Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Valentino Rossi (Photo from Wikipedia)
Valentino Rossi is a name synonymous with excellence on the motorbike track. Born in 1979, Rossi is already a legend in his sport and has shown a great talent for handling motorbikes from a very early age. Rossi's true debut in the World Championship Class 125 arrived in 1996, when he won his first race. A year later the racer joined the Aprilia team and won his first world title. In 1998 Rossi started racing in the 250 class and that year he would arrive second, after teammate Loris Capirossi. A year later Valentino would become champion of the 250 and in 2000 would arrive at the top of the class: the 500 or half liter. To join the half liter Rossi would have to leave the Italian Aprilia and join the Honda team, although he brought with him trusted people and his Italian sponsor. At the end of that first season Rossi made an impressive second and was well on his way to creating his own legend.
The year 2001 was a great one for Rossi, with eleven races won and a world title added to his trophy case. The world title win anointed Rossi as the true king of moto-racing. Valentino Rossi also has the distinction of holding the last 500 title as the following year the name of the race would be changed to MotoGP with new bikes and engines introduced. Valentino, however, remained the same and retained the title for the next two years, during which he never classified as less than third.
It was at this time that Honda decided Rossi was not vital to their cause and basically let him go. The racer transferred to the Yamaha team, which was seriously struggling at that point, and put in solid work with a great team of assistants and engineers that he had brought with him from Honda, to put Yamaha back on the map. It was a triumph for Rossi, both professionally and personally, when he won the championship in his first season with his new team. The win allowed Rossi a clean slate, leaving Honda and the bad gossip behind. The following year, 2004, Rossi did even better winning the championship with four races left, after scoring a total of eleven victories.
Unfortunately 2006 and 2007 are not the best years for Rossi, although Italian fans rejoice in the winning ways of Ducati. In 2008 the king makes a roaring comeback, winning the title and beating Giacomo Agostini's record of sixty-nine victories. Rossi's ninth title arrives in 2009 along with his historic 100th victory. A bad accident sidelines Rossi for most of 2010 and there is also internal conflict at Yahama, which eventually sees the racer leaving the team.
Rossi Before Riding a Yamaha YZF-R1
As of today Valentino Rossi is the only motorbike racer in history to have won championships in four different classes. In recent years Rossi has tested the F1 Ferrari several times, spurring rumors of an eventual transfer to car racing. While the possibility is delicious for racing fans it appears to be more wishful thinking than reality at this point. Meanwhile Rossi often participates in Rallies, winning in Monza twice, but has never seemed very impressed with other official races, although he has scored good results overall considering his experience.
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Giacomo Agostini (Photo from motorspostretro.com)
Giacomo Agostini is a legend in Italy for having won the most motorbike championships in history: a total of 15. These astonishing result arrived after winning 123 races. These numbers are doubly astonishing when one realizes that he raced in more than one category (and competed in more than one during the same season).
A true gentleman, Agostini would recall loving motors and racing since he was a child, but could only sign his first professional contract at 18. This contract was with Moto Morini and Agostini achieved an amazing second place in his debut. Agostini's passion was strong, as was his talent, and it was clear to everyone watching that day that a brilliant career had been born. In 1963 Agostini would win both the Italian Mountain Championship and the Italian Speed Championship Juniors.
Agostini's first really important results came to him after he moved to the MV Augusta team in 1965, which allowed him to race in the 350 and 500 class World Championship. He would go on to place second in both competitions, a strong indication of what was to come. In fact, a year later Agostini placed first in the 500. For five years after that (1968 to 1970) Agostini would have phenomenal results--straight championships in both the 350 and 500, for a total of ten. Let's not forget the 82 wins and 102 races, either.
Unfortunately 1973 was a year of some misfortune. Two other bikers were killed in accidents and Agostini's motorbike had many issues and was constantly breaking down. Agostini eventually left Augusta and joined Yamaha, it was a tremendous cultural shift for a man born in Italy with strong Italian roots to begin working in Japan while defending the Yamaha colors. Agostini's debut race with Yamaha was for the Daytona 200 miles and Agostini won, breaking into the hearts of the American fans. In 1975 Agostini won his 15th title, which would also be his last.
After that, Agostini kept on racing, but his interest and his age guided him toward a more managerial job. In 1977 after scoring his last victory in a single race, he announced his retirement. Agostini went on to race cars, but his results were less than stellar. The 80s saw a dawn of a new career with Agostini becoming manager at Yamaha, a position that he held for 14 years, winning 6 titles.
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
Carlo Ancelotti (Photo from Wikipedia)
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the most gallant figures in Italian soccer. Born in Parma, he became a professional soccer player and exploded while playing for Rome. After two major injuries Ancelotti was able to recover his full body capabilities and turn into a fantastic midfielder. With Roma he won an Italian championship, and then moved on to A.C. Milan where he was part of one of the best teams ever assembled. Most soccer fans can still recall one of his great goals, in a historic game that A.C. Milan won 5-0 over Real Madrid.
After retiring from a brilliant career as a player--with his only regret being not having won any title with the national team--Ancelotti opted for a coaching career. Ancelotti was named assistant coach to the National team for the 1994 World Cup, where Italy lost in the final to Brazil, in an unprecedented penalty kick duel. After that experience, Carlo started to coach clubs, Reggiana at first and then Parma, with great results, which made him one of the most appreciated coaches in Italy.
Not long after one of Italy's major teams, Juventus, wanted his services and when Marcello Lippi resigned his position, Ancelotti took over a lost team and tried to fix an already ruined season. The magic could have happened in the Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, when Filippo Inzaghi with two goals put Juventus ahead, but unfortunately the Brits turned the game around winning 3-2. Ancelotti spent two more seasons with Juventus, arriving always second and essentially losing a championship that was practically already won. Juventus, in an inelegant move, removed Ancelotti and put him aside on a pro bono salary. Ancelotti didn't coach for a full year and then Milan, the team that gave so much to his career, called on him.
As coach of A.C. Milan, Carlo Ancelotti won one Italian league and two Champions Leagues. Of course, one can't also forget the Champions League final that Ancelotti's Milan last against Liverpool. At halftime Milan was winning 3-0, but in the second half Liverpool tied things up, in one of the most incredible comebacks in soccer history. The first Champions League that Ancelotti won for Milan as a coach was particularly important for his pride, for two main reasons. One, Ancelotti's Milan beat his former team Juventus in an all-Italian final. Second, it made him an official member of A.C. Milan's history, as a Champions League winner as both player first and coach after.
In addition to his clear soccer and sport skills Carlo Ancelotti has also shown himself to be an honest and classy man during his long and distinguished career. Ancelotti always seems to respect opposing teams and wears a smile even when things are going badly. A true man of sport and a brilliant manger Ancelotti represents a true spirit of sportsmanship, so needed today at every level and especially in the professional sport arena. It is indeed interesting to see him as the head of a major English team, while another Italian, Fabio Capello, also a product of A.C. Milan, is the coach of the English national team. Both of these men are living proof that times are changing and that even England is open to change and leaving old traditions behind.
A Look at Italian Football--or Soccer!--from 1980 to 2010
Glauco Ferrari
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
Diego Armando Maradona
The gambling situation was very serious and affected Italian football for some time. Allowing foreign players into Italy, however, is a change that is still shaping the Italian game. Football became more exciting because international superstars were allowed to play in Italy. Two foreigners were allowed on every team for the 1982/1983 season.
The summer before this change came into affect saw another momentus moment for Italian football, perhaps the greatest up until that moment. In July of 1982 the Italian national team won the World Cup in Spain, meaning all eyes turned on Italian soccer and motivated many internationals to want to play in Serie A. Within a few years, all the best players in the world were playing in Italy including Maradona with Napoli, Platini with Juventus, Falcao with Roma, Van Basten with Milan and Zico with Udinese. The list of name goes on and on, with players like Rumenigge, Socrates and Boniek making their careers in Italy. Quickly Italy had become the quintessential soccer paradise, with a lot of money being invested and spent for players and teams performing an excellent brand of soccer. All the European cups were won several times and often Italian teams would face each other in the finals, and one year they actually won all the possible competitions.
Gianluigi Buffon: World Champion and Goal Keeper for Italy and Juventus
After the scandal of 1980 and its heavy involvement, A.C. Milan had struggled to return to the top, but when Silvio Berlusconi bought the team, everything started to change. He brought a new dimension to the team, a glamour and show that Italy had not seen before. Milan began playing beautiful football and earned victories both domestically and internationally. Two coaches were the main architects of Milan's success, Mr. Arrigo Sacchi first and then Mr. Fabio Capello, during his first outing as a coach.
In between Milan's victories Sampdoria was able to have a nice run at the beginning of the 90s and then Juventus came back strong and dominated the scene with A.C. Milan throughout the 90s, alternating victories and leaving nothing to the other teams. Juventus was now coached by Marcello Lippi and managed by the so called "Triade" of Giraudo, Moggi and former striker Roberto Bettega. The results were simply amazing. For almost 10 years the team was on top of every competition, with a record of four European finals in a row, although only one was won. Milan was doing the same and with the exception of two years when Roma and Lazio took one title each, Italy spoke only Juventus and Milan. Those were also the years when the EU kicked in, allowing all European players to be treated as equals and in fact abolishing the limit of foreigners playing in Italy if they were European citizens.
History of Italian "Calcio": 1980 to 2010
A Look at Italian Football--or Soccer!--from 1980 to 2010
Glauco Ferrari
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
Diego Armando Maradona
The gambling situation was very serious and affected Italian football for some time. Allowing foreign players into Italy, however, is a change that is still shaping the Italian game. Football became more exciting because international superstars were allowed to play in Italy. Two foreigners were allowed on every team for the 1982/1983 season.
The summer before this change came into affect saw another momentus moment for Italian football, perhaps the greatest up until that moment. In July of 1982 the Italian national team won the World Cup in Spain, meaning all eyes turned on Italian soccer and motivated many internationals to want to play in Serie A. Within a few years, all the best players in the world were playing in Italy including Maradona with Napoli, Platini with Juventus, Falcao with Roma, Van Basten with Milan and Zico with Udinese. The list of name goes on and on, with players like Rumenigge, Socrates and Boniek making their careers in Italy. Quickly Italy had become the quintessential soccer paradise, with a lot of money being invested and spent for players and teams performing an excellent brand of soccer. All the European cups were won several times and often Italian teams would face each other in the finals, and one year they actually won all the possible competitions.
Domestically, Juventus dominated the first part of the 80s with a great duel with Roma, but then Maradona with his Napoli stole the scene. Before Maradona's heyday it is worth mentioning the two historic victories for Roma and Verona. Napoli would go on to win two championships and Inter was able to win one as well, breaking all the league records. While Juventus started to decline after 1986 an incredible team started to make its way into the history books: A.C. Milan.
After the scandal of 1980 and its heavy involvement, A.C. Milan had struggled to return to the top, but when Silvio Berlusconi bought the team, everything started to change. He brought a new dimension to the team, a glamour and show that Italy had not seen before. Milan began playing beautiful football and earned victories both domestically and internationally. Two coaches were the main architects of Milan's success, Mr. Arrigo Sacchi first and then Mr. Fabio Capello, during his first outing as a coach.
Inter Milan Vs AC Milan 2-0 - All Goals, Highlights (24-1-2010)
In between Milan's victories Sampdoria was able to have a nice run at the beginning of the 90s and then Juventus came back strong and dominated the scene with A.C. Milan throughout the 90s, alternating victories and leaving nothing to the other teams. Juventus was now coached by Marcello Lippi and managed by the so called "Triade" of Giraudo, Moggi and former striker Roberto Bettega. The results were simply amazing. For almost 10 years the team was on top of every competition, with a record of four European finals in a row, although only one was won. Milan was doing the same and with the exception of two years when Roma and Lazio took one title each, Italy spoke only Juventus and Milan. Those were also the years when the EU kicked in, allowing all European players to be treated as equals and in fact abolishing the limit of foreigners playing in Italy if they were European citizens.
Football - Roma vs Juventus
The showdown came to its peak in Manchester, when Juventus faced A.C. Milan in an unprecedented and historical Champion's League final. A.C. Milan won the cup on penalty kicks. All seemed to be going pretty smooth for both teams, but 2006 arrived and a new match fixing scandal shook the Italian soccer world. Juventus was deprived of two titles and relegated to Serie B, while Inter Milan until that moment a very "expensive" losing team, clinched the position of best team, starting to win with very little competition. At the time Inter's only real competition was Roma, but it didn't have the means to win the war with megapower Inter.
By the 2009-2010 season Inter was a team on a mission. After many years of winning the domestic league they were still unproven in Europe despite a roster of star players. Owner Massimo Moratti hoped to duplicate his father's success in the Helenio Herrera years, but had still been unable to do so. Last season changed all that. Under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho and with stars like Diego Milito, Wesley Sneijder, capitain Javier Zanetti and goalkeeper Julio Cesar, Inter Milan won everything there was to win including the scudetto, Italian Cup, Champions League and International Cup.
This year, after a slew of injuries and Mourinho moving on to Real Madrid, Inter has seceded some ground to cross-town rival A.C. Milan, who is currently top of the table in Serie A. Recently Inter replaced their coach, selecting former Milan manager Leonardo in an effort to right their ship. Overall, however, Inter seems a different team than they were in the 90s and is a strong contender, along with Juventus, still struggling to get their powerhouse identity back. Other, smaller teams like Palermo and Napoli are also playing a beautiful football, reminding everyone just what is so great about the Italian game.
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