Anyone who grew up in the ‘90s and has even a passing interest in football will remember Serie A teams from the period almost as well as their Premier League contemporaries.
Sky subscriptions were still a luxury available to relatively few, so our only chance for live football was the Sunday afternoon games on Football Italia – not that we ever missed the Saturday morning Gazzetta round-up either. It was unmissable and unimaginably exotic viewing; the best league in the world in the country that gifted us Italia ‘90.
Nowadays the mere sight of James Richardson – with or without an espresso and tiramisu untouched on a café table in front of him – is enough to bring back pangs of nostalgia.
And the cycle has reached its natural conclusion, with Richardson presenting Golazzo: The Football Italia Story this weekend on BT Sport.
The film will feature former Premier League players and Serie A nostalgists Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, as well as a handful of English players who had spells in Italy.
A couple of former Italian internationals will also be interviewed as part of Golazzo, namely Gianfranco Zola and Beppe Signori, and it will premiere at 10pm on March 31.
Still, while you’re reading this in part to find out more about the documentary, we know you’re also here to check out some of the best moments from Italian football in the ‘90s, so we’re happy to oblige.
Moments like George Weah’s sensational solo goal for AC Milan against Verona, which was broadcast live on Football Italia back in 1996.
Or this blistering strike from Signori, one of the stars of the show.
Maybe you’d prefer to reminisce about Dario Hubner, the cult hero who found his way to the upper reaches of the goalscoring charts well into his 30s.
Of course it wouldn’t be a true Football Italia round-up without a thunderbolt from ‘Batigol’ himself, Gabriel Batistuta.
We also saw some of Roberto Baggio’s best years, including this gem from his late-career renaissance.
And finally, who could forget the iconic theme music?
Don’t mind us, we’re just off to sit in a piazza with coffee and cake that we’ll never touch, while thumbing through the pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Watch ‘Golazzo: The Football Italia Story’ exclusively on BT Sport 2 from 10:00pm on Saturday 31st March. For more info visit www.BT.com/sport
(Images: Getty/BT Sport)
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