-05 - Runner up, 2005-06 - Semi-finals, 2006-07 - Champions)
*Juventus F.C. (1995-96 - Champion, 1996-97 - Runner up, 1997-98 - Runner up, 1998-99 - Semi-finals, 2002-03 - Runner Up, 2004-05 - Quarter-finals)
*Internazionale (1998-99 - Quarter-finals, 2002-03 - Semi-finals, 2004-05 - Quarter-finals)
*Lazio (1999-2000 - Quarter-finals)
*Roma (2006-07 - Quarter-finals, 2007-08 - Quarter-finals)

References