If, like the vast majority of people reading this, you were obsessed with Italian football in the 1990s, you might want to cancel any plans you have for Saturday night…
The latest instalment in BT Sport’s acclaimed documentary series; Golazzo: The Football Italia Story, airs this weekend, exploring the huge surge in popularity Italian football enjoyed on these shores in the years that followed the 1990 World Cup.
Naturally, the film is presented by James Richardson, who will be revisiting some iconic moments from his Gazzetta Football Italia show and memorable footage from Channel 4’s live coverage of Serie A during a period when it was undeniably the greatest league in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHXfHFNlJ_w
Clip via Matt Naismith
“The film captures a time when Serie A was the world’s most powerful and competitive league, filled from top to bottom with colourful characters and stories,” Richardson says.
“It was a pleasure and a privilege to work on Gazzetta Football Italia back then, and it’s been a delight to revisit those glory years for this documentary.”
As well as interviews with a number of British players who played in Serie A during that time, the film also features interviews with Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola and Beppe Signori – the striker who enjoyed a prolific goalscoring spell at Lazio during the mid 1990s.
BT Sport pundits Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand also share their memories of watching Italian footballers as youngsters and playing beside the likes of Zola and Paolo DiCanio.
‘Golazzo: The Football Italia Story’ premieres at 10pm on Saturday 31 March on BT Sport 2.