Italian League NEWS

Lega Calcio Serie A

Published by Robert Nolan on December 9, 2008

Officially recognized as Lega Calcio Serie A TIM, due to sponsorship, Serie A marks zenith of Italian football clubs. From 1898 to 1922, this contest between Italy?s finest was structured through regional grouping. This form underwent a few changes, and eventually emerged as the Serie A that we know today. It is widely regarded as one of the top football leagues in the world, along with the Premier League (England), and the La Liga (Spain).

Let us go a little further behind the Serie A to examine the emergence of football leagues, shall we? English immigrants were the ones to first start a league (sometime around the year 1891), and it was separate for Italians and foreigners, but they merged sometime around 1897. Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club (now called as Genoa Cricket and Football club) was the first club that was established. In 1898, the Italian Football Federation was established in Turin, with four clubs. These four were Genoa, Internazionale di Torino, FC Torinese and the Societ? Ginnastica di Torino. It is interesting to note that there were other football clubs that existed around this time, but refrained from joining the league. What is even more interesting is that the entire first season of Italian league football was finished in one single day! Genoa claimed the title beating Internazionale Torino 2-1 in the final. This was the remarkable first season in Italian football.

Apart from some shrewd tactical football that this league has been known for, the statistics that they can boast of are almost unmatched, the world over. The highest number of European Cup finalists has come from Serie A. That number is a mammoth 25, boasting of 11 wins in the process. Also, the Ballon d?Or, the most prestigious award for a footballer, has been won most times by players playing at a Serie A club. AC Milan, one of the heavyweights of this league, has won the most international titles in the world (18 ? jointly with CA Boca Juniors), and Juventus has the distinction of being the only club on the face of the earth to have won all official club competitions! So, dear readers, remember that apart from the definition of defending, this league possesses a whole lot more to it!

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