Italian style reaps rewards
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) was founded on 16 March 1898 in Turin.
The first official league championship, involving four teams from northern
Italy, was held over one day in 1898, with Genoa 1893 emerging victorious.
However, the first national championship was organised 15 years later in
1913, with Pro Vercelli winning out.

Professional status
The league adopted professional status in time for the 1929/30 season. An
unofficial Coppa Italia followed in 1922, but it was not until the 1935/36
campaign that the first official national cup competition took place, with
Torino Calcio proving triumphant.

Championship wins
On the domestic front, up to 2003, Turin-based Juventus FC held the record
for national championship (Serie A) and Coppa Italia victories with 27 and
nine wins respectively.

National debut
The Italian national team's first fixture was played on 15 May 1910 in
Milan's Arena stadium, when they beat France 6-2. Shortly afterwards, the
first world war temporarily paralysed all footballing activity, but in
post-war Europe and with Giorgio Vaccaro as FIGC president, the Italians
enjoyed their most successful spell on the international stage. The Azzurri
won the 1934 and 1938 FIFA World Cups, with players such as Giuseppe Meazza
and Eraldo Monzeglio in 1934, and Amedeo Biavati, Alfredo Foni and Silvio
Piola in 1938. Between these triumphs came gold at the 1936 Olympics.

Winning touch
Italy failed to build on their victories of the 1930s, and it was not until
Artemio Franchi's stewardship as FIGC president in the 1960s that the Azzurri
regained their winning touch. They won the 1968 UEFA European Championship
with stars such as Gianni Rivera, Sandro Mazzola, Gigi Riva, Dino Zoff and
Giacinto Facchetti, and were runners-up in the 1970 World Cup before Franchi
departed to become president of UEFA.

Talented players
Another World Cup win followed in 1982, thanks to players of the calibre of
Paolo Rossi, Dino Zoff, Claudio Gentile, Antonio Cabrini, Bruno Conti,
Gaetano Scirea and Marco Tardelli, before Italy hosted the 1990 finals, but
the Azzurri have not won another international title since. A team boasting
the talents of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio lost the 1994
World Cup final on penalties to Brazil. A more recent generation including
Filippo Inzaghi, Francesco Totti and Christian Vieri were defeated by a
golden goal in the UEFA EURO 2000? final against France.

Youth successes
At youth level, up to 2003, Italian teams had won the UEFA European Under-21
Championship in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2000, the Under-16 title in 1982 and
1987, and the International UEFA Youth Tournament in 1958.

Club triumphs
At club level, up to 2003, the Italians had recorded 40 successes in the
competitions organised by UEFA. AC Milan lead the way with 15 titles,
followed by Juventus (ten), FC Internazionale (seven), Parma AC (four), S.S.
Lazio (two) and one each for SSC Napoli and AC Fiorentina.

At the forefront
Italy have been at the forefront of European football over the years, with
their players, clubs and coaches - Ferruccio Valcareggi, Enzo Bearzot,
Azeglio Vicini, Arrigo Sacchi, Cesare Maldini, Dino Zoff and Giovanni
Trapattoni, to name a few - having a profound influence on the game in this
continent.

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FROM 166.111.180.39