Catenaccio N/A

I could not make a two-week trip to Italy without an obligatory stop in Bari (where my extended family still lives). In turn, a stop in Bari could not preclude a stop at the San Nicola, especially if the galletti  feature in an Adriatic Sea classic against Pescara. Tickets in hand and my cousin at the wheel, I approached the stadium. "The Starship" as it's known around here, was already lit for the occasion and visible for miles. Hypnotized, we went to it. After the ritual pregame panino and Peroni, we lined up and entered the stadium. Same check-ups that I witnessed at the Juventus Stadium: photo ID was checked against your ticket, then tickets were scanned by a bar code reader to ensure that you're entering the right part of the stadium, and bags were checked for illegal items. A Tuesday night game cannot easily be well attended when many close shop at kick off or later, as only about 11,000 were present on hand. The atmosphere was entrusted, as a...

Sunday, October 26 was the day of Juventus-Palermo. No nonsense on this day, off to the Juventus Stadium where I had agreed to meet Enrico, a gentleman I befriended over social media. After a quick photo, off I went into my section looking for my star.  That's right, my star. I own a piece of the Juventus Stadium, a plaque on the "promenade of stars" that surrounds the top ring of the Juventus Stadium. After several failed tries through stadium tours and matches I finally learned that my star is viewable only by purchasing tickets in the North end of the stadium. Alas, this was not section 205, which was the part I had seats for but section 206 or 207 - for which I have tickets for the match versus Olympiakos. After a few ritual photos with the three scudetti characters, I gained my seat and enjoyed the prematch which, as always, includes the singing of Juventus anthem "Juve, storia di un grande amore". The match showed that Juventus is buil...

Well, first class was a dream. I don't even know what the other thing is called. Other than torture. Some wonderful meals, real cutlery, seats that turn into beds, and on-board entertainment. Top stuff. Once landed in Turin, I went straight to my favorite pizzaiolo and friend Davide and immediately indulged in a few pizzas and a Moretti. Checked into my hotel, got a little rest then I went out on the town to visit some of my favorite places: Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Piazza Castello, Via Po, and via Garibaldi. On my to do list for this night was to try the Piedmontese delicacy, Bagna Cauda. The first place I tried was booked solid until 10pm but I was able to score a seat at an Osteria that offered it, which I found by chance off of Viale Corte D'Appello, one of Turin's many pedestrian streets. The main feature in the Bagna Cauda is a hot dip made of pureed anchovies, garlic, and margarine within which one dips vegetables (served cold). It ...

Second time in Italy in 2014. My first, called Cultural Trip To Turin ! In this same blog took place in February. Back to Turin I go for Juventus' home games against Palermo, Olympiacos and Parma; with an intermezzo in Bari when the galletti host Pescara. At home, weighing my luggage and finalizing the last-minute loose ends (who am I kidding, it was darn right scrambling). My ride to the airport pulls into the driveway and my phone rings. "Why doesn't he just ring the bell?" I ask myself. "Hello, is this Rocco Fasano?" Says an Italian accent on the other end. "It is Juventus FC Press Office calling ". Juventus is calling me! In truth it was a bad news phone call: my media accreditation was denied on the grounds that I had purchased a ticket already, and two tickets cannot be held simultaneously by the same person . Ephemeral hope remains for Juventus-Parma, the second league match that I plan to attend. The lady from the ...

Photo courtesy of GianlucaDiMarzio.com Joe Tacopina and Joey Saputo are officially the new owners of Bologna. In today's introductory press conference Tacopina reiterated his commitment to returning the club to Serie A as a first step, before bringing it to compete for UEFA competitions. The protagonist of the press conference was Montreal Impact owner Joey Saputo. "We're here for a long term project. First objective is to return to Serie A. With respect to our partners, there is a lot of gossip on that. For example Kobe Bryant is a potential partner, but there is nothing certain at the moment". Saputo admits to have been impressed by how well Di Vaio spoke to him about Bologna, "When Marco heard about my possibility to invest in this club, he went on about the city, the club, and mostly about the potential that there is in this project" . On Di Vaio's future, Saputo snickered and said "the issue is that he's under contract ...

The Montreal Impact continue on their Italian trail. The player has in fact practiced with the Impact, and will be part of Marco Di Vaio's adieu match on October 25, Tuttomercatoweb reports. For the occasion, Donadel was joined by his agent Andrea D'Amico who visited Montreal and the Impact's brass.  Donadel is currently without a contract as he was released from Napoli after his contract naturally expired. "Will Donadel stay in Montreal? Well, he's currently training with them. We haven't sat down and discussed any contractual aspirations from the parties involved. One thing is for sure: Donadel has been positively effected from the environment and the organization alike. In Montreal there are 300,000 Italians, in Toronto 500,000: it's unlikely that he would be rejected anywhere" . At only 31 years of age, Donadel has a lot to offer to soccer, and what an opportunity a Canadian club like the Impact would be to re-launch his career. Donadel...

Bologna will soon have American owners, according to Calcio e Finanza . Their Board of Directors met overnight to accept the offer from the coalition of partners led by Joe Tacopina. The Board of Directors thus turned down the offer by Segafredo owner, and minority partner Massimo Zanetti. The American coalition has committed to increase the capital investment available to the club and to purchase the controlling shares, thereby eliminating the existing partnership. Included in the American's plans is to re-launch the club. "Our group is excited to have learned of Bologna's Board of Directors decision to accept our offer. We are honored to become the next owners of this illustrious club" , Joe Tacopina said in a statement. "Furthermore, a great thanks goes to the municipal representatives among whom mayor Merola, the sporting commissioner Rizzo Nervo and to Bologna's incredible fans, who supported us throughout the negotia...

Marco Borriello in the Big Apple. According to the IB Times and to GianlucaDiMarzio.com , his future may be along side David Villa and Frank Lampard.  The deal for the thirty two year old Roma forward may be struck as early as next January, as his contract ends on June 30, 2015. Borriello scored a total of 82 goals in 300 appearances in his entire career as a footballer. 

A legend of the Italian footballing movement in North America has decided to hang up his boots. Marco Di Vaio announced that this is his last season as a footballer, and will do so as a Montreal Impact.  The former goalscorer for Bologna, Juventus, Lazio, Bari, Salernitana and many others was interviewed by Emanuele Righi for GianlucaDiMarzio.com , showing that his feelings are quite mixed: “I’m happy, sad, and worried at the same time. I’m happy that I’ll return home to my family in Bologna, sad because my living dream of being a footballer has come to an end, and finally I’m worried because I don't know what my new life will be like. Of course, I want to continue living and working in the football world”. The 38-year old reminisces of his time as a Serie A player: “Lazio is my home base, I grew up in their youth system. At Salerno I felt strong emotions for the first time as a professional in an incredible and unique environment. At Juventus, I competed with many champ...