Curva e Calcio

Five questions.One Legend.Every month, paid subscribers to the Italian football newsletter will receive an in-depth look at one Serie A legend.Dropping later today is an episode on the King of Rome, Francesco Totti. Here’s a sneak preview the episode itself. Only paid subscribers will receive these episodes, but if you’re not already signed up, don’t worry! You can do so for just £39.99 for an entire year. That’s 12 episodes of these podcasts, plus a look at the Italian sports papers in English every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, stats, features and more!The full Totti episode drops in just a few hours. Make sure you’re signed up and it’ll be delivered right to your inbox. For now, enjoy this taster absolutely free.Ciao for now! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

We are back with an episode on the title race: how it was won, who deserves the credit and was it good for Serie A?Plus, we update you on our podcast plans for the summer. Don’t forget you can get a whole year of subscriber only podcasts just like these for only £29.99 throughout the month of May. Just click the link below. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

Hey everyone, Here is a free podcast that I just had to share with you all. It features three of our contributors – Adam Summerton, David Scott & Mark Gordon – talking about why they love Serie A. The reason I wanted to share it is because this sums up what this newsletter is all about. A love of Italy and Italian football. And the best bit is, it comes automatically to your inbox or the Substack app with no hassle whatsoever. Just the content you want, when you want it. We’ve gathered together the best experts, with exactly the right amount of passion, enthusiasm and knowledge on Serie A to deliver fantastic content to our subscribers.Now you might think I’m going to ask you to become a paid subscriber right about now, but actually I’m not. That’s because we have something incredibly special coming up soon and I think you should wait for that…We want our content to be affordable and accessible to everyone. There will be more news on this hitting your inbox soon, so keep your eyes peeled.Before that though, we’ve got a special A4 printable to share with you, designed exclusively for this newsletter by our resident artist Pennodraws. That’ll be with you later this week.If you enjoy the pod, please leave us a comment on Twitter @CurvaCalcio and share this email with your Serie A loving friends.Ciao for now!Chloe This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

Here’s Chloe with the newly relaunched podcast.She talks about what to expect from the subscription service. The first new article will be out tomorrow. If you’re not already a member, join us in the Curva with 40% off all subscriptions. Just click the link below.And please feel free to share this episode with your friends!Talk to again soon…hope you enjoy the new music! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

It's 30 years today since Sampdoria won the Serie A title in 1991!As promised, here's a 2hr deep-dive into that wonderful campaign as we look into the owner Paolo Mantovani and how he carefully assembled the perfect squad and Coach in order to pull off their fairytale Scudetto victory.If you like the stunning image above, you can order it as a mug from this link.Here are some links that we mention in the pod for you to enjoy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

Artwork by Curva e Calcio artist Pennodraws Join Chloe & Adam as they discuss the entire Super League debacle. How did we get here? What actually stopped the clubs? Which fans did they think wanted such a ludicrous competition? What can we do to prevent a repeat of this in the future? Why does Curva e Calcio charge for subscriptions if you’re so adamant that money is ruining football? All these questions (& many more) are answered in this special edition of the podcast.If you’ve been inspired to subscribe after listening to this podcast, the link is below or on our homepage curvaecalcio.substack.com. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

*Please note this is a reader-funded publication. The model only works through support from the Italian football community. By signing up for a paid subscription, you allow work on the newsletter & podcast to continue and receive access to every post & podcast. Please consider doing so if you can.*This week’s pod features a very special guest in Jonathan Grade, a man who worked on the famous Football Italia show, broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK from 1992 until 2002. Jonathan worked on that show, and gives us a unique insight into madcap antics alongside colleagues James Richardson, Kenneth Wolstenholme & Peter Brackley. Alongside stories from behind the scenes on the show, Jonathan describes his new book named “Golazzo: The Football Italia years” which is available to purchase now. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at Italian football from its very peak! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

Morning everyone!Here’s the latest episode of Saturday Morning Chill, your 30 minutes of pure Italian Football bliss.In today’s episode, I discuss what’s coming up this week on the newsletter and podcast and detail what subscribers get for their £8 per month/£80 per year. I hope those who have not yet signed up will consider supporting my solo venture, I’m not a big company but I work tirelessly to deliver the content that subscribers want.I then go on to the usual week’s round-up of the Italian sports newspapers, looking at some creative headlines and news of European endeavours for Serie A teams. Enjoy and have a great weekend! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

After one brilliant performance and one not-so-great display from Andrea Pirlo’s first two games in charge of Juventus, I joined up with Adam Digby to analyse exactly how well the novice boss has done so far. We discuss:Overreactions to both wins and lossesPlaying with a new-found freedom and a rejuvenation of Aaron RamseyKulusevski (with a shout out to Conor Clancy)Mistakes from the new bossWhat all this means for the Serie A title raceDon’t forget you make sure you never miss a post or a podcast episode by signing up to Curva e Calcio, and there’s 20% off until the end of September. Go to the homepage for more details. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

I’m delighted to bring you this fascinating and fun conversation with someone who has been part of my viewing (and likely yours too) of Italian football over a number of years. Adam Summerton is one of the most knowledgeable and proficient commentators around and he explained to me how he worked his way up from the very bottom to the position he is in now. We talked about his expectations for the coming season, strengths and weaknesses of Serie A as a league and I also asked him whether he had suffered any on-air embarrassing moments!It’s a celebration of his profession and of Serie A too. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did chatting to Adam. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

When Juventus announced they had sacked Maurizio Sarri and replaced him with Andrea Pirlo, the entire football world was shocked.Why had Juve done this when their former Regista has never managed a team before in his life and had only been appointed as U21 boss 10 days earlier?Now the dust has settled and we have had some time to digest the news and what possible motivations Juve could’ve had, I’m joined by friend of the show and Juve expert Adam Digby to take a deep dive into the reasons for promoting Pirlo in this way and what might happen next season with a novice in charge.Will this lead to a gap for other sides in Serie A to jump into?Find out in this fascinating discussion! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

The fifth episode of the Curva E Calcio podcast features a very special guest. AS Roma COO Francesco Calvo (formerly of Juventus and Barcelona) joins us to talk about the hugely successful Roma Cares initiative.This is the first of many interviews with those involved in the day-to-day operations of Serie A clubs, and just one of many reasons to sign up to the Curva e Calcio newsletter and podcast for less than the price of a skinny latte per week.Francesco tells us about the hugely successful initiatives at Roma that have been running since 2014, and their amazing response to the COVID-19 crisis in the city. This is a superb example of how football clubs are intrinsically linked to their communities, a theme which is an idea at the heart of the Curva e Calcio newsletter and podcast.Please consider supporting my work and share this episode far and wide! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

I am joined for a varied interesting discussion by “Juventus: A History in Black and White” author Adam Digby in this week’s episode. Fear not, non-Juve fans, we cover a wide range of topics including:The food, culture and lifestyle in TurinHow Serie A can regain its reputation as the best league in the worldHow Torino differ as a club from Juventus & matchday experiences at bothJuve’s run of nine consecutive Scudetti & Maurizio Sarri’s tenure at the clubWhat makes the Bianconeri different as a clubDon’t forget that this will be the last free-to-access podcast. Subscribe before August 1st and receive 20% off! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

This week I speak to Alasdair Mackenzie, an Italian sports journalist and Lazio fan living in Rome. We had a brilliant chat about his life there over the last two years, his love for Italian football, the best food and culture in Italy’s capital, and dealing with COVID 19. He even reveals some hidden gems to visit in Rome that are off the beaten track!Then, we moved on to discuss the matchday experience at Stadio Olimpico, and Simone Inzaghi’s tenure over the last four years, including what has worked and what hasn’t. I learned plenty from Alasdair, who has attended every Lazio home game so far this season. Don’t forget to tune in! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s podcast is a real treat, as I speak to Conor Clancy, Editor-In-Chief of Forza Italian Football. Conor is based in Parma and has lived in Italy for two years, so I took the chance to ask him about life on the peninsula both before and after lockdown. He tells us about his favourite things to eat in Parma (you can’t talk about Italy without talking about food, right?) and then we move on to talk about Conor’s team - Atalanta.I ask him about the COVID-19 crisis in Bergamo, if there is a “magic formula” for La Dea’s recent success, why players Atalanta have sold generally don’t work well at other clubs and much more during an hour’s discussion that flew by!To end, I ask Conor the question on everyone’s lips: Can Atalanta win the Champions League this season?!It’s an unmissable podcast whether you are a die-hard Serie A fan or whether you just have a passing curiosity about Atalanta; the team who continue to make the headlines in Italy and abroad. There are plenty more chats like this to come, so if you’ve enjoyed it make sure to hit “subscribe” to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the future episodes! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe

Join Chloe as she launches the Curva e Calcio Podcast, a solo episode talking about the brand new newsletter & podcast, why it’s important to sign up and some personal stories about her love for Italian football.For those curious about CS Lebowski, the link is here. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at curvaecalcio.substack.com/subscribe