About Italian Soccer

The devotion of Italians to their favorite soccer clubs is only one sign of the sport's presence in daily life. Aspiring players go from school yards and amateur pitches to jockey for positions with professional clubs. Cities from Turin to Palermo feature soccer stadiums that accommodate energetic fans throughout the year. The country also hosts myriad brands and retailers devoted to soccer fashion. These complexities provide insight into the popularity of soccer throughout Italy.

  1. Training

    • Young soccer players throughout Italy improve their skills through soccer academies. These academies are typically affiliated with professional clubs looking for new talent. An example of the Italian soccer academy is the Ascoli Soccer Academy in Perugia. This academy features a yearlong soccer program that allows promising players to train and play with experienced coaches. Ascoli Soccer Academy and other schools also train coaches for careers at the professional level. Exceptional graduates from Ascoli Soccer Academy try out for sponsoring clubs like AC Bologna to earn contracts.

    Professional Leagues

    • The pinnacle of Italian professional soccer is the Lega Calcio. This premier league features 42 teams within two divisions, Serie A and Serie B. Professional soccer in Italy spans ten divisions from the Lega Calcio down to the Terza Categoria. Leading teams in lower leagues can rise to higher divisions as last-place teams are demoted at the end of each season. The top four teams in the Lega Calcio earn slots in the annual Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League. The league’s fifth-place and sixth-place finishers participate in the lesser UEFA Europa League tournament.

    Italian National Team

    • The Federazione Italiana Giuco Calcio (FIGC) oversees the selection and funding of the Italian national team. The Italian national team is nicknamed the Azzurri and wears blue and white uniforms in international competition. The FIGC has overseen four World Cup championships in 17 appearances for the Italian national team with the most recent success in 2006. The Azzurri have also participated in seven UEFA European Championships with a championship in 1968. The FIGC led the Azzurri to a single FIFA Confederations Cup appearance in 2009.

    Stadiums

    • World Stadiums counts 274 former and current soccer stadiums in Italy as of June 2010. These stadiums include a handful of facilities built before 1960 still used by Italian professional teams. Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan is an 85,000-seat stadium that was built in 1925. This stadium has been home of Lega Calcio club AC Milan since opening its doors. ACF Fiorentina has been housed in the 47,232-seat Stadio Artemio Franchi since 1931. The 24,400-seat Stadio Adriatico was built in 1955 as the home of Pescara Calcio.

    Soccer Brands

    • The historical popularity of soccer in Italy is reflected in the rise of domestic soccer brands. Kappa has been creating shoes and jerseys for soccer teams like AC Torino since opening in 1916. Diadora was founded in Veneto in 1948 and produces soccer apparel for teams worldwide. Lotto Sport Italia has been producing soccer gear for Italian teams since opening its first plant in Treviso in 1973. These Italian soccer brands work with soccer academies and leagues to outfit players. Lotto Sport Italia has been a sponsor of clubs like Calcio Padora and ACF Fiorentina since the 1970s.