1.
FIGC
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The Italian Football Federation, also known as Federcalcio, is the governing body of football in Italy. It organises the Italian football league, Coppa Italia, Italian national football team, and it is based in Rome, and technical department in Florence, and is a founding member of UEFA and a member of FIFA. The Federation was founded in 1898 when the sport was picking up in the country and it needed a structure to take football. The first presidency was decided in the Piedmontese capital of Turin, when created, this football federation was given a different name, Federazione Italiana Football because all play terms and rules were the same as the official FA rules. In the few years before and after the introduction of the Federation, clubs all over the country from Genoa, Turin, Milan, Naples, Rome, Palermo, and others were forming. The new name approved was Federazione Italiana Giuoco del Calcio and since then this has been the name of the Italian Football Federation, the debut of the Mens National Team was on 15 May 1910, at Arena Civica, wearing a white jersey where Italy defeated France 6–2. The following year, the jersey was introduced on the occasion of the match against Hungary. This Italian Federation was an amateur federation respecting FIFA rules when it became a member in 1905, at the end of World War 1, the federation had seen impressive development and several footballers were judged to be professional players and banned according to FIFA agreements. Foreigners had to live in the country in order to get a residence visa and they had to sign the declaration not being professional players so that FIFA rules were respected because for FIGC they were appearing as amateurs receiving just refunds. It was the beginning of the professionalism in Italy, the Carta di Viareggio reduced the number of foreign players to be fielded to just one per match so that the majority of Hungarians remained jobless and got back to their country. Commissioner Bruno Zauli led the FIGC renovation process, with the establishment of three Leagues and the creation of the Technical and the Youth Sectors, between 1964 and 1980, foreign players were banned from the Italian league, primarily to revive the national team. In December 1998, the FIGC celebrated its centenary at the Stadio Olimpico in a match featuring Italy vs World XI, the FIGC was placed in administration in May 2006 as a result of the 2006 Italian football scandal and was put under the management of Guido Rossi. In May 2006, Rossi was chosen and accepted the role of President of Telecom Italia and this appointment caused angry reactions from club presidents in Italy. On September 19, Rossi resigned his position as Commissioner of FIGC, on September 21, Luca Pancalli, head of the Italian Paralympic Committee, was chosen to replace Rossi. On April 2,2007, a new President was elected, following the 2014 FIFA World Cup Abete resigned and Carlo Tavecchio was elected President of the Federation and Michele Uva as general manager. In support of the activity and with a view of maximum transparency, World Cup,4 times European Football Championship, once Olympics, once Central European International Cup, twice Official site Italy at FIFA site Italy at UEFA site Italian calcio glossary
2.
Roberto Baggio
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Roberto Baggio is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, or as an attacking midfielder, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. He is the former President of the sector of the Italian Football Federation. A technically gifted, creative playmaker and a set piece specialist renowned for his free kicks and goalscoring. In 1999 he came fourth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll, in 1993, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon dOr. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA100, Baggio played for Italy in 56 matches, scoring 27 goals, and is the fourth highest goalscorer for his national team. He starred in the Italian team that finished third in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, at the 1994 FIFA World Cup he led Italy to the final, scoring five goals, received the World Cup Silver Ball and was named in the World Cup All-Star Team. Although he was the performer for Italy at the tournament. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup he scored twice, before Italy were eliminated to eventual champions France in the quarter-finals. Baggio is the only Italian to score in three World Cups, and with nine goals holds the record for most goals scored in World Cup tournaments for Italy, along with Paolo Rossi and Christian Vieri. In 2002, he became the first Italian player in over 50 years to more than 300 career goals. In 1990, he moved from Fiorentina to Juventus for a record transfer fee. Baggio is known as Il Divin Codino, for the hairstyle he wore for most of his career, for his talent, in 2002, Baggio was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In 2003, he was the winner of the Golden Foot award. In recognition of his human rights activism, he received the Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in 2010 and he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2011. Roberto Baggio was born in Caldogno, Veneto, son of Matilde and Fiorindo Baggio and his younger brother, Eddy Baggio, was also a footballer who played 86 games in Serie B. Baggio began his career after being noticed by his hometown youth team, Caldogno. By the time he had turned 11, he had scored 45 goals and provided 20 assists in 26 matches and his talent was recognised by scout Antonio Mora, and he was acquired by the Vicenza youth team at the age of 13 for £300. After scoring 110 goals in 120 matches, Baggio began his career with the Vicenza senior side in 1983
3.
Marcello Lippi
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Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is an Italian former professional football player and current manager of the China national team. He served as Italian national team coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006. He was re-appointed as Italian national team coach in the summer of 2008 and was succeeded by Cesare Prandelli after the disappointing performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Lippi is regarded as one of the greatest and most successful managers in football history and he is the first and to date the only coach to win both the UEFA Champions League and the AFC Champions League. He was named the worlds best football manager by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics both in 1996 and 1998, and worlds best National coach in 2006. He is the coach to have won the most prestigious international competitions both for clubs in different continents, and for national teams. Born in Viareggio, in northern Tuscany, Lippi began his career as a defender in 1969. He spent most of his years with Sampdoria, where he played consecutively from 1969 to 1978. In 1979, he joined Pistoiese, being part of the Arancioni s promotion to Serie A and he finished his playing career with Lucchese. Lippi retired from football in 1982, at the age of 34. Despite never having played for Italy at senior level, Lippi gained experience playing in his countrys top flight as a defender for Sampdoria. His rise to the top of the tree also began at the Genoese club. After various stints in Italys lower divisions, he became a coach in Serie A in 1989 with Cesena. Lippi then moved on to Lucchese and Atalanta, the turning point for Lippi came in the 1993–94 season when he led Napoli to a place in the UEFA Cup. The achievement was all the more remarkable given the turmoil of a club still basking in the past triumphs inspired by Diego Maradona. With his success at Napoli, Lippi became a target for the top Serie A clubs. The following season, Lippi guided Juventus to 1995 Supercoppa Italiana, following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti, Lippi was subsequently re-appointed as Juventus head coach for the 2001–02 season. His team lost 4–3 at Old Trafford, Lippi was appointed head of the Italy national team on July 2004, following a disappointing UEFA Euro 2004 campaign by Giovanni Trapattoni
4.
Arrigo Sacchi
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Arrigo Sacchi is an Italian former football coach. He was twice manager of Milan, with great success and he won the Serie A title in his 1987–88 debut season and then dominated European football by winning back to back European Cups in 1989 and 1990. To this day, Milan are the last team that became European champions, from 1991 to 1996, he was head coach of the Italy national team and led them to the 1994 FIFA World Cup final, only to lose to Brazil in a penalty shoot-out. In January 2017, Sacchi was named among the ten greatest coaches since the foundation of UEFA in 1954, Sacchi was never a professional football player and for many years worked as a shoe salesman. This led to his famous quote directed at those who questioned his qualifications, Sacchi had grown up watching attacking sides, such as Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid, Brazil and the Netherlands. He started his career managing his local club, Baracca Lugo, of the challenge he faced, Sacchi said, I was twenty-six, my goalkeeper was thirty-nine and my centre-forward was thirty-two. He next coached at Bellaria before joining Cesena, who were in the Serie B as a team coach. He then took over at Rimini who were playing in the Serie C1 and he received his breakthrough when he moved to Fiorentina as a youth coach. His achievements with the team earned interest from Parma, who were then playing in Serie C1. He led Parma to promotion in his first season, and in the season took them to within 3 points of promotion to Serie A. This was enough to attract interest from Milan club owner Silvio Berlusconi, at Milan, Sacchi again faced problems of credibility. The press argued that such a player could never go on to be a successful coach. Sacchi, however, coined a witty term in response, I never realised that in order to become a jockey you have to have been a horse first. Sacchi was an instant success at the San Siro, leading Milan to its first Serie A title for nine years in his debut season, Sacchis success at Milan gained him two back-to-back European Cups. The success he gained was largely attributed to the Dutch trio he had purchased, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. However, other players such as Roberto Donadoni, as well as the defensive back four of Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta, Mauro Tassotti. The first European Cup final in 1989 was against Steaua București, Gullit and Van Basten scored two goals each and Milan lifted the European Cup for the first time in over 20 years. En route to the final, Milan had dispatched Real Madrid 6–1 on aggregate in the semi-final, the quarter-final against Werder Bremen was a tight affair, Milan only went through 1–0 on aggregate thanks to a Van Basten penalty
5.
Luigi Riva
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Luigi Gigi Riva is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward. At international level, Riva won the 1968 UEFA European Championship and was runner-up at the 1970 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team, with 35 goals between 1965 and 1974, he is Italys all-time leading goalscorer. After retiring in 1976, Riva briefly served as the president of Cagliari during the 1986–87 season, Riva was born into a poor family in Leggiuno, a small town in the northern Italian province of Varese, Lombardy, near the Swiss border, on 7 November 1944. Riva started playing football for the Laveno Mombello youth side in Lombardy. He began his career in 1962, at the age of 18. This was the first time a club south of Rome had ever won the title, Riva once again finished the season as top-scorer. In total, Riva scored 248 goals for club and country throughout his career in 439 appearances, overall, he scored 207 goals in 374 appearances in all competitions during his thirteen seasons with Cagliari, and 213 career club goals in 397 appearances. Following his disappointing and goalless performances in the stage, and much media criticism and scrutiny. On 14 June, he helped Italy defeat the hosts Mexico 4–1 in the quarter-finals, the Italian team finished runners up in the tournament after losing 4–1 to Brazil in the final, Riva finished the competition as Italys top-scorer, with three goals. On 31 March 1973, Riva scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Luxembourg, in a World Cup qualifying match, surely my goals were much more important. Riva is currently still Italys top-goalscorer of all-time, with 35 goals in just 42 matches, after retiring, Riva remained in Cagliari, and founded the first school of football in Sardinia in 1976, which bears his name. Rivas jersey was the first to be retired by the Sardinian club, in addition to his goalscoring prowess and technique, he was also an extremely fit, hard-working, and fast player, with notable stamina, who excelled during sprints and at making attacking runs. He was also an accurate free-kick and penalty kick taker, despite his ability, his career was often marked by injuries, which later affected his mobility, continuity, and fitness, and eventually forced him to retire prematurely
6.
Pierluigi Collina
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Pierluigi Collina is an Italian former football referee. He has been named FIFAs Best Referee of the Year six consecutive times and is considered to be the greatest football referee of all time. Collina was born in Bologna and attended the University of Bologna, graduating with a degree in economics in 1984. During his teenage years, he played as a defender for a local team, but was persuaded in 1977 to take a referees course. Within three years he was officiating at the highest level of regional matches, while completing his compulsory military service. In 1988, he progressed more rapidly than normal to the third division, Serie C1. After three seasons, he was promoted to officiating Serie B and Serie A matches, about this time, Collina contracted a severe form of alopecia, resulting in the permanent loss of all his facial hair, giving him his distinctive bald appearance and earning the nickname Kojak. In 1995, after he had officiated at 43 Serie A matches and he was allocated five matches at the 1996 Olympic Games, including the final between Nigeria and Argentina. In 2002, Collina reached the pinnacle of his career, when he was chosen for the World Cup final, between Brazil and Germany. Prior to the game, Germanys Oliver Kahn told the Irish Times, Collina is a referee, theres no doubt about that. Kahns luck did not change in the final, and his team lost 2–0 and he refereed the 2004 UEFA Cup Final between Valencia and Marseille. In February 2005, as he reached the retirement age. His last international match was Portugal – Slovakia, for a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, the FIGC raised its mandatory retirement age to 46 in order to accommodate Collina for a further season. However, a dispute emerged between the federation and Collina early in August 2005, following Collinas decision to sign a sponsorship deal with Opel. As Opel was also a sponsor of Serie A club A. C. Milan, the deal was seen as a conflict of interest. In response, Collina handed in his resignation, effectively ending his career, the Italian Referees Association then attempted to reject his resignation, but he persisted with his retirement. He did, however, referee the Soccer Aid matches for charity in May 2006, during the latter of these games, Collina was involved in an awkward fall and was stretchered off after 21 minutes of play. He also refereed the first half of the 2010 Soccer Aid match on 6 June, perhaps one of the greatest distinctions of Collinas career was earning the hatred of Luciano Moggi, the Juventus executive and chief instigator of the 2006 Italian football scandal
7.
Adriano Galliani
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Adriano Galliani is an Italian entrepreneur and football executive, serving as vice-president and CEO of AC Milan since 1986. During his tenure, Milan have won five European Cup / UEFA Champions League, in 2011, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame. In April 2016, Galliani was one of the prominent Italian individuals to be named in the Panama Papers leak, interview at lamescolanza. com Profile at magliarossonera. it
8.
France
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France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. France spans 643,801 square kilometres and had a population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017. It is a unitary republic with the capital in Paris. Other major urban centres include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, during the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome, which held Gaul until 486, France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages, with its victory in the Hundred Years War strengthening state-building and political centralisation. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a colonial empire was established. The 16th century was dominated by civil wars between Catholics and Protestants. France became Europes dominant cultural, political, and military power under Louis XIV, in the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire, whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War, the Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains to this day. Algeria and nearly all the colonies became independent in the 1960s with minimal controversy and typically retained close economic. France has long been a centre of art, science. It hosts Europes fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually, France is a developed country with the worlds sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, France remains a great power in the world, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a member state of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is also a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire, the name France comes from the Latin Francia, or country of the Franks
9.
Michel Platini
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Michel François Platini is a French former football player, manager and administrator. Nicknamed Le Roi for his ability and leadership, he is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won the Ballon dOr three times, in 1983,1984 and 1985, and came sixth in the FIFA Player of the Century vote. In recognition of his achievements, he was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1985, during his career, Platini played for the clubs Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus. Together with the midfielders Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana, Platini was his countrys record goalscorer until 2007, and holds the record for most goals scored in the European Championship despite only appearing in the victorious 1984 edition. Following his retirement as a player, Platini was the French national team coach for four years, from 2007, he served as the president of the Union of European Football Associations. He also held the positions of chairman of FIFAs Technical and Development Committee, in 2015, however, he was banned from football administration for conflict of interest by the FIFA Ethics Committee. Born in Jœuf, in the Lorraine region, Platini is the son of Aldo and Anna, Aldo was a professional footballer and a long-time director for AS Nancy, the club where Michel started his professional career. Platini was called up for a trial with Metz, but missed out on the opportunity due to injury and he returned to regional league football with Jœuf. Another trial at Metz went horribly wrong when a breathing test on a spirometer caused Platini to faint, the doctors verdict on Platinis breathing difficulties and weak heart ended any hopes Platini had of playing for his boyhood favorites. He then joined the side of his fathers club Nancy in September 1972. Platini was quick to make a big impression at his new club, further outstanding displays put him in contention for a place in the Nancy first team. His introduction to the squad was inauspicious. On the substitutes bench for a match against Valenciennes, Platini was spat on, playing for the reserves a few days later, a hefty challenge from an opponent left Platini with a bad ankle injury. His season would finish on a positive note, and he would go on to make his league debut against Nîmes on 3 May 1973. In March 1974, he suffered a setback when he sustained a fracture of his left arm in a match at OGC Nice. Platini missed the remainder of the season as a result, unable to assist Nancy in a bid to avoid relegation from Ligue 1. The following season saw Nancy win promotion back to the French first division with ease, Platini became the teams most important player, scoring 17 goals, a number of which were scored from free-kicks, as was becoming Platinis specialty. Saint-Étienne, the then reigning French league champions, were knocked out of the French Cup with two goals from Platini free-kicks, Platini practised his free-kicks with the help of his friend, goalkeeper Moutier, and using a row of dummies to form a defensive wall of sorts
