The Gentleman Ultra’s Mark Gordon spent 48 hours in Milan with the sole purpose of seeing as much football as possible. He squeezed in three games in three different leagues, including a genuine goal of the season contender, and still found time for ‘Strictly’ Italian-style and an unlikely encounter with a Dundee United legend in a public toilet. This is his story. Saturday My journey began with a 96-mile drive from Aberdeen to Edinburgh Airport in the early hours of Saturday morning. I’d been up all night on Friday, and slept for most of my flight to Bergamo, which perhaps explains how I spen ..read more

Italian journalist and match analyst Michele Tossani relives a European night to remember and one of the most iconic goals of the 1980s. It was a classic mercoledì di coppa (a midweek cup night) in a period when the European Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Cup fixtures were all played on the same day. The 23rd November 1988. Diego Maradona’s Napoli were engaged in Bordeaux to play Aimé Jacquet’s Girondins in the first leg of the third round of the UEFA Cup, a competition that Napoli would go on to win.   On the same day, Roma were trashed 2-0 by Dynamo Dresden of East Germany, while J ..read more

Italian journalist and match analyst Michele Tossani relives a European night to remember and one of the most iconic goals of the 1980s. It was a classic mercoledì di coppa (a midweek cup night) in a period when the European Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Cup fixtures were all played on the same day. The 23 November 1988. Diego Maradona’s Napoli were engaged in Bordeaux to play Aimé Jacquet’s Girondins in the first leg of the third round of the UEFA Cup, a competition that Napoli would go on to win.   On the same day, Roma were trashed 2-0 by Dynamo Dresden of East Germany, while Juv ..read more

From Verona in Italy, Richard Hough charts the highs and lows of following his local football team. In this Notes from Verona long read he remembers the life and times of Giuliano Giuliani and the tragic circumstances surrounding his premature death in 1996. The tragic and little-known story of Giuliano Giuliani is one that I’ve wanted to tell for some time, but I’ve never quite found the right moment. Until now. Unless you’re extremely well versed in Italian football of the 1980s and 1990s, you’ve probably never even heard of Giuliano Giuliani. That, in itself, is a tragedy. This is the stor ..read more

From Verona in Italy, Richard Hough charts the highs and lows of following his local team. In this Notes from Verona column he remembers the handful of Scots who have played in Serie A, including Joe Jordan’s memorable season with Verona. This second monthly column from Verona comes at the tail end of an international break that saw Scotland qualify for Euro 2024. Without even kicking a ball! Spain’s one-nil victory in Oslo on Sunday evening guarantees Scotland at least second place in Group A of the 2024 UEFA Euro Qualifiers and comes on the back of qualification for Euro 2020 – Scotland’s fi ..read more

Italy has produced more than its fair share of outstanding and innovative coaches. From rigid disciplinarians to revolutionary innovators, Italians have achieved incredible success at home and abroad, Roberto De Zerbi being just the latest in a long line of Italian coaches gaining international recognition. The Gentleman Ultra presents its top ten Italian “Misters” of all time.  Who’d make your list? Giovanni Trapattoni Giovanni Trapattoni is the quintessential Italian coach. Seeing him coach is like spotting your Nonno – your grandpa – on the bench. But don’t be fooled by the amiab ..read more

The Gentleman Ultra remembers six forgotten Serie A goals from the 2010s. Not regarded by many as a golden age for Italian football, this was an era dominated by Juventus, who lifted eight consecutive championship titles. While globally, football was being defined by the diminutive genius of Lionel Messi and the all-conquering Spanish giants FC Barcelona. In Serie A, however, there was no shortage of outstanding goals, as this eclectic selection from our staff writers demonstrates. #1 Iturbe (Bologna v Verona, 2013)  This one is all about blistering pace. Iturbe picks up the ball on the ..read more

From Verona in Italy, Richard Hough launches “Notes from Verona”, a new Italian football column that charts the highs and lows of following his local team. To kick-start the new column Richard considers the big changes in the Italian game he’s witnessed since 2011. In an increasingly crowded field, the Gentleman Ultra is one of the longest-running and most-respected brands covering Italian football. For writers who share the same broad outlook and interest in the Italian game, it offers a space to express yourself and reach a wider audience. In fact, it was the Gentleman Ultra that gave me my ..read more

There are enough big personalities in Italian football to populate an entire cinematic universe. The compelling world of calcio provides more drama, controversy and intrigue in a single game than most anticlimactic big budget superhero borefests. As a dedicated film fan I frequently wondered if some of the most compelling characters in Serie A were in the wrong profession. So why not group them into an acting class? My starting XI is made up of Italian players in a loose formation and just for clarity all references are to American actors and films. It’s not my intention to upset any ..read more

It is an understatement to write that the 2000’s was a dramatic decade for Italian football. Scandal, a World Cup win and bankruptcies galore all received global attention. As the league transitioned away from greatness to entertainment, countless superb goals were scored, too.  Below, our writers bring to the front of our minds the Serie A golazos, lost from memory in the mayhem of the league between 2000 and 2009 and the drift away from free-to-air Italian football on UK TV. Hyperlinks to goals in their titles Dino Baggio (Lazio) 2000 ​​While his namesake Roberto scored goals via ingen ..read more