Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times (1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006), trailing only Brazil (with 5). Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful nation in European football. The Italian word for football is calcio and this is the word used to make reference to the sport in Italy, as opposed to football in England or soccer in the United States and Canada.

History[link]

Illustration of a game of Calcio Fiorentino from 1688

Harpastum and Calcio Fiorentino[link]

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.^[1] This game may have also been influential to other forms throughout Europe due to the expansion of the Empire, including Medieval football. 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.^[2] Some famous Florentines were amongst players of the game, particularly the Medici family including Piero, Lorenzo and Alessandro de' Medici.^[2] As well as Popes such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII^[2] who played the game in the Vatican. The name calcio ("kick") was later adopted for football in Italy.

Italian football is born: Genoa[link]

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.^[3]

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.^[4] The second club bore the name of noble because it contained the Duke of the Abruzzi and Alfonso Ferrero di Ventimiglia (who would later become a president of FIGC^[5]). The two merged in 1891 to form Internazionale Football Club Torino,^[6][7] 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,^[7] the titles won in the FIGC championship are the only ones officially recognised by the modern day league.^[8]

In the following years, the tournament (called Prima Categoria) was structured into regional groups with the winners of each group participating in a playoff with the eventual winners being declared champions. Until to 1904 the tournament was dominated by Genoa, who won 6 titles in 7 years. Between 1905 and 1908 a Final Group among regional champions was contested to award the title and the Spensley Cup. Juventus won his first title and Spensley Cup in 1905, but the two following championships were won by Milan.

The italianization and the "split" of the Championship[link]

In November 1907, FIF (Federazione Italiana Foot-Ball, the former name of FIGC) decided to create an italian championship reserved only for italian players in order to allow weaker clubs composed only by italian players ("squadre pure italiane", "pure italian teams") to compete and win the "italian championship" against the big clubs composed mostly by stronger foreign players ("squadre spurie internazionali", "spurious international teams"). The former championship, where foreign players, too, were allowed to play, was renamed "Federal Championship". In 1908 FIF organized two championships in the same season:^[9]

1. Federal Championship, where also foreign players (if they live in Italy) are allowed to play; the Federal Champions win Coppa Spensley^[10]
2. Italian Championship, where only italian players are allowed to play; the Italian Champions win Coppa Buni

The big clubs (Genoa, Torino and Milan) withdrew from both the championships in order to protest against the autarchical policy of FIF. The Federal Championship was won by Juventus against Doria. On May 7, 1908, three days before Juventus-Doria 5-1 (the decisive match), the newspaper La Stampa wrote: "Il match di domenica si annuncia oltremodo interessante, trattandosi del possesso definitivo della Coppa e del titolo di Campione d'Italia" ("The sunday match is announced to be very interesting, since it will definitively award the Cup and the title of Champions of Italy").^[11] However, Juventus wasn't awarded receive Spensley Cup because Milan (the former champions) refused to award the Cup to the new Champion, Juventus, giving it to Spensley and his team, Genoa.^[12] In November 1908, FIF decided to award permanently Spensley Cup to Milan. The Italian Championship 1908 and Coppa Buni were won by Pro Vercelli beating Juventus, Doria and US Milanese. However, only Pro Vercelli was later recognized as "Italian Champions 1908", forgetting the Federal Championship won by Juventus.

In 1909 season, too, two different championships were organized:

1. Federal Championship, where also foreign players (if they live in Italy) are allowed to play; the Federal Champions win Coppa Oberti
2. Italian Championship, where only italian players are allowed to play; the Italian Champions win Coppa Buni

The Federal Championship was won by Pro Vercelli, beating in the Final US Milanese, while Juventus was eliminated in the first round of Piedmont Group by Torino. On January 25, 1909 La Stampa wrote: "E la Juventus godrà di un certo riposo, che le auguriamo foriero di miglioramento di stile di gioco, e preludio necessario ad assicurarsi l'altro campionato, quello più ambito ancora: il Campionato italiano!" ("Juventus will enjoy some rest; we hope that this rest will improve the play style and will be the necessary prelude to win the other championship, the most coveted one: the Italian Championship!").^[13] The Italian Championship was won by Juventus, beating in the Final US Milanese.^[14] However, only Pro Vercelli was later recognized as "Italian Champions 1909", forgetting the Italian Championship won by Juventus.

The format was modified for the 1909–10 season which was played in a league format. Nine clubs participated playing each other both home and away. The split between Federal and Italian championship was not completely abolished, because, while unifying these tournaments, it was decided to assign to the end of the season two titles:

I Campionati Nazionali di calcio sono di I e II Categoria. Quello di I Categoria é suddiviso in Campionato Federale e Campionato Italiano. Al primo possono prendere parte anche giuocatori di nazionalità estera, residenti in Italia, il secondo è riservato esclusivamente ai giuocatori di nazionalità italiana.["There are two National Football Championships: Prima and Seconda Categoria. The Prima Categoria Championship is divided into Federal and Italian championship. In the first one foreign players living in Italy, too, are allowed to play, in the second one only players of Italian nationality are allowed to play. " (Article 2 of the Championship Rules promulgated the FIGC to Milan on August 8, 1909)] ^[15]

According to an article in the newspaper La Stampa dated December 24, 1909, at the end of the season will be "proclamato campione italiano il Club meglio classificato fra le squadre pure italiane, e campione federale il Club meglio classificato tra le squadre spurie internazionali" ("proclamed Italian Champions the best placed club among pure italian teams and Federal Champions the best placed club among Spurious International Clubs").^[16] At the end of the season, Pro Vercelli and Inter placed both in the first place, so a playoff was needed in order to assign the Federal title (the italian one was won by Pro Vercelli). This season was the first victory for Football Club Internazionale Milano, who defeated the fourth team (boys 11 years old) of Unione Sportiva Pro Vercelli Calcio in the final by a score of 10–3.^[17]

National championship[link]

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 and was won by Genoa.

National teams[link]

The Italian national team, called Azzurri or squadra azzurra for their blue shirts, are the second-most successful national team in the world. During the 1970s to early 1990s Italy became famous for their catenaccio, thus heralding a long line of world class defenders such as Virginio Rosetta, Pietro Rava, Carlo Parola, Giacinto Facchetti, Armando Picchi, Gaetano Scirea, Antonio Cabrini, Claudio Gentile, Franco Baresi, Giuseppe Bergomi, Paolo Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro.

A women's team, an under-21 team, an under-20 team, an under-19 team, and an under-17 team also compete.

Their honours include:

• 4 FIFA 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
• 1 European Championship U19
• 4 European Championship U18
• 3 European Championship U16
• 2 Summer Universiades
• 4 World Military Championships

World Champions Squads[link]

v t e Italy squad – 1934 FIFA World Cup Winners (1st Title) GK Cavanna GK Combi (c) GK Masetti DF Allemandi DF Caligaris DF Monzeglio DF Rosetta MF Bertolini MF Castellazzi MF Ferraris MF Monti MF Pizziolo MF Varglien FW Arcari FW Borel FW Demaria FW Ferrari FW Guaita FW Guarisi FW Meazza FW Orsi FW Schiavio Coach: Pozzo

v t e Italy squad – 1938 FIFA World Cup Winners (2nd Title) MF Andreolo FW Bertoni FW Biavati GK Ceresoli MF Chizzo FW Colaussi MF Donati FW Ferrari FW Ferraris DF Foni MF Genta MF Locatelli GK Masetti FW Meazza (c) DF Monzeglio GK Olivieri MF Olmi FW Pasinati MF Perazzolo FW Piola DF Rava MF Serantoni Coach: Pozzo

v t e Italy squad – 1982 FIFA World Cup Winners (3rd Title) 1 Zoff (c) 2 Baresi 3 Bergomi 4 Cabrini 5 Collovati 6 Gentile 7 Scirea 8 Vierchowod 9 Antognoni 10 Dossena 11 Marini 12 Bordon 13 Oriali 14 Tardelli 15 Causio 16 Conti 17 Massaro 18 Altobelli 19 Graziani 20 Rossi 21 Selvaggi 22 Galli Coach: Bearzot

v t e Italy squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup Winners (4th Title) 1 Buffon 2 Zaccardo 3 Grosso 4 De Rossi 5 Cannavaro (c) 6 Barzagli 7 Del Piero 8 Gattuso 9 Toni 10 Totti 11 Gilardino 12 Peruzzi 13 Nesta 14 Amelia 15 Iaquinta 16 Camoranesi 17 Barone 18 Inzaghi 19 Zambrotta 20 Perrotta 21 Pirlo 22 Oddo 23 Materazzi Coach: Lippi

European Champions players[link]

v t e Italy squad – UEFA Euro 1968 Winners (1st Title) 1 Albertosi 2 Anastasi 3 Anquilletti 4 Bercellino 5 Burgnich 6 Bulgarelli 7 Castano 8 De Sisti 9 Domenghini 10 Facchetti (c) 11 Ferrini 12 Guarneri 13 Juliano 14 Lodetti 15 Mazzola 16 Prati 17 Riva 18 Rivera 19 Rosato 20 Salvadore 21 Vieri 22 Zoff Coach: Valcareggi

European competitions for clubs[link]

• 12 UEFA European Cups won in 26 finals (first with Spain)
• 7 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups won in 11 finals (first is England with 8/13)
• 9 UEFA Cups won in 15 finals (first)
• 9 UEFA Super Cups won in 12 finals (first)
• 9 Intercontinental/World Club Cups (first with Argentina/Brazil)

In Total:

• Italy, 44 cups and 66 finals (first)

UEFA Champions League[link]

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

• Sampdoria (1991–92 – Runners-up)
• Milan (1992–93 – Runners-up, 1993–94 – Champions, 1994–95 – Runners-up, 2002–03 – Champions, 2003–04 – Quarter-finals, 2004–05 – Runners-up, 2005–06 – Semi-finals, 2006–07 – Champions)
• Juventus (1995–96 – Champions, 1996–97 – Runners-up, 1997–98 – Runners-up, 1998–99 – Semi-finals, 2002–03 – Runners-up, 2004–05- Quarter-finals, 2005-06 – Quarter-finals)
• Internazionale (1998–99 – Quarter-finals, 2002–03 – Semi-finals, 2004–05 - Quarter-finals, 2005-06 – Quarter-finals, 2009–10 – Champions)
• Lazio (1999–2000 – Quarter-finals)
• Roma (2006–07 – Quarter-finals, 2007–08 – Quarter-finals)
• Cagliari (1970–71 – Quarter-finals)
• Fiorentina (1956–57 – Runners-up)

References[link]

• Carlo Chiesa, La grande storia del calcio italiano, published in installments on Il Guerin Sportivo, April 2012-...

See also[link]

• Italy at the team sports international competitions

A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football that are played are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, Rugby league, and Rugby union.

It has been estimated that there are 250 million association football players in the world,^[1] and many play the other forms of football.

Career[link]

Football players generally begin as amateurs and the best players progress to become professional players. Normally they start at a youth team (any local team) and from there, based on skill and talent, scouts offer contracts. Once signed, they learn to play better football and some advance to the senior or professional teams.

This section requires expansion.

Psychological aspects of performance[link]

Research shows that association football players that take less than 200ms after the referee blows their whistle for a penalty kick are significantly more likely to miss scoring than those that take over a second.^[2]

Common injuries[link]

Head[link]

American football players are prone to head injuries. This may make them prone to Alzheimers.^[3]

Knee[link]

Anterior cruciate ligaments are particularly vulnerable in most types of football due to injuries that can be sustained during tackles.

Lists of players[link]

• Lists of association football players
• List of American football players
• List of footballers (Gaelic football)
• Category:Lists of rugby league footballers

References[link]

See also[link]

• Sports unions

This sports-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Piermario Morosini

Morosini playing for Livorno
Personal information
Date of birth	(1986-07-05)5 July 1986
Place of birth	Bergamo, Italy
Date of death	14 April 2012(2012-04-14) (aged 25)
Place of death	Pescara, Italy
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
	Atalanta
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2007	Udinese	5	(0)
2006–2007	→ Bologna (loan)	16	(0)
2007–2009	Vicenza	66	(1)
2009–2012	Udinese	0	(0)
2009–2010	→ Reggina (loan)	17	(0)
2010	→ Padova (loan)	14	(0)
2011	→ Vicenza (loan)	15	(0)
2012	→ Livorno (loan)	8	(0)
Total		141	(1)
National team
2001–2003	Italy U-17	16	(1)
2003–2004	Italy U-18	7	(0)
2004–2005	Italy U-19	12	(0)
2005–2007	Italy U-20	3	(0)
2006–2009	Italy U-21	18	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Piermario Morosini (5 July 1986 – 14 April 2012) was an Italian footballer who last played as a midfielder for Livorno, on loan from Udinese.

On 14 April 2012, during a match between Pescara and Livorno, Morosini suffered a fatal cardiac arrest episode on the pitch.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Piermario Morosini was born on 5 July 1986, in Bergamo, Italy. His mother Camilla died in 2001, when he was fifteen years old. His father, Aldo, died in 2003, followed shortly after by a disabled brother, leaving him alone with a disabled elder sister.^[2]

Shortly after his parents' death, Morosini remarked that "these are the things that change your life, but at the same time make you so angry and help you achieve what was also a dream of my parents."

Senior career[link]

Morosini scored twice during his career from 2001 until 2012, which were for Italy U-17 and for Vicenza.

Club career[link]

Morosini started his career at hometown club Atalanta, and was sold to Udinese in a co-ownership deal during 2005.

On 23 October 2005 he debuts in Serie A in the match Udinese-Inter, collecting in total 5 appearances in this league. In this season 2005-06 he debuts also in Coppa UEFA in the match Levski Sofia-Udinese.

Udinese got full ownership from Atalanta in 2006, and loaned him to Bologna in order to gain experience. From 2007 to 2009 half of the registration rights was farmed to Serie B club Vicenza Calcio.

On 31 August 2009, Morosini signed for newly-relegated side Reggina on loan.

On 1 February 2010, he was loaned to Calcio Padova. In June 2010, the club decided not to buy him outright.^[3]

In January 2011 he was transferred on loan to Vicenza and played 15 times for this club.

On 31 January 2012 he went on loan to Livorno playing 8 matches.^[4][5]

International career[link]

Morosini made his international debut for the U-17 team in September 2001, at only 15 years old. In September 2006, he made his U-21 debut and was called-up for the 2009 European Championships as back-up.

Death[link]

On 14 April 2012, while representing Livorno, Morosini suffered cardiac arrest and fell to the ground in the 31st minute of the Serie B match against Pescara.^[6] He stumbled on the ground, trying to get up, before losing consciousness and receiving medical attention on the field.^[7] A defibrillator was used on Morosini, who was conscious when he was taken on the stretcher.^[8] The News agency ANSA reported that a city police car was blocking the stadium's exit for the ambulance for nearly a minute, but a heart specialist said that the delay made no difference.^[9] After Morosini was taken to the hospital, the match was abandoned with Livorno leading 2–0, and some players reportedly "left the field in tears".^[10][11]

Morosini was rushed to the Santo Spirito hospital, but reports later indicated he died before reaching the hospital.^[12][13] Italian media reports were alerted of Morosini's death after an "explosion of shouts and tears" by his teammates who had gone to the hospital.^[14] All of the Italian football league matches for the weekend were suspended.^[15] Livorno then decided they would retire the number 25, the number he wore whilst a Livorno player.^[16]

Morosini died less than a month after Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest in an English FA Cup match, after which awareness of heart risk had been raised in Italian football.^[13] Morosini's sister who is disabled was left with no family and will now be financially supported by the Udinese captain, Antonio Di Natale.^[17]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Profile at Transfermarkt
• Profile at official website of A.S. Livorno Calcio
• Forza Italian Football site

v t e Italy squad – 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship 1 Consigli 2 Motta 3 Andreolli 4 Criscito 5 Morosini 6 Marzoratti 7 Abate 8 Marchisio 9 Acquafresca 10 Giovinco 11 De Ceglie 12 Sirigu 13 Ranocchia 14 Pisano 15 Bocchetti 16 Candreva 17 Poli 18 Cerci 19 Paloschi 20 Balotelli 21 Cigarini 22 Seculin 23 Dessena Coach: Casiraghi

This biographical article related to an Italian association football midfielder born in the 1980s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Umberto Antonio Tozzi (born 4 March 1952) is an Italian pop/rock singer and composer, born in Turin. His most internationally famous song is "Gloria" ^[1]

Biography[link]

In 1968, at the age of 16, Umberto Tozzi joined 'Off Sound', one of the many groups that performed in small venues around Turin. In Milan, he met Adriano Pappalardo, with whom he formed a 13-piece band and began a large-scale Italian tour.

At only 22 (in 1974) Tozzi had his first success as a songwriter, with the song "Un corpo, un'anima" (lit. "One Body, One Soul"), co-written with Damiano Dattoli and performed by Wess and Dori Ghezzi. It appeared on Canzonissima, an Italian music programme running from 1956-1974.

In 1976, he released his first album, Donna amante mia ("My loving woman"), from which came the single "Io camminerò" ("I Will Walk") which at the time had been sung with great success by Fausto Leali. In 1977 one of Tozzi's most famous songs was released- "Ti amo".It stayed at number one on the Italian charts for seven months, outselling every other record, and went on to become an international success throughout continental Europe. It also made some inroads in the Americas and Australia, primarily in discotheques. The single was awarded a gold record award in Australia, despite the fact that it only made number 25 on the charts there in late 1979 (source: Kent Music Report, 1980). By late 1980 he releases "Stella Stai" originally vocaled in Italian and a year later in 1981 Puerto Rican youth group Menudo release a Spanish vocaled version re-titled as "Claridad" (Clarity). The Spanish version was also composed by Tozzi himself only that Menudo's version topped elsewhere throughout Latin America. 1978 saw the release of Tu, another hit in Italy.

The following year Tozzi recorded perhaps his most famous song, "Gloria". It was a huge success in Italy in 1979 and 1980. The cover version by American singer Laura Branigan first brought Tozzi's name to attention in the USA in 1982. Branigan worked with the arranger and keyboardist of Tozzi's own version, Greg Mathieson, who co-produced her version with Jack White, to give the song what she called "an American kick." ^[2] The song reached the top of the charts, going gold and platinum in several countries and lasting on the US pop charts for 36 weeks.^[3]

Branigan's vocal performance of "Gloria" was nominated for a Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female Grammy Award (alongside Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, Juice Newton, and that year's winner, Melissa Manchester); "Gloria" marked Branigan's only solo nomination. She would go on to record two more Tozzi compositions, "Mama", and "Ti amo", her version of which went top 5 in Canada and Australia two years after "Gloria".

The early years of the 1980s saw the release of the album Tozzi, recorded in concert with a band of American musicians - his first live record.

After a period of absence from the music scene, the idea came together for another collaboration, and in 1987 won the Sanremo Music Festival with the song "Si può dare di più" ("More can be given"), sung with Gianni Morandi and Enrico Ruggeri. 1987 was also the year of "Gente Di Mare'"("People of the sea"), performed with Raf at Eurovision which saw them take third place. 1988 saw the release of his second live album, The Royal Albert Hall.

In the 1990s, Tozzi continued to record, resulting in songs such as "Gli altri siamo noi" ("We are the others") which English version is titled "We are all the same", the album Equivocando ("Misunderstanding"), Il grido ("The outcry") and Aria e cielo ("Air and sky"). He also released a greatest hits compilation, Le mie canzoni ("My songs").

In 2000 and 2005, he performed at the Sanremo Music Festival with "Un'altra vita" ("A different life") and "Le Parole" ("The words"). Between the two participations, he released a duet with French singer Lena Ka of his classic "Ti amo" as "Ti amo (Rien que des mots)". Tozzi also released another greatest hits compilation, a 2-disc set entitled The best of, and another single, "E non volo".

Umberto Tozzi remains one of the most popular Italian singers abroad, and in the course of his career has sold more than 45 million records.

Discography[link]

• Donna amante mia (1976)
• È nell'aria ... ti amo (1977)
• Tu (1978)
• Gloria (1979)
• Tozzi (1980)
• In concerto (1980 - Live)
• Notte rosa (1981)
• Eva (1982)
• Hurrah (1984)
• Minuti di un'eternità (1987 - Greatest hits)
• Invisibile (1987)
• The Royal Albert Hall (1988 - Live)
• Gli altri siamo noi (1991)
• Le mie canzoni (1991 - Greatest hits)
• Equivocando (1994)
• Il grido (1996)
• Aria e cielo (1997)
• Bagaglio a mano (1999 - Greatest hits)
• Un'altra vita (2000)
• The best of (2002 - Greatest hits)
• Le parole (2005)
• Heterogene (2006)
• Tozzi Masini (2006)
• Non Solo Live (2009)
• Superstar (2009)

Compilations

• Yesterday - The Best Of 1976-2012 (2012)

Notes[link]

1. ^ Video of Tozzi singing his original "Gloria"
2. ^ An American kick
3. ^ Branigan's hit "Gloria"

See also[link]

• Gloria (Umberto Tozzi song)

External links[link]

• Official Umberto Tozzi website
• Biography of Umberto Tozzi, from Billboard
• Umberto Tozzi at the Internet Movie Database