Il Calcio in Italia: Come il Gioco è Diventato Un Tesoro Nazionale

Football in Italy: A Journey Through the History of the World's Most Famous Sport

Sports in Italy are not just a pastime, but a real passion that involves millions of people, from players to those who watch the game, sports are also important because they are good for physical and mental health. In Italy, soccer is the most popular and most practiced sport, with about 1.4 million players and 14,000 teams. Soccer is also the national sport of Italy, and its national soccer team is known as "Gli Azzurri". 

 The Rich History of Football. 

The famous sport, football, has its roots in Italy in ancient times, as far back as the medieval period. Football was very different from what we know today, as it also required the use of hands, which only goalkeepers are allowed to do now. Although it is the national sport of Italy, football was originally born in England with the birth of the "Football Association" on October 26, 1863 and shortly after the game evolved and became famous in Europe as well. In Italy, football made its debut in 1893 with the foundation of the "Italian Club Genoa" and the "Athletic Club". In 1898, the Italian Football Federation was founded in Turin, which then became the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in 1909. The first championship, in 1898 in Turin, was played by four teams: three from Turin and three from Genoa, who won. After a few years, the football phenomenon spread in a very short time and many city and provincial teams were born. 

 The Conquests of the "Azzurri". 

The Italian football team, known as "Gli Azzurri" has achieved numerous successes, including the "FIFA World Cup" and the "UEFA Euro Cup". 

FIFA (International Football Federation)

FIFA is the international federation that governs the sports of football, its headquarters are in Zurich, Switzerland. The federation was founded in Paris on May 21, 1904 and is responsible for organizing all intercontinental events of the aforementioned sports, among which the most important is certainly the "World Cup". The Italian team was present in 18 of the 22 tournaments and won 4 titles. 

• In 1934 - victory led by captain Gianpiero Combi
• In 1938 - victory led by captain Giuseppe Meazza 
• In 1982 - victory led by captain Dino Zolf
• In 2006 - victory led by captain Fabio Cannavaro

UEFA (Union of European Football Associations)

UEFA is a company, legally constituted and registered under the Swiss Civil Code in 1954, with its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, which governs football and futsal in Europe. Italy has participated in 11 UEFA and reached the final on 4 occasions, of which it has won 2 times - 

• In 1968 - victory led by captain Giacinto Facchetti
• In 2020 - victory led by captain Giorgio Chiellini 

Football Club 

Italian clubs have won 48 major European trophies, making Italy the second most successful country in European football. Top Italian football clubs, such as Milan, Juventus and Roma, have also achieved international recognition. Italy's top-flight club football league is called "Serie A" and is followed by millions of fans around the world. 

The Best Italian Soccer Players

Joseph Meazza 

• Role -  Next
• Career -  1927-1947
• Appearances -  511 (club) and 53 (international)
• Goals -  313 (club) and 33 (international)

Roberto Baggio 

• Role -  Next 
• Career -  1983-2004
• Appearances -  643 (club) and 56 (international)
• Goals -  291 (club) and 27 (international)

Andrea Pirlo 

• Role -  Midfielder
• Career -  1995-2017
• Appearances -  756 (club) and 116 (international)
• Goals -  73 (club) and 13 (international)

Paul Maldini 

• Role -  Defender
• Career -  1985-2009
• Appearances -  902 (club) and 126 (international)
• Goals -  33 (club) and 7 (international)

Paul Rossi 

• Role -  Striker 
• Career -  1973-1987
• Appearances -  371 (club) and 48 (international)
• Goals -  134 (club) and 20 (international)

Gianni Rivera

• Role -  Attacking midfielder 
• Career -  1959-1979
• Attendances -  684 (club) and 60 (international)
• Goals -  170 (club) and 14 (international)

Dino Zoff

• Role -  Goalkeeper 
• Career -  1961-1983
• Appearances -  728 (club) and 112 (international)
• Goals -  0 (club and international)

Silvio Piola 

• Role -  Striker 
• Career -  1930-1953
• Appearances -  629 (club) and 34 (international)
• Goals -  339 (club) and 30 (international)

Gianluigi Buffon

• Role -  Goalkeeper
• Career -  1995-2023
• Appearances -  975 (club) and 176 (international)
• Goals -  0 (club and international)

Fabio Cannavaro

• Role -  Defender
• Career -  1993-2011
• Attendances -  695 (club) and 136 (international)
• Goals -  19 (club) and 2 (international) 

The Basic Rules of Football

Playing Field -  The playing field rule determines the dimensions and markings of the football field, called a soccer field. The field is made of natural or artificial grass, and is divided into two equal halves by a line that runs parallel to the goal line and marks the playing surface. 

Players -  Football is played with 2 teams, each team should consist of 11 players. Out of 11, one must be the goalkeeper. Players must hit the ball with their legs or torso and are not allowed to use their hands or arms.

Match Length -  The duration of a typical soccer match is 90 minutes, divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. There is a 15-minute break between the two halves. Full time marks the end of the match.

Ball in and out of play -  Ball in play and ball out of play are the two main phases of play during a football match. The ball is said to be in play from the start of each period of play with a kick-off until the end of the period of play. Only in rare cases does the ball go out of play or the referee stops play. 

The start and restart of the game -  Soccer games start with a roll of the dice between the two team captains. The captain of the winning team chooses which goal to chase in the first half, and the team that loses the roll starts the game.