The first footballer I ever loved never won a major title and had his reputation tarnished by a match-fixing scandal, but that won’t stop me cheering for his national team on Monday.
I played my first game of football in Sydney’s suburban Hills District when I was four. It wasn’t a proper competition because at that age most of us were struggling to figure out who our teammates were, let alone what to do with the ball.
But after a couple of years toe-poking anything that came near us and bunching up on one side of the field, eventually we were unleashed on full-field football in under 7s.
There must have been a lot of nil-all draws that first season. I was a sweeper, and the first time I ever set foot on a proper field, I remember feeling like the opposition goalkeeper was about a kilometre away.
I played for that club for a few years before a group of us decamped to a rival to try and win a championship, but what I most remember about those early days was the gradual understanding that the sport I played on Saturday mornings was the same one I saw on TV.
My earliest memory of a major tournament was of Toto Schillaci scoring six goals for Italy at the 1990 World Cup in his homeland. I was eight and remember seeing highlights on the news.
But Schillaci wasn’t my first football love and it wasn’t his goal-scoring that impressed me. What I most remember about Italia ’90 were those distinctive rectangular nets.
By the time the Socceroos embarked on their heroic but ultimately doomed attempt to qualify for USA ’94, I was hooked on the world game.
I was also old enough to realise that if my own nation never made it to big tournaments, I’d be short on options when it came to supporting a team.
Enter SBS.
Back in those days, my favourite thing to do was watch World Soccer on a Saturday afternoon and Italian Soccer on Sunday mornings. I watched those two shows religiously.
And the player I couldn’t get enough of was none other than Lazio’s electrifying striker, Giuseppe Signori.
He’s perhaps one of the more forgotten names of the nineties, but Signori remains equal-ninth on the all-time Serie A goal scoring charts after bagging 188 goals in just 344 games.
But it wasn’t just that he scored goals for fun that made him such a mesmerising player. It was the way he played; all left-foot at breakneck speed, forever out-running defenders.
I’d never seen anyone play the way Signori did and when USA ’94 rolled around, I asked my parents to buy me an Italy jersey and got his name and number on the back.
I became a bona fide Azzurri fan despite never once setting foot in Italy!
(Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
History shows that USA 94 wasn’t Signori’s tournament – Arrigo Sacchi barely played him – and to my astonishment, Lazio sold him to Sampdoria soon after Sven-Göran Eriksson took charge.
Signori never settled in Genoa but bagged 66 more goals in 142 top-flight appearances for Bologna at the back end of his career.
Strangely enough, by the time Euro 2000 rolled around I never made much of an effort to attend any games despite the fact I was living in Germany at the time. I felt like I’d outgrown watching national teams I had no real connection to.
But come Monday morning, I’ll be one of hundreds watching the game on the big screen at a Brisbane café surrounded by Italian fans.
One of them will be my wife, Ashton. Her grandfather was from Sicily and Italy’s run to the final has reawakened her national pride.
I hope the Azzurri win for her. And for Beppe Signori.
It took almost ten years to clear his name after being implicated in that 2011 match-fixing scandal, with Signori always maintaining his innocence.
But to me, he’ll always be the player who made me fall in love with Italian football.
chris
Guest
I've always had a soft spot for Roma. Conti, Totti, Pruzzo. And Di Bartomlomei. He must have one of the hardest shots I've ever seen. I remember watching him as a kid and they were like cannons.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Yes, agree with all of that.
Baggio
Guest
Rossi to be fair wasnt a one tournament wonder like Schillaci. He had a great 1978 world cup as well, scored 3 ( 20 goals in 48 overall for the national team). Of course had a 2 year suspension when at his peak. He had an impressive scoring record for Vicenza (60 goals in 90 appearances) before moving to Juve.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Lazio is just wrong and always will be. Don't forget Roma with Battigol, Totti, Cafu, Tomassi and many others, or the stacked Inter with an attack of Ronaldo, Baggio, Vieri, Zamorano, Mutu and my all time favourite player Recoba( A player with the same talent as Maradonna and Messi). Or go back to the great Milan sides plus that great Juve side with Zidane and the like. It was the best time to watch football to me.
Chopper
Roar Rookie
Midfielder a great Vimeo to watch and listen to. It shows that the APL are on the right track and hopefully the majority of their thoughts and ideas come to fruition.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
There are a group of Scottish lads of Italian background who do a superb podcast on the Serie A, although I haven't caught it for a while, so not sure if it's still going.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Home ground advantage is a big one. I can recall for the 1978 world cup qualifiers, Italy and England were in the same group, each managed to beat the other 2-0 at home. Only the top team went through (only 16 teams in the World Cup back then). Italy managed to get through on goal difference. Probably came down to England having a close one at home against Finland, winning 2-1. Italy managed a 6-1 result, and that was pretty much the difference between the two teams. Italy just needed to record a win by any margin in their final game against Luxembourg, which they managed to do at home, 3-0. Coincidentally, it was Roberto Bettega who opened the scoring. Also, who can forget Italy's 2-1 win in 1990 to claim third spot in a home WC.
chris
Guest
And Paul Okon was in that Lazio side as well. They were some team. Nesta was one of the best defenders of his generation.
chris
Guest
Yes! And Rodney Marsh : )
Rellum
Roar Guru
Nice, as a long time Giallorossi, lover of Italian food and other things I am right behind the Azzuri. The Poms have had a massive advantage playing just about all their games plus this one at home. They should win but the world will be a much better place if the Azzuri win.
Tony Harper
Editor
Brilliant story, thanks for sharing!
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
James, I didn't for one second think that Mike was bashing English football or England in general. Just how one man fell in love with the game. My path was different but our passion for the game is just as real. We all may differ on how the game is better or worse that it was 30 or 40 year ago. I can tell you that my dad thought Stanley Mathews left Georgie Best for dead, fortunately he wasn't around for the current CR7 vs Messi debate, or lord help us the Maradona circus. Each generation will have their hero's and villain's, but the passion for the game that each of us has, will remain and with luck, is passed on to the next generation. Well I hope it is.
Hughster
Guest
Charlie George and Alan Hudson were my 2 favourites. Had that rockstar quality.
egbert
Guest
As someone who lived in England as a teenager during the 90s, I was similarly addicted to Channel 4's coverage of Serie A and particularly its magazine show, Gazetta Football Italia, on Saturday mornings. I also really liked Signori, and to this day have a soft spot for Lazio as a result of him and the rest of the squad back then: Allen Boksic, Casiraghi, Nesta, Marchegiani, Negro, even Gazza.
jamesb
Roar Guru
Germany are not functioning as well as they used to be. Late last year, they lost 6-0 to Spain and about three months ago, were beaten at home by North Macedonia. And in the group stage in the Euros, Germany were minutes away from been eliminated. And of course this follows after not progressing from the group stages in Russia. Hasn't been a great time for the German national team over the last three years.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Mike, thank you for your memories, you are a wonderful writer. It took me back, way back to my early school days, when I played for Salisbury North Primary School. I was in grade 4 or 5 so I was around 9 or 10 and yes we played on full size pitches. The only football we got on TV was the 'Match of the Day' with Brian Moore and thinking about it, the games must of been a week old. Black and White with maybe a couple of cameras. Those were the days. Come Monday morning, even though I was born in England and still have family there. I have no sincere affiliation with their football team. Even less than I have with Italy, although my grandsons have more Italian blood in them, but even they don't care about the game. I often wonder why I show more interest in the Euro's than the Copa America, being played at the same time. Both represent the best football players from their respective continents. Argentina vs Brazil, and or England vs Italy, both I can watch live, if I choose to. Today we are all spoilt for choices.
jamesb
Roar Guru
You have an author that is having a recollection of his past and love of Italian football, and then you have a couple of respondents who are taking it way too seriously thinking that its "England bashing" in disguise. Get a grip.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Very very very very very very very very worth while listening too even if its the SFC CEO... very worth while listening too... Its between a European agency and Danny Townsend about the Ten / Paramount deal .... while long .... https://vimeo.com/570363834/0bc2d868b9
chris
Guest
Buddy a new one might just be around the corner! Italy, Germany, Brazil, France and Argentina all have 2 wins of the current version. Whoever gets to 3 gets it. In 1970 it was going to the winner of the Brazil v Italy final as they both had won it twice before that. Brazil obviously got to keep it. (It got subsequently stolen, never to be found again).
Griffo
Roar Guru
How could you not love Italian football when SBS was showing >that< show on Serie A before Italia '90 rolled around. I mean it's England...c'mon Aussie, c'mon! How could you even? :laughing: