A police presence awaits at the away entrance for the twenty or so Mestre fans who made the trip to play Pro Vercelli | Playing for Italy. In a Venetian Piazza, far from the bustle of the tourist attractions, a young boy dreams of representing the Azzurri. | Chievo fans give their favourites a ticker-tape welcome at the Stadio Bentegodi in Verona | Prima Durante Dopo. Before During After proclaims a well travelled banner, as Atalanta fans welcome their team onto the pitch at Parma. | L'Inferno. Milan fans at the San Siro create a deafening and visually stirring atmosphere to inspire their heroes. |
Ingresso. Entrance sign at the now dilapidated Stadio Filadelfia, home of Torino until 1948. | A green flare on the Curva Andrea Costa at Bologna | Hero and Legend. Local boy Agostino Di Bartolomei led Roma to only their second championship in 1983. Twenty years later his picture still adorns an artisan’s shop window in Rome. | Pride of Liguria. A fan of Sampdoria shows his allegience to his team. | Ciro Ferrara, seen here whilst with Juventus had one of the most successful careers earning seven Scudetti |
Pre match tension is etched on the faces of Bologna players entering the field at Vicenza. | Hellas Verona support on the curva at the Stadio Bentegodi await the entrance of the teams, flares at the ready. | Nerves on edge a Chievo fan on the curva demonstrates his passion for the team | Vinci Per Noi. Win for us. Incongruously just a short vaporetta ride along the Grand Canal and the Piazza San Marco, fans of Venezia create an equally memorable spectacle. | Inter fans at the San Siro |
Trentino forward Mattia Nicolini can't believe it as a chance goes begging against Mezzocorona | Roberto Baggio, the greatest ‘fantasista’ in Italy in modern times, as he illuminated the game with his genius in a career spanning an incredible 22 seasons. | Francesco Totti faces the cameras after ninety minutes of perspiration and inspiration, that saw his hat-trick at Brescia earn Roma the three points in a five goal thriller. | Game over and Roma fans head home by the thousand on vespas. | Italy have won the World Cup for A fourth time and a fan in Soho, London kisses the national badge |
