Italian football in world fame: past and future When talking about great football powers, Italy is always in the top three. Four stars on the chest of the national team (World Cups 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006). Clubs that have won everything: «Milan», «Inter», «Juventus», «Parma», «Napoli». Italian football is not just a sport, it is a way of life, it is "catenaccio", it is legendary defenders (Maldini, Barези, Cannavaro). But in recent years, Serie A has lost the lead to England and Spain. What happened? And is there a future for Italian football? Let's figure it out. Golden era: 1930s – 1990s Italy won its first World Cup in 1934 at home, under Mussolini, who used football as propaganda. In 1938, it repeated the success in France. After the war, there was a period of stagnation, but in the 1960s, «Inter» under Helenio Herrera with his "catenaccio" won the Cup Winners' Cup twice. The 1980s were the era of «Milan» under Arrigo Sacchi: pressing, zonal defense, the Dutch trio (Gullit, van Basten, Rijkaard). «Milan» won two Cup Winners' Cups in a row (1989, 1990). And in 1982, the Italian national team, led by Paolo Rossi, surprisingly won the World Cup in Spain. The 1990s: «Juventus» under Marcello Lippi dominates in Europe (winning the UEFA Champions League in 1996). Italian clubs regularly reached the finals. Serie A was the strongest league in the world, where Maradona, Platini, Zidane, Ronaldo, Baggio, Maldini played. Tragedy and triumph: 2006 «Calciopoli» (2006) — a corruption scandal that shook Italian football. «Juventus» was stripped of two scudetti and sent to Serie B, «Milan», «Lazio», «Fiorentina» were fined. It seemed that Italian football would die. But the national team, against all odds, won the World Cup in Germany. The final against France (1:1, penalties 5:3) — the match of Zidane and Materazzi. This victory became a symbol of rebirth. “We showed that Italian football is not just money, but also heart.” Decline: 2010s – financial crisis After ... Read more