View source for Football in Italy

{{Short description|none}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox sport overview
| title         = Football in Italy
| image         = {{CSS image crop
| Image         = The Stadio Olimpico di Roma before the match AS Roma vs HJK Helsinki (2022).jpg
| bSize         = 245
| cWidth        = 220
| cHeight       = 158
| oTop          = 30
| oLeft         = 
| Location      = center
}}
| caption       = {{longitem|[[Stadio Olimpico]] in [[Rome]], used by<br>[[SS Lazio|Lazio]], [[AS Roma|Roma]], and the [[Italy national football team]]}}
| union         = [[Italian Football Federation|FIGC]]
| country       = Italy
| sport         = Association football
| noncountry    = 
| nickname      = 
| first         = {{start date and age|1898}}
| registered    = 
| clubs         = 
<!-- COMPETITIONS -->
| national_list = {{Plainlist|
* [[FIFA World Cup]] 
* [[UEFA European Championship]] 
* [[UEFA Nations League]] 
* [[CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions]]
}} 
| club_list     = 
{{Collapsible list|
* '''League''':<br />[[Serie A]]<br />[[Serie A (women's football)]]<br />[[Serie B]]<br />[[Serie C]]<br />[[Serie D]]<br />[[Eccellenza]]<br />[[Promozione]]<br />[[Prima Categoria]]<br />[[Seconda Categoria]]<br />[[Terza Categoria]]
* '''Cups''':<br />[[Coppa Italia]]<br />[[Coppa Italia (women)]]<br />[[Supercoppa Italiana]]<br />[[Supercoppa Italiana (women)]]
}} 
| intl_list     = {{Plainlist| 
* [[FIFA Club World Cup]] 
* [[UEFA Champions League]]
* [[UEFA Women's Champions League]]
* [[UEFA Europa League]]
* [[UEFA Conference League]] 
* [[UEFA Super Cup]] 
}} 
<!-- AUDIENCE RECORDS -->
| match         = 
| league        = 
}}
[[Association football|Football]] ({{langx|it|calcio}} {{IPA|it|ˈkaltʃo||it-Calcio.ogg}}) is the most popular sport in Italy. The [[Italy national football team]] have won the [[FIFA World Cup]] four times ([[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]], [[1938 FIFA World Cup|1938]], [[1982 FIFA World Cup|1982]], [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006]]), trailing only [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] (with five), runners-up in two finals both against [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]], ([[1970 FIFA World Cup|1970]], [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994]]) and reaching a third place ([[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]]) and a fourth place ([[1978 FIFA World Cup|1978]]). They have also won two [[UEFA European Football Championship|European Championships]] ([[1968 UEFA European Football Championship|1968]] and [[2020 UEFA European Football Championship|2020]]), also appeared in two finals ([[UEFA Euro 2000|2000]], [[UEFA Euro 2012|2012]]), finished third at the [[FIFA Confederations Cup|Confederations Cup]] ([[2013 FIFA Confederations Cup|2013]]) and the [[UEFA Nations League|Nations League]] (2021 and 2023), won one [[Football at the Summer Olympics|Olympic football tournament]] ([[Football at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936]]) and two [[Central European International Cup]]s ([[1927–30 Central European International Cup|1927–30]] and [[1933–35 Central European International Cup|1933–35]]).

Italy's top domestic league, the [[Serie A]], is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world because it is often depicted as the most tactical national football league, and is among the top five European football leagues.<!--http://www.sportfive.com/index.php?id=1182 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://lagardere-se.com/|title=Home page|website=Lagardère Sports and Entertainment|access-date=14 June 2024|archive-date=12 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512094909/https://lagardere-se.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>--> Italy's club sides have won 48 major European trophies, making them the second most successful nation in European football. [[Serie A]] hosts three of the world's most famous clubs as [[Juventus]], [[AC Milan|Milan]], and [[Inter Milan|Inter]], all founding members of the [[G-14]], a group which represented the largest and most prestigious European football clubs; Serie A was the only league to produce three founding members.

Juventus, Milan, and Inter (the Big Three), along with [[AS Roma|Roma]], [[SS Lazio|Lazio]], [[Fiorentina]] and historically [[Parma Calcio 1913|Parma]], but now replaced by [[SSC Napoli|Napoli]] are known as the [[Sette Sorelle (Serie A)|Seven Sisters]] of Italian football due to their popular support and dominance in league and cups between the 1990s and 2020s.{{refn|The Seven Sisters of Italian football was first coined in reference to the seven top Italian clubs, including Juventus, Milan, Inter, Roma, Lazio, Parma, and Fiorentina, all which achieved domestic and continental success, or were among the top seven in each league of the late 1990s and early 2000s.<ref>{{cite web |date=2020 |title=Le 7 sorelle |url=https://www.le7sorelle.it/it/3-le-7-sorelle |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Le 7 sorelle della Serie A |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=9 November 2020 |title='Le 7 Sorelle', una nuova chicca per gli amanti delle maglie vintage |url=https://www.rivistaundici.com/2020/11/09/7-sorelle-calcio-vintage-maglie/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Rivista Undici |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Pavesi |first=Claudio |date=14 November 2020 |title=Come nasce uno store di maglie da calcio vintage? |url=https://www.outpump.com/come-nasce-store-vintage-maglie-calcio-le-7-sorelle/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Outpump |language=it}}</ref> It is recognised as a golden age of Italian football, making Serie A the top European league, and for its many top players, including among others [[Gianluca Vialli]], [[Fabrizio Ravanelli]], [[Alessandro Del Piero]], [[Roberto Baggio]], [[Zinedine Zidane]], [[Gianluigi Buffon]], [[David Trezeguet]], [[Edgar Davids]], [[Didier Deschamps]], [[Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo]], [[Javier Zanetti]], [[Youri Djorkaeff]], [[Giuseppe Bergomi]], [[Roberto Carlos]], [[Álvaro Recoba]], [[Christian Vieri]], [[George Weah]], [[Andriy Shevchenko]], [[Marco van Basten]], [[Paolo Maldini]], [[Franco Baresi]], [[Ruud Gullit]], [[Frank Rijkaard]], [[Serginho (footballer, born 1971)|Serginho]], [[Clarence Seedorf]], [[Andrea Pirlo]], [[Rui Costa]], [[Francesco Totti]], [[Aldair]], [[Cafu]], [[Gabriel Batistuta]], [[Emerson (footballer, born 1976)|Emerson]], [[Walter Samuel]], [[Vincent Candela]], [[Vincenzo Montella]], [[Hidetoshi Nakata]], [[Marco Delvecchio]], [[Pavel Nedvěd]], [[Roberto Mancini]], [[Juan Sebastián Verón]], [[Siniša Mihajlović]], [[Alessandro Nesta]], [[Diego Simeone]], [[Angelo Peruzzi]], [[Marcelo Salas]], [[Simone Inzaghi]], [[Lilian Thuram]], [[Zé Maria (footballer, born 1973)|Zé Maria]], [[Hernán Crespo]], [[Enrico Chiesa]], [[Fernando Couto]], [[Dino Baggio]], [[Gianfranco Zola]], [[Rui Costa]], and [[Francesco Toldo]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Chichiarelli |first=Dante |date=2 December 2020 |title=C'erano una volta le 7 sorelle in Serie A, e facevano paura a tutta Europa |url=https://www.ilcalcioquotidiano.it/cerano-una-volta-le-7-sorelle-in-serie-a/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Il Calcio Quotidiano |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Furii |first=Daniele |date=29 December 2022 |title=Le Sette sorelle del calcio: l'epoca d'oro della Serie A |url=https://www.sisal.it/scommesse-matchpoint/blog/fuori-campo/sette-sorelle-calcio |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Sisal |language=it}}</ref> Although originally used in reference to that specific period and still used to refer to the late 1990s and early 2000s of Italian football,<ref>{{cite web |last=Mastroluca |first=Alessandro |date=16 August 2021 |title=Calciomercato: i favolosi anni '90 delle Sette Sorelle |url=https://www.guerinsportivo.it/news/il-cuoio/2021/08/16-4598422/calciomercato_i_favolosi_anni_90_delle_sette_sorelle |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Guerin Sportivo |language=it}}</ref><ref name="Fava 2020">{{cite web |last=Fava |first=Marco |date=28 April 2020 |title=La Serie A delle Sette Sorelle: l'epoca d'oro del calcio italiano |url=https://www.pokerstarsnews.it/calcio/serie-a-sette-sorelle/7731/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=PokerStars News |language=it}}</ref> the Seven Sisters evolved to become a general concept of Italian football and came to include Napoli and Atalanta, replacing Parma and Fiorentina,<ref>{{cite web |last=Pietrella |first=Francesco |date=25 January 2021 |title=Dal Milan alla Lazio: ecco come sono cambiate le 7 sorelle negli ultimi 30 anni |url=https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/25-01-2021/sette-sorelle-novita-ecco-come-sono-cambiate-vent-anni-400122888085.shtml |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=La Gazzetta dello Sport |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Cerbara |first=Luigi A. |date=15 November 2022 |title=I sette papà delle sette sorelle |url=https://www.passionedelcalcio.it/news/i-sette-papa-delle-sette-sorelle.php |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Passione del Calcio |language=it}}</ref> with both of them having been crippled by debt in the 2000s, and since then and the 2010s the leagues were mainly fought between two clubs.<ref name="Fava 2020"/> Since the 2010s and into 2020s, some spoke of the new Seven Sisters,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/sport/7-sorelle-dellitalcalcio-tornano-spendere-allestero-rilancio-940727.html|title=Le '7 sorelle' dell'Italcalcio tornano a spendere all'estero|website=Il Giornale|language=it|date=3 August 2013|access-date=14 June 2024|archive-date=22 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922232310/https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/sport/7-sorelle-dellitalcalcio-tornano-spendere-allestero-rilancio-940727.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=14 June 2020 |title=Blog Calciomercato.com: Panoramica delle 'nuove' sette sorelle del calcio italiano |url=https://vivoperlei.calciomercato.com/articolo/panoramica-delle-nuove-sette-sorelle-del-calcio-italiano |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Calciomercato.com |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Chiarelli |first=Stefano |date=19 February 2021 |title=Le sette sorelle |url=https://www.ventuno.news/2021/02/le-sette-sorelle/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Ventuno.news |language=it}}</ref> while others expanded it to Eight Sisters and again included Fiorentina;<ref>{{cite web |date=12 September 2022 |title=Serie A: c'erano una volta le sette sorelle |url=https://filodirettomonreale.it/2022/09/12/serie-a-cerano-una-volta-le-sette-sorelle/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Filodiretto Monreale |language=it}}</ref> some also wondered whether the concept was still relevant, citing the big margins from the first to the seventh placed in the [[2021–22 Serie A]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Topello |first=Lorenzo |date=9 March 2022 |title=Serie A – Esistono ancora le 'Sette Sorelle'? Distacco da record in vetta |url=https://www.numericalcio.it/serie-a/serie-a-il-ritorno-delle-sette-sorelle-ce-gia-un-record/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Numeri Calcio |language=it}}</ref>|group=nb}} Italian managers are among the most successful in European football, especially in competitions such as [[List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers|the Champions League]]. More players have won the coveted ''[[Ballon d'Or]]'' award while playing in Serie A than any other league in the world after [[La Liga]].

== History ==
=== Ancient times and ''calcio fiorentino'' ===
[[File:Calcio fiorentino 1688.jpg|thumb|230px|Illustration of a game of ''calcio fiorentino'' from 1688]]
Other forms of [[football]] were played in Italy in ancient times, the earliest of which was ''[[Harpastum]]'', played during the times of the [[Roman Empire]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2004 |title=Roman Football |url=http://www.show.me.uk/site/make/Romans/STO100.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627090352/http://www.show.me.uk/site/make/Romans/STO100.html |archive-date=27 June 2013 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Show Me UK}}</ref> This game may have also been influential in other forms throughout Europe due to the expansion of the Roman Empire, including [[Medieval football]]. From the 16th century onwards, ''[[calcio fiorentino]]'', another code of football distinct from the modern game, was played in the Piazza Santa Croce in [[Florence]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Sulle origini del calcio |encyclopedia=Enciclopedia Illustrata del calcio italiano |last=Roghi |first=Bruno |date=1939 |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=27 December 2013 |title=Al tempo caliginoso di Bruno Roghi |url=https://www.calcioromantico.com/footb/e-il-football-inizio-a-chiamarsi-calcio/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Calcio Romantico |language=it}}</ref> Some famous Florentines were among the players of the game, particularly the [[Medici family]] including [[Piero di Cosimo de' Medici|Piero]], [[Lorenzo de' Medici|Lorenzo]], and [[Alessandro de' Medici]],<ref name="Globe.it 2001">{{cite web| url=http://www.globeit.it/caf/storia5.html| title=Calcio Storico Fiorentino| website=Globeit.it| language=it|date=2001|access-date=14 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709113805/http://www.globeit.it/caf/storia5.html| archive-date=9 July 2007| url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as popes who played the game in the Vatican, such as [[Clement VII]], [[Leo XI]], and [[Urban VIII]].<ref name="Globe.it 2001"/> The name ''calcio'' ("kick") was later adopted for football in Italy (attested first in 1889, "Il Foot-ball ovvero il Giuoco del Calcio"), becoming the synonym for Italian association football worldwide,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Calcio |encyclopedia=Enciclopedia Italiana |url=https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/calcio_res-96648d53-8bac-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_(Enciclopedia-Italiana)/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |last=Roghi |first=Bruno |date=1930 |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=29 December 2013 |title=E il football iniziò a chiamarsi calcio |url=https://www.calcioromantico.com/footb/e-il-football-inizio-a-chiamarsi-calcio-2/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Calcio Romantico |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Cola |first=Simone |date=7 September 2015 |title=Da 'Foot-ball' a 'Calcio': storia del primo campionato in Italia |url=https://www.uomonelpallone.it/da-foot-ball-a-calcio-storia-del-primo-campionato-di-calcio-in-italia/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Uomo nel Pallone |language=it}}</ref> as well as the most popular sport in Italy.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Bill |date=10 March 2014 |title=Italian football counts cost of stagnation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26351331 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109083946/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26351331 |archive-date=9 November 2021 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=BBC News}}</ref>

=== Italian football is born in Turin and Genoa ===
The modern variation of the game was brought to Italy during the 1880s. [[Edoardo Bosio]], a merchant worker in the British textile industry, had visited England and experienced the game. He returned to Turin in 1887 and was motivated to help spread football in his homeland. He founded the first football club in Italy ([[Torino Football and Cricket Club]]) that year, while [[Nobili Torino]] (Turin Nobles) soon followed.<ref>{{cite web |date=6 January 2012 |title=Italian Soccer: Turin |url=http://www.lifeinitaly.com/sport/history-italian-soccer.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627030348/http://www.lifeinitaly.com/sport/history-italian-soccer.asp |archive-date=27 June 2017 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Life in Italy}}</ref> The second club bore the name noble because it contained [[Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi]], and Alfonso Ferrero de Gubernatis Ventimiglia, who would later become president of the [[Italian Football Federation]] (FIGC).<!--<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.figc.it/english/storia/presidenti_intro.htm| title=The Presidents| website=FIGC| access-date=14 June 2024| archive-date=24 June 2004| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040624095820/http://www.figc.it/english/storia/presidenti_intro.htm| url-status=live}}</ref>--> The two merged in 1891 to form Internazionale Football Club Torino.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 September 2000 |title=Die Geschichte des Fussballs |url=http://www.cosmopolis.ch/cosmo18/fussball18.htm |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Cosmpolis |language=de}}</ref><ref name="RSSSF 2004">{{cite web |last1=Acerbi |first1=Enrico |last2=Rota |first2=Davide |last3=Schöggl |first3=Hans |date=2004 |title=Italy – List of FNGI Champions |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/ital-fngichamp.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222165227/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/ital-fngichamp.html |archive-date=22 December 2022 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=RSSSF |postscript=. Updated 10 November 2021}}</ref> [[Genoa Cricket and Football Club]], formed as a cricket club to represent England abroad, was founded by Englishmen in 1893. In 1896, a man named [[James Richardson Spensley]] arrived in [[Genoa]] and introduced the football section of the club, becoming its first manager.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rota |first=Davide |date=1999 |title=English Players in Italy |url=https://www.rsssf.org/players/eng-players-in-it.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070921040533/http://www.rsssf.com/players/eng-players-in-it.html |archive-date=21 September 2007 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=RSSSF |postscript=. Updated 11 July 2001.}}</ref>
Genoa is the oldest Italian football club still active and the one in possession of the oldest founding document.

Some early tournaments were organised by the [[Italian Gymnastics Federation]] (FGI, later named FGNI, ''Federazione Ginnastica Nazionale Italiana'')) between 1895 and 1897 and until 1913. In 1898, a new federation, the future FIGC but then known as Federazione Italiana del Foot-ball (FIF) until 1909,<ref>{{cite web |last=Balocco |first=Simone |date=21 August 2021 |title=La storia del primo campionato italiano di calcio |url=https://www.fattiperlastoria.it/primo-campionato-italiano-di-calcio/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Fatti per la Storia |language=it}}</ref> was formed, centred originally in [[Turin]]. The FIF first president was Mario Vicary.

The FIGC created the [[Italian Football Championship]] with the four founding clubs being; Genoa, [[FBC Torinese|Torinese]], [[RS Ginnastica Torino|Ginnastica Torino]], and Internazionale Torino. Its first competition, the [[1898 Italian Football Championship]], was held at the [[Velodrome Humbert I]] in Turin on 8 May 1898, and was won by Genoa. Genoa won the Italian Football Championship on five out of six occasions, interrupted by [[AC Milan]] in 1901. While it was common for clubs to compete in both FIGC and FGNI competitions early on,<ref name="RSSSF 2004"/> the titles won in the FIGC championship are the only ones officially recognised by the modern-day league.<!--<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lega-calcio.it/ita/atim_albo.shtml |title=Campionato Serie A – Albo D'oro |website=Lega Calcio |access-date=14 June 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824141336/http://www.lega-calcio.it/ita/atim_albo.shtml |archive-date=24 August 2007 }}</ref>-->

From 1904 the replacement tournament called [[Prima Categoria]] was structured into regional groups. Winners of each group participated in a playoff with the eventual winners being declared champions. Between 1905 and 1908, a Final Group among regional champions was contested to award the title and the Spensley Cup. [[Juventus]] won his first title and Spensley Cup in 1905, while the following two championships were won by [[AC Milan|Milan]].<ref name="Melegari 2004, pp. 11–14">{{cite book |title=Almanacco illustrato del calcio. La storia 1898-2004 |date=2004 |publisher=Panini |editor-last=Melegari |editor-first=Fabrizio |location=Modena |pages=11–14 |language=it}}</ref>

=== Italianisation and split of the championship ===
In November 1907, the FIF organised two championships for the 1908 season:<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,0005/articleid,1204_01_1908_0053_0005_17763765/anews,true/|work=La Stampa|title=La gran finale del Campionato Federale|page=5|date=22 February 1908|access-date=17 April 2012|archive-date=29 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729200643/http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,0005/articleid,1204_01_1908_0053_0005_17763765/anews,true/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Chiesa |first=Carlo |title=La grande storia del calcio italiano |date=April 2012 |page=18 |language=it |postscript=. Published in installments on the ''Guerin Sportivo''.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=22 September 2014 |title=1907-1909, La prima scissione del calcio italiano |url=https://www.calcioromantico.com/footb/1907-1909-la-prima-scissione-del-calcio-italiano/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Calcio Romantico |language=it}}</ref>
#Italian Championship: The main tournament where only Italian players were allowed to play; the winners would be proclaimed ''Campioni d'Italia'' (Italian Champions) and would be awarded the Bruni Cup.<ref name="FIGC 2023">{{cite web |date=4 October 2023 |title=I trofei assegnati ai vincitori del campionato italiano dal 1898 ad oggi |url=https://www.figc.it/it/federazione/la-federazione/la-storia-della-federazione-approfondimenti/i-trofei-assegnati-ai-vincitori-del-campionato-italiano-dal-1898-ad-oggi/ |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=FIGC |language=it}}</ref>
#Federal Championship: A secondary tournament where foreign players (if they lived in Italy) were also allowed to play; the winners would be proclaimed ''Campioni Federali'' (Federal Champions) and would be awarded the Spensley Cup.<ref name="FIGC 2023"/>

The FIF wanted to organise two different championships in order to allow weaker clubs, composed only of Italian players (''squadre pure italiane'', "pure Italian teams"), to win the national title, and to relegate simultaneously the big clubs, composed mostly of stronger foreign players (''squadre spurie internazionali'', "spurious international teams") in a minor competition for a "consolation prize".<ref>{{cite news|language=it|url=http://www.byterfly.eu/islandora/object/libria:38456#page/10/mode/2up|author=Giulio Corradino Corradini|title=Federazione acefala|work=La Stampa Sportiva|date=7 June 1908|pages=10–11|access-date=21 September 2018|archive-date=29 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829110124/http://www.byterfly.eu/islandora/object/libria:38456#page/10/mode/2up|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|language=it|url=http://www.digibess.it/fedora/repository/mauto:ssport-00334-0008|author=Giulio Corradino Corradini|title=Ancora sulla questione dei Campionati. La parola ad un dissidente|work=La Stampa Sportiva|date=July 5, 1908|pages=7–8|access-date=21 September 2018|archive-date=30 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830194022/http://www.digibess.it/fedora/repository/mauto:ssport-00334-0008|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|language=it|url=http://www.digibess.it/fedora/repository/mauto:ssport-00343-0004|author=Giulio Corradino Corradini|title=Vexata quaestio|work=La Stampa Sportiva|date=September 6, 1908|page=4|access-date=21 September 2018|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923215303/http://www.digibess.it/fedora/repository/mauto:ssport-00343-0004|url-status=live}}</ref> The majority of big clubs (Genoa, Milan, and [[Torino FC|Torino]]) withdrew from both the championships in order to protest against the autocratic policy of the FIF.

The 1908 Italian Championship and the Bruni Cup were won by [[Pro Vercelli]], beating Juventus, Doria, and [[US Milanese|Milanese]]. The Federal Championship was won by Juventus against Doria,.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,0004/articleid,1205_01_1908_0126_0004_17764343/anews,true/|work=La Stampa|title=La Finale di Campionato a Torino.|page=4|date=7 May 1908|access-date=17 April 2012|archive-date=12 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312204938/http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,0004/articleid,1205_01_1908_0126_0004_17764343/anews,true/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Federal Championship won by Juventus was later forgotten by FIGC due to the boycott by the dissident clubs.<ref name="De Girolamo Del Mauro 2019">{{cite web |last=De Girolamo Del Mauro |first=Lorenzo |date=27 April 2019 |title=Storia: i due Scudetti dimenticati della Juve ai primi del '900 |url=https://www.signoramiacalcionews.com/statistiche-e-precedenti/storia-i-due-scudetti-dimenticati-della-juve-ai-primi-del-900/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Signora Mia Calcio News |language=it}}</ref> 1908 also saw a scission within Milan that led to the foundation of [[Inter Milan|Inter]].<ref>{{cite web |date=11 September 2023 |title=Focus: il campionato si divide in due, 'italiano' e 'federale' |url=https://www.figc.it/it/federazione/la-federazione/la-storia-della-federazione-approfondimenti/focus-il-campionato-si-divide-in-due-italiano-e-federale/ |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=FIGC |language=it}}</ref>

In the 1909 Italian football season, the two different championships were organised again, with the Oberti Cup in lieu of the Spensley Cup for the Federal Championship. This time, the majority of big clubs decided to only withdraw from the Italian Championship in order to make the Federal competition the most relevant tournament and to diminish the Italian one. The Federal Championship was won by Pro Vercelli, beating Milanese in the Final, while the Italian Championship was won by Juventus, again beating Milanese in the Final.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,0005/articleid,1202_01_1909_0156_0005_24222738/anews,true/|work=La Stampa|title=Il F.C. Juventus vince il Campionato Italiano.|page=5|date=7 June 1909|access-date=17 April 2012|archive-date=17 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717231631/http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,0005/articleid,1202_01_1909_0156_0005_24222738/anews,true/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ultimately, the dissenters' strategy worked out, as the failure of the Italian Championship won by Juventus forced the FIGC to later recognise the Federal Champions of Pro Vercelli as "Campioni d'Italia 1909", disavowing the other tournament and depriving Juventus of another title.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 2012 |title=Alla Juve mancano due scudetti! E non quelli revocati... |magazine=Guerin Sportivo |language=it}}</ref>{{refn|Even when these lost two ''[[scudetti]]'' by Juventus attracted attention into the 21st century, the club did not appeal to have them recognised and the FIGC ignored it, and others, including the prestigious ''[[Guerin Sportivo]]'' and Juworld.net,<ref name="Velluso 2012">{{cite web |last=Velluso |first=Vincenzo Maria |date=15 April 2012 |title=Juventus, Guerin Sportivo: 'Alla Juve mancano due scudetti!'. E non quelli revocati... |url=https://www.soccermagazine.it/serie-a/juventus-guerin-sportivo-alla-juve-mancano-due-scudetti-e-non-quelli-revocati-65338/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Soccer Magazine |language=it}}</ref><ref name="Calciomercato.com 2012">{{cite web |date=11 May 2012 |title=Scudetti Juventus: c'è chi dice 32! |url=https://www.calciomercato.com/news/scudetti-juventus-c-e-chi-dice-32-860454 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Calciomercato.com |language=it}}</ref> questioned the events, saying it is not clear after many years why the only recognised official championship was the one won by Pro Vercelli, and why in practice the Italian Championship was recognised as official for one year and the Federal Championship for another year.<ref name="De Girolamo Del Mauro 2019"/><ref name="Velluso 2012"/><ref name="Calciomercato.com 2012"/> In a 2012 interview to Sky Sport Italia, the then ''Guerin Sportivo'' director Matteo Marani suggested the same solution that was achieved in 1922 when both Pro Vercelli and Novese were recognised as champions, since FIGC recognised as a valid ''scudetto'' in all respects the one won by Pro Vercelli in a championship organised by a federation (the CCI) that was born in open contrast and opposition to the FIGC itself. He said: "I am not saying that it should be taken away from Pro Vercelli, but two [''scudetti''] should be given. The [Italian] Football Federation itself, at the moment in which there is a historical act that establishes it, must discuss it, I do not think it can pass in silence."<ref name="Velluso 2012"/>|group=nb}}

The format was modified for the [[1909–10 Prima Categoria]], which was played in a league format. Nine clubs participated, playing each other both home and away. The split between Federal and Italian championship was not completely abolished because, while unifying these tournaments, it was decided for the last time to assign two titles at the end of the season. In fact, the FIGC established to proclaim as Federal Champions (now turned into the main title) the first-placed club in the general classification, while recognised as Italian Champions (now become the secondary title) would be the best placed club among the four "pure Italian teams", depending on the head-to-head matches.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chiesa |first=Carlo |title=La grande storia del calcio italiano |date=April 2012 |pages=24–25 |language=it |postscript=. Published in installments on the ''Guerin Sportivo''.}}</ref> At the end of the season, Pro Vercelli and Inter finished joint-top, so a playoff was needed in order to assign the Federal title (the Italian one was won by Pro Vercelli). This season was the first victory for Inter, having defeated Pro Vercelli in the final by a score of 10–3. Even the Italian title won by Pro Vercelli was later forgotten.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gullo |first1=Francesco |last2=Kungler |first2=Peter |last3=Mariani |first3=Maurizio |date=2001 |title=Italy – Championship History 1898–1923 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/italhist98-25.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202003729/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/italhist98-25.html |archive-date=2 December 2022 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=RSSSF |postscript=. Updated 13 May 2020.}}</ref>

== National championship ==
{{main|Italian football league system}}
A first national competition organised by the Italian Gymnastics Federation (FGNI–FGI) was played in 1896, the same year of the first modern [[Olympic Games]], and won by a team from [[Udine]], an Italian northeast city in the [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]] region, named [[Udinese Calcio|Udinese]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Ciccarelli |first=Raffaele |date=23 July 2021 |title=8 Maggio 1898: il primo campionato italiano |url=https://www.glieroidelcalcio.com/8-maggio-1898-il-primo-campionato-italiano/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Gli Eroi del Calcio |language=it}}</ref> In 1897, a second national gymnastic-football tournament was won by SG Torinese.<ref>{{cite news |date=2 November 1897 |title=Il match al 'Foot-Ball' |url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,2/articleid,1226_01_1897_0303_0002_17998243/anews,true/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |work=La Stampa |page=2}}</ref> In 1898, the Federazione Italiana del Foot-ball (FIF–FIGC) was finally formed and the first national championship was organised, with regional tournaments and playoffs. Held in Turin on the occasion of the [[International Exhibition]] for the fiftieth anniversary of the [[Albertine Statute]],<ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2018 |title=Accadde oggi: 120 anni fa la prima Serie A |url=https://sport.sky.it/calcio/serie-a/2018/05/08/accadde-oggi-primo-campionato-serie-a |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Sky Sport Italia |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gualano |first=Leonardo |date=4 July 2021 |title=Chi ha vinto il primo Scudetto della storia in Italia? |url=https://www.goal.com/it/notizie/chi-ha-vinto-primo-scudetto-storia-italia/1j31sz8rrt4gq1c51cb83wfv9a |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Goal.com |language=it}}</ref> with about one hundred spectators in attendance, it included four clubs,<ref>{{cite web |date=11 May 2024 |title=Il primo campionato di calcio della storia |url=https://www.campionicalcio.com/storie-calcio/il-primo-campionato-di-calcio-della-storia/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Campioni Calcio |language=it}}</ref> three matches,<ref>{{cite web |date=2021 |title=Chi ha vinto il primo campionato italiano di calcio? |url=https://www.paginainizio.com/genio/chi-ha-vinto-il-primo-campionato-italiano-di-calcio.html |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=PaginaInizio.com |language=it}}</ref> and lasted a single day.<ref>{{cite web |date=18 April 2019 |title=Primo campionato di calcio |url=https://www.raicultura.it/storia/accadde-oggi/Primo-campionato-di-calcio-3ada2501-29b9-472b-af78-b6554d5cc434.html |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Rai Cultura |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Valtieri |first=Simone |date=22 January 2023 |title=Quanto durò il primo Campionato italiano di calcio? |url=https://www.focus.it/cultura/curiosita/quanto-duro-il-primo-campionato-italiano-di-calcio |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Focus.it |language=it}}</ref> This is considered to be the first proper national football championship and was won using the [[Pyramid formation (2–3–5)]] by Genoa,<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 October 2019 |title=La storia del primo campionato di Serie A |url=https://www.ilpost.it/2019/10/06/prima-serie-a-1929/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Il Post |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2023 |title=Genoa, 125 anni dalla conquista del primo scudetto della storia |url=https://www.genovatoday.it/sport/calcio/genoa-anniversario-primo-scudetto.html |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=GenovaToday |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2024 |title=Serie A. Esattamente l'8 maggio di 126 anni fa il primo campionato italiano di calcio<!-- - Italia--> |url=https://www.tuttocampo.it/Italia/News/1648206/serie-a-esattamente-l-8-maggio-di-126-anni-fa-il-primo-campionato-italiano-di-calcio |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Tuttocampo.it |language=it}}</ref> which then went on to win five more championships in six years.<ref>{{cite web |date=22 April 2024 |title=Albo d'Oro Serie A: tutte le squadre vincitrici dello Scudetto |url=https://sport.virgilio.it/serie-a-albo-doro-tutti-le-squadre-vincitrici-del-campionato-111936 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Virgilio Sport |language=it}}</ref> ''Caffaro'', a newspaper in Genoa, headlined "The Genoese winners of the national championship", while another reported that the competitors gathered at a restaurant, where they had dinner and the championship cup was delivered to the winning team.<ref>{{cite web |date=10 July 2013 |title=8 maggio 1898: il Primo Campionato Italiano di Calcio |url=https://storia.calcioitaliastory.it/dal-1890-al-1915/1898-genoa/camp1898/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Storia del Calcio e storia d'Italia |language=it}}</ref> To celebrate the event of the first national football championship, Franco Bernini wrote a book in 2005 entitled ''La prima volta''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ormezzano |first=Gian Paolo |date=15 June 2005 |title=Quando la finta era vietata. Nel 1898, a Torino, il primo campionato di calcio |url=http://www.museorealeginnastica.it/sites/default/files/calcio.pdf |access-date=14 June 2024 |work=La Stampa |page=37 |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2020 |title=Il primo Campionato di calcio <!--{{!}} Museo Virtuale - Reale Società Ginnastica di Torino--> |url=http://www.museorealeginnastica.it/?q=node/62 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Museo Reale Ginnastica |language=it}}</ref>

== National teams ==
{{main|Italy national football team}}
The Italy national football team, called ''Azzurri'' or ''squadra azzurra'' for their blue shirts, are the third-most successful national team in the World Cup for number of medals. During the 1970s to early 1990s, Italy became famous for their ''[[catenaccio]]'', thus heralding a long line of world class defenders, such as [[Virginio Rosetta]], [[Pietro Rava]], [[Carlo Parola]], [[Giacinto Facchetti]], [[Armando Picchi]], [[Gaetano Scirea]], [[Antonio Cabrini]], [[Claudio Gentile]], [[Franco Baresi]], [[Giuseppe Bergomi]], [[Paolo Maldini]], [[Alessandro Nesta]], [[Fabio Cannavaro]], [[Andrea Barzagli]], [[Leonardo Bonucci]], and [[Giorgio Chiellini]]. Defence is traditionally the best part of Italian teams, and Italian defence is generally considered historically the best in the world.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} A [[Italy women's national football team|women's team]], an [[Italy national under-21 football team|under-21 team]], an [[Italy national under-20 football team|under-20 team]], an [[Italy national under-19 football team|under-19 team]], and an [[Italy national under-17 football team|under-17 team]] also compete.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} Their honours include:{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

{| class="wikitable" width=30% style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;"
|-
!Competition !!{{gold1}} !!{{silver2}} !!{{bronze3}} !!Total
|-
|align=left|[[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]]
|4 || 2 || 1 || 7
|-
|align=left|[[Football at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|1 || 0 || 2 || 3
|-
|align=left|[[FIFA Confederations Cup|Confederations Cup]]
|0 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
|align=left|[[UEFA European Championship|European Championship]]
|2 || 2 || 1 || 5
|-
|align=left|[[Central European International Cup]]
|2 || 2 || 0 || 4
|-
! Total !! 9 !! 6 !! 5 !! 20
|}

=== World Champions squads ===
* [[1934 FIFA World Cup squads#Italy|1934 FIFA World Cup squad]]
* [[1938 FIFA World Cup squads#Italy|1938 FIFA World Cup squad]]
* [[1982 FIFA World Cup squads#Italy|1982 FIFA World Cup squad]]
* [[2006 FIFA World Cup squads#Italy|2006 FIFA World Cup squad]]

=== European Champions squads ===
* [[UEFA Euro 1968 squads#Italy|UEFA Euro 1968 squad]]
* [[UEFA Euro 2020 squads#Italy|UEFA Euro 2020 squad]]

== European competitions for clubs ==
* 9 [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental]]/[[FIFA Club World Cup|Club World Cups]] won in 13 finals (tied for third behind Spain and Brazil)
* 12 [[UEFA Champions League|UEFA European Cups/Champions Leagues]] won in 30 finals (third behind Spain and England)
* 7 [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]s won in 11 finals (tied for second behind England)
* 10 [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cups/Europa Leagues]] won in 18 finals (tied for second behind Spain)
* 1 [[UEFA Conference League]] won in 3 finals (tied for second behind England)
* 9 [[UEFA Super Cup]]s won in 14 finals (third behind Spain and England)

In total:
* Italy, 48 cups and 89 finals (second behind Spain)

=== UEFA Champions League ===
The following teams have reached the final of the UEFA European Cup/Champions League. '''Bold''' indicates winners, ''italics'' indicates runner-ups.
* [[ACF Fiorentina|Fiorentina]] (''[[1956–57 European Cup|1956–57]]'')
* [[Inter Milan|Internazionale]] ('''[[1963–64 European Cup|1963–64]]''', '''[[1964–65 European Cup|1964–65]]''', ''[[1966–67 European Cup|1966–67]]'', ''[[1971–72 European Cup|1971–72]]'', '''[[2009–10 UEFA Champions League|2009–10]]''', ''[[2022–23 UEFA Champions League|2022–23]]'', ''[[2024–25 UEFA Champions League|2024–25]]'')
* [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] (''[[1972–73 European Cup|1972–73]]'', ''[[1982–83 European Cup|1982–83]]'', '''[[1984–85 European Cup|1984–85]]''', '''[[1995–96 UEFA Champions League|1995–96]]''', ''[[1996–97 UEFA Champions League|1996–97]]'', ''[[1997–98 UEFA Champions League|1997–98]]'', ''[[2002–03 UEFA Champions League|2002–03]]'', ''[[2014–15 UEFA Champions League|2014–15]]'', ''[[2016–17 UEFA Champions League|2016–17]]'')
* [[AC Milan|Milan]] (''[[1957–58 European Cup|1957–58]]'', '''[[1962–63 European Cup|1962–63]]''', '''[[1968–69 European Cup|1968–69]]''', '''[[1988–89 European Cup|1988–89]]''', '''[[1989–90 European Cup|1989–90]]''', ''[[1992–93 UEFA Champions League|1992–93]]'', '''[[1993–94 UEFA Champions League|1993–94]]''', ''[[1994–95 UEFA Champions League|1994–95]]'', '''[[2002–03 UEFA Champions League|2002–03]]''', ''[[2004–05 UEFA Champions League|2004–05]]'', '''[[2006–07 UEFA Champions League|2006–07]]''')
* [[AS Roma|Roma]] (''[[1983–84 European Cup|1983–84]]'')
* [[UC Sampdoria|Sampdoria]] (''[[1991–92 European Cup|1991–92]]'')

== Italian football stadiums ==
Stadiums with a capacity of 40,000 or higher are included.
{{row counter|{| class{{=}}"wikitable sortable"
!No. !! Image !! Stadium !! Capacity !! City !! Region !! Home team !! Opened !! Renovated !! Notes
|-
|_row_count || [[File:San Siro 237.jpg|150px]] || [[San Siro]] || 80,018 || [[Milan]] || {{flag|Lombardy}} || [[AC Milan|Milan]] and [[Inter Milan|Inter]] || 1926 || 1935, 1955, 1990, 2015–2016 || [[UEFA stadium categories|UEFA Category 4 stadium]]<!--<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.worldstadiumdatabase.com/san-siro-stadium-milan-in-italy.htm | title=San Siro |website= World Stadium Database |date=2012|access-date=14 June 2024}}</ref>-->
|-
|_row_count || [[File:2012-03-17_ITA_-_SCO_prematch.jpg|150px]] || [[Stadio Olimpico]] || 70,634 || [[Rome]] || {{flag|Lazio}} || [[AS Roma|Roma]] and [[SS Lazio|Lazio]] || 1937 || 1953, 1990 || [[UEFA stadium categories|UEFA Category 4 stadium]]
|-
|_row_count || [[File:Stadiosannicola2023.jpg|150px]] || [[Stadio San Nicola]] || 58,270 || [[Bari]] || {{flag|Apulia}} || [[AS Bari|Bari]] || 1990 || || [[UEFA stadium categories|UEFA Category 3 stadium]]<!--<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.worldstadiumdatabase.com/stadio-san-nicola-stadium-bari-in-italy.htm | title=Stadio San Nicola |website= World Stadium Database |date=2011|access-date=14 June 2024}}</ref>-->
|-
|_row_count || [[File:Stadio Maradona Serie A.jpg|150px]] || [[Stadio Diego Armando Maradona]] || 54,726 || [[Naples]] || {{flag|Campania}} || [[SSC Napoli|Napoli]] || 1959 || 1990, 2010, 2019
|-
|_row_count || [[File:Soccer in Florence, Italy, 2007.jpg|150px]] || [[Stadio Artemio Franchi (Florence)|Stadio Artemio Franchi]] || 43,147 || [[Florence]] || {{flag|Tuscany}} || [[ACF Fiorentina|Fiorentina]] || 1931 || 1990
|-
|_row_count || [[File:Juventus v Real Madrid, Champions League, Stadium, Turin, 2013.jpg|150px]] || [[Juventus Stadium]] || 41,570 || [[Turin]] || {{flag|Piedmont}} || [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] || 2011 || || [[UEFA stadium categories|UEFA Category 4 stadium]]
|-
|}
}}

== See also ==
* [[List of football stadiums in Italy]]
* [[Women's football in Italy]]
* [[History of the first football clubs in Italy]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=nb}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Association football in Italy}}

{{Football in Italy}}
{{Football in Europe}}
{{Sport in Italy}}
{{Italy topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Football in Italy}}
[[Category:Football in Italy| ]]