The Gentleman Ultra: Recent Episodes
The Gentleman Ultra
We bring nostalgia, history and tales from both within and beyond Calcio’s four white lines. This is Italian Football through our eyes. This is the Gentleman Ultra.
Richard, Luca and Emmet reunite for the second consecutive week to discuss the upcoming Napoli against Milan game, and delve into Emmet's piece on the epic encounter between the two sides from May 1988, which included Maradona, Sacchi, whispers of Camorra influence, Van Basten and Gullit's dreadlocks.
After a prolonged absence, The Gentleman Ultra podcast is back in business! To kickstart the 2023/24 season, we have got the band back together.
Richard Hall is joined by Luca Hodges-Ramon and Emmet Gates - the old guard of TGU - to discuss Italy's defeat to England in the Euro 2024 qualifier, who are favourites to win the Scudetto, and the top 10 Italian misters of all time.
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with sports writer, broadcaster and co-host of Serie A Chronicles Podcast Nicky Bandini.
Frank sits down with Nicky to talk about how she got her start in journalism and almost stumbled into football writing, Roberto Baggio, her Italian heritage and family holidays to Italy, the influence her family has had on her career and perspective on life, finding your own voice, working with good people, making human connections, writing about Serie A, the next WWE superstar 'The Night Uploader' and much more. Enjoy the conversation.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Nicky on Twitter at @NickyBandini
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with filmmaker Duncan McMath.
Duncan wrote and produced the incredible 'The Phenomenon: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of Ronaldo' documentary.
Frank sits down with Duncan to talk about how the he ended up in Spain working with the likes of Guillem Balague, Sid Lowe, Graham Hunter and La Liga TV, how the Ronaldo documentary came about and how he had to tailor his pitch to the Brazilian legend, why everyone loves Ronaldo, the Ronaldo redemption story, his career in the Netherlands, Spain and Italy and the battles on and off the field, the good and bad of Ronaldo's time at Inter Milan, the emotions behind the documentary and watching the film with Ronaldo and much more. Enjoy the conversation.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Duncan on Twitter at @dj_mcmath
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with the football commentator Adam Summerton.
Frank sits down with Adam to discuss his interest in Serie A, why he loves commentating on Italian football, getting his commentary start in radio and how it differs from commentating on television and why radio remains important, visiting Italy and the San Siro, following Serie A back in the day, the language of football in English and Italian and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Adam on Twitter at @adamsummerton
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with the producer of Serie A Chronicles podcast, Calcio and AS Roma fan Simon Causerano.
Frank sits down with Simon to discuss podcasting, his love of Calcio and AS Roma, growing up in and around the Italian community in Western Australia, Serie A Chronicles Podcast and how it began, his memorable experiences at the 2006 World Cup following the Azzurri and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Simon on Twitter at @SimonChronicles and the Serie A Chronicles Podcast at @serieAchronpod
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with Australian broadcasting legend, ex-football commentator and cycling reporter and presenter Mike Tomalaris.
Frank sits down with Mike to discuss his early days working in journalism, commentating at Australian National Soccer League games and his start on Australian TV, his transition to working in cycling, the benefits of cycling both physically and mentally, working at every Tour De France since the mid 90s' and at multiple FIFA World Cups, how the two sports differ in analysis and coverage, mental health and his charity work and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find Mike on Twitter at @miketomalaris, his Sydney to Surfers Youth off the Streets charity and @YOTSAustralia.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with the author of the legendary football book 'Calcio' John Foot to discuss his new book 'Blood and Power - The Rise and Fall of Italian Fascism'.
Frank sits down with John to discuss the process in writing his new book, the comparison between researching and writing his previous books, how Fascism in Italy used sport as a propaganda weapon, Benito Mussolini and Italian fascism, the movements rise to power and its bloody demise, the impact the regional divide played on fascism and the national football team and its players, what fascism did for Calcio and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find John on Twitter at @Footymac
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with journalist, broadcaster and Calcio fan Sam Delaney.
As well as respectively hosting and co-hosting the 'The Reset' and 'You Irons' podcast, Sam has recently authored and released a bestselling book called 'Sort Your Head Out - Mental Health without all the Bollocks'.
Frank sits down with Sam to discuss his book and why he wrote it, his battle with mental health and addiction, how football and alcohol were intrinsically linked, his early days in London, drinking and drug habits and the process to recovery, sobriety and his support network.
Sam then talks about travelling to Italy for the first time and visiting Rome and Sardinia, watching Serie A football in the late 80s and early 90s', his Italian family and the influence they've had on his life, supporting Lazio, attending multiple European finals, playing Subbuteo and why it always ended up in chaos, and his memorable day with the legendary Italian referee Pierluigi Collina as well as much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Sam on Twitter at @DelaneyMan and Sam's link tree page here.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with Napoli fan and author of the Change Games blog Art Morelli.
Frank sits down with Art to discuss his Napoli fandom, past and present Napoli, what a Scudetto would mean to Naples, the people and the city, the differences as a fan watching both the North American sports and Calcio, parody in Serie A and Italian football, his Change Games blog, how his work in business improvement relates to sport and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Art on Twitter at @ArtMorelli and his blog at Change Games
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down with writer, Lega PRO expert and Calcio fan Andy Wallace.
Frank and Andy's chat's a perfect accompaniment to Andy's work on the Gentleman Ultra All-Star Lower League XI and 99 Legends of Calcio.
Andy is besotted with the magical world of lower league Italian football and it tells as he delves into his 99 Legends of Calcio piece and how it came about and then runs through each region to visit some former Serie A clubs to give us a rundown on the state and health of each club - including Mantova, Piacenza, Triestina, Reggiana, Cesena, Foggia, Crotone, Catanzaro to name a few - as well as a quick review of the Lega Pro season so far and what's in store for the playoffs.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Andy at @CCalcistica on Twitter.
You can find Frank at @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with Michigan State University Professor of history, Calcio fan and author Peter Alegi. Frank sits down with Peter to discuss his early days in Rome, making the move to the United States as a teenager, following Juventus and the Azzurri, his work in South Africa and its legacy, moving between continents and the perspective it continues to give him on life and football, his love of Subbuteo, the Global Soccer class he runs at MSU and its origins, Roberto Baggio and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Peter on Twitter at @_futbolprof
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with the Rome-based freelance journalist and Lazio fan Alasdair Mackenzie.
Frank sits down with Alasdair to discuss his early days following football, making the move to Italy, the life of a freelance journalist in Italy, the matchday experience in Italy and in particular in Rome, watching Lazio and starting The Lazio Lounge, Italian bureaucracy, his alter ego as Alessandro Moretti, the good and the bad of Italian football, how it compares to covering other sports and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Alasdair on Twitter at @aksmackenzie and the Lazio Lounge at @Lazio_Lounge
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with the former Ajax and Napoli defender, Dutch national team icon and footballing legend Ruud Krol.
Frank sits down with Ruud to discuss his early playing days at Ajax Amsterdam, playing for Rinus Michels and Stefan Kovacs, being a part of the early dominant 70s' Ajax side, playing with and without Johan Cryuff, why he and his team-mates curiosity led to moves abroad, European away days as well as his time with the Dutch national team at the both the 1974 and 1978 World Cup.
Ruud then takes us on a deep dive on how he ended up making the move to Naples for his legendary four-year spell, why the move nearly didn't happen, what it was like playing Serie A in the early 80s', life on and off the field in Naples, his relationship with the city and the club, former team-mates and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with the New Zealand and Empoli left-back Libby Cacace.
Frank sits down with Libby to discuss how the All Whites' defender made the move to Empoli, his transition from New Zealand to Serie A, life in Tuscany, growing up watching the Azzurri and Serie A, his Italian background and connection to Naples, Wellington Phoenix and pathways, academy life in New Zealand, learning to play as a fullback, New Zealanders in Italy and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with the co-editor of The Gentleman Ultra, writer, lecturer, In The Shadow of Vesuvio podcast co-host and Napoli fan Henry Bell.
Frank sits down with Henry to discuss where his love of Italian football came from, the impact Paul Gascoigne's move and Italia 90' had on his childhood, supporting Napoli and why it's so special, growing up in the UK following Serie A as well as how he can intertwine Calcio into his 'day job'.
Henry talks about time spent in Sardinia and the footballing prowess of a certain small village, Napoli's past and present, what Napoli needs to do to immerse itself in the local community, travelling to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for the first time, social media and its impact on the Italian footballing community, visiting Naples, why he loves Mario Rui and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and of Calcio and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Henry on Twitter at @HenryBellCalcio
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with author, writer and Hellas Verona fan Rick Hough.
Frank sits down with Rick to discuss writing about football, life as a local Hellas Verona supporter and visiting the Bentegodi for the first time.
Rick talks about Hellas Verona's past and present, the reputation of the club at home and abroad, life in Italy, wartime Verona, his move to Italy from Scotland, Scottish players in Serie A, raising a family in Verona and much more.
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and of Calcio and is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Rick on Twitter at @rick_hough and his blog http://www.notesfromverona.com/.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto speaks with football journalist, Football Ramble and TalkSport regular, and the author of 'Football Murals', Andy Brassell.
Frank sits down with Andy to discuss his early days in football, his love and support for Wimbledon, Italia 90' and its impact on and off the field, Diego Maradona, Naples and watching Italian football in the 90s', visiting the Stadio Olimpico for the first time with his AS Roma supporting son, Dries Mertens and Mauro Icardi, Classic Serie A kits, Gabriel Batistuta and much more.
Enjoy the conversation and enjoy your Calcio!
You can find Andy on Twitter at @andybrassell.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra and at https://gentlemanultra.com
Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and of Calcio and is greatly appreciated.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is the author of 20 Great Italian Games Vol 1 & 2, Football Italia contributor and co-host of the Rigore Podcast, Giancarlo Rinaldi.
** Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast.
It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and of Calcio and is greatly appreciated. **
Thanks for listening.
You can find Giancarlo on Twitter at @ginkers and @Rigorepod
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Paramount Plus and CBS Sports lead football commentator, Andres Cordero.
** Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast.
It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and of Calcio and is greatly appreciated. **
Thanks for listening.
You can find Andres on Twitter at @DreCordero
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is football broadcaster, commentator and the host and producer of the Lega Football podcast, David Ferrini.
** Please don't forget to follow, share and rate and review the podcast.
It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and of Calcio and is greatly appreciated. **
Thanks for listening.
You can find David on Twitter at @davidferrini_ and Lega Football podcast at @LegaFootball
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is historian, research director and author John Foot.
John's responsible for arguably the greatest Italian football book in English, 'Calcio. The History of Italian Football' as well as other titles such as 'Pedalare! Pedalare! The History of Italian Cycling' and the recently released 'Blood and Power. The Rise and Fall of Italian Fascism'.
This was an early morning chat before coffee so apologies if we got a World Cup year or two wrong.
Please don't forget to follow, share, and rate and review the podcast. It all helps to spread the word of the podcast and of Calcio and is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for listening.
You can find John on Twitter at @Footymac
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Simon Causerano, producer extraordinaire for Media Chronicles, the Australian production company that brings us Serie A Chronicles hosted by Nicky Bandini and Mina Rzouki.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Serie A Chronicles on Twitter at @serieAchronpod and Simon at @SimonChronicles
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Stuart Horsfield, the author of '1982 Brazil. The Glorious Failure' and a member of the leadership team for These Football Times.
Stuart has written a follow up to his superb book on the 82' Brazil side, 'Espana 82: A Hazy Shade of Summer' due to be released by Pitchside Publishing in 2023.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Stuart's work on Twitter at @loxleymisty44 and at @thesefootytimes
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Santo Cilauro, a comedian, television and film producer and screenwriter and who brought us iconic television shows and movies such as 'The Late Show', 'The D-Generation', 'The Panel' and 'The Castle', to name a few.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can see Santo on Twitter at @SantoSamEd
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Peter Alegi, an author, professor and Roman-American historian.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find more of Peter on Twitter @_futbolprof as well as at https://history.msu.edu/people/faculty/peter-alegi/
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is the author of 'Beautiful Bridesmaids Dressed in Oranje: The Unfulfilled Glory of Dutch Football', Gary Thacker
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find more of Gary's work at https://allbluedaze.com and on Twitter @All_Blue_Daze
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is the owner of your one-stop shop for all things Argentinean football at Mundo Albiceleste.com, Roy Nemer.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find more of Roy's work on Twitter @RoyNemer and @MundoAlbicelest and at https://mundoalbiceleste.com/
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is football journalist and commentator for ESPN Brazil, Leonardo Bertozzi.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Leonardo on Twitter @lbertozzi
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is football writer Martin Dunlop, contributor to The Gentleman Ultra and AS Roma fan.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Martin on Twitter @Dunlop85
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Richard Kharman, co-host of Serie A Sitdown and @SchalkeMerica Podcasts.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Richard on Twitter @R_Kharman and @SerieASitdown
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Sal Bono, journalist and reporter and host of the Curva Mundial Podcast - A Podcast About the Fans of the "The Beautiful Game”.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Sal on Twitter @CurvaMundialPod
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Tom Underhill, author of The Working Hands of a Goddess: The Tactics, Cultrure and Community Behind Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta BC.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Tom on Twitter @tomd_underhill
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Riccardo Ball, broadcaster and host of SENZ Mornings on SENZ, New Zealand's Home of Sport.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Riccardo on Twitter @rikdog72 and @SENZ_Radio
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter and at https://gentlemanultra.com.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' host Frank Risorto asks the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio. The three questions? What's your favourite World Cup moment? What's your favourite World Cup game? Who's your favourite World Cup team?
Todays guest is Chris Lee, the author of the recently released book 'The Defiant - A History of Football Against Fascism' and creator of the Football Culture blog The Outside Write.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Chris and Outside Write on Twitter @CMRLee and @outsidewrite.
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter.
In a new episode of The Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' with host Frank Risorto we ask the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions?
What's your favourite World Cup moment?
What's your favourite World Cup game?
Who's your favourite World Cup team?
For this episode we've called up the boss Richard Hall, the founder of Gentleman Ultra, host of the official @Inter_en podcast and also a contributor to http://Inter.it, @FootballItalia & @ACFFiorentinaEN us his three answers and unique perspective on World Cup history.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Richard @RichHall80 on Twitter.
You can find Frank @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter.
In a new Gentleman Ultra podcast series '3 World Cup Questions' we ask the same three World Cup related questions to our friends in and around the world of Calcio.
The three questions?
What's your favourite World Cup moment?
What's your favourite World Cup game?
Who's your favourite World Cup team?
First up we've got our friend Andy Wallace, the doyen of Italian lower league football, of Chiacchierata Calcistica to give us his three answers and unique perspective on World Cup history.
Please don't forget to rate, share and review the podcast and thanks for listening.
You can find Andy at @CCalcistica on Twitter.
You can find Frank at @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter.
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with writer and journalist Tobias Jones.
Frank and Tobias talk about Tobias's award winning book 'Ultra: The Underworld of Italian Football' and much more.
Tobias talks about the collective and shared experience of the Ultra movement, the history of the Ultras in Italy and how it has evolved over the years for better and worse, following Cosenza all over Italy and learning to love the unorganised chaotic nature of the Cosenza Ultras, the process behind the book and its backstory, the matchday experience in Italy as well as touching on his charity and community work in the UK with Windsor Hill Wood and Shepton Mallet Community Woodland as well as Common Home in Parma, Italy.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Tobias on Twitter at @Tobias_Italia, his work at http://www.tobias-jones.com/ and Common Home on Twitter @CommonHomeParma.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening. Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with playwright, writer and lover of all things Italian football Ross Howard.
Frank and Ross talk about Ross's first interaction with Italian football - watching Brescia play Bolton - his passion for Italian football and how he started collected thousands of hours of Italian football matches, MaraZola.com, his popular YouTube channel, travelling to Italy for the first time as a fan, his love of Roberto Mancini, the ten best games on Channel 4 from 1992 - 2001, collecting anything to do with Italian football, the wonderful tale of Alviero Chiorri and much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Ross on Twitter at @CalcioinRetro and MaraZola at MaraZola.com.
You can find Ross's Substack page at https://substack.com/profile/72046313-ross-howard
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust. You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening. Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with Paramount Plus and CBS Sports lead football commentator Andres Cordero.
Andres and Frank discuss the rise of Serie A in North America and the always growing Calcio community, his first experience commentating live at the San Siro, his love of Serie A football as well as spending time in Italy as a part of his role with Paramount Plus and CBS Sport.
They get into the weeds of football coverage in North America and how far it's come over the past 15 years.
Andres discusses his passion for football, his career and start commentating, how Italian football is presented and perceived, and why it's on the rise, as well as Andres's parents story and immigration to the US, the influence they've had on his working and family life and much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Andres on Twitter at @DreCordero and as a part of the @CBSSportsGolazo network.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust. You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra. Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening. Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with football journalist, co-creator of Total Italian Football and Parma local, Conor Clancy.
Conor and Frank discuss his move to Parma from Ireland, the ins and outs of moving abroad and living in Italy, the Italian language, watching Italian football as a local and working in Italy as an accredited Serie A and UEFA journalist, the creation of Total Italian Football and their excellent Serie A Femminile coverage.
Then Frank breaks Conor's heart by bringing up his one true football love and his eventual departure from Italy and what he meant to Conor.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Conor on Twitter at @ConJClancy and TIF at @SerieATotal.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening. Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with author, podcaster, poet, musician and co-host of the 'Stadio: A Football podcast', Musa Okwonga.
Musa has authored five books including two in the last year. 'One of Them: An Eton College Memoir' and 'In The End, It Was All About Love' and co-authored a book with former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright called 'Striking Out'.
Musa and Frank discuss his new found love of Napoli, watching Serie A in the early 90s', Arrigo Sacchi's legendary AC Milan side, 'the three Germans' and Inter Milan, Marco Van Basten and the impact George Weah had on Musa and why he was so special.
Musa shares stories about his upbringing, his parents and their legendary refugee story, his career in football, his early days and subsequent move to Berlin, Germany and much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Musa on Twitter at @Okwonga and his podcast @stadio.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening. Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with novelist, translator, professor and author of the classic Calcio book, 'A Season with Verona', Tim Parks.
In this episode Frank talks to Tim reflect on the book's origins, lifespan and cult like status over the past 20 years.
Tim tells Frank discuss how the book came about, the writing process, Italian politics, the Verona ultras, living in Italy over the past 40 years and life in Verona, following Hellas Verona, life after the book and his work since and much much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Tim on Twitter at @TimParksauthor.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with author, journalist and presenter Guillem Balague (BBC5Live, CBS, LaLigaTV) who has written a book on Diego Maradona - 'Maradona. The Boy. The Rebel. The God' available now.
In this episode Guillem tells Frank about his childhood and love of storytelling through the prism of football, how he got his start working as a football journalist, moving abroad and the influence his family has had on his career.
Frank and Guillem then talk at length about Diego Maradona.
They discuss his upbringing in Argentina, his career in Italy and the affect it had on Diego, his wife Claudia and the role she played in his life, what it took for Diego to thrive and survive on and off the field, the downfall of Diego in Naples, his World Cup record and much much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Guillem on Twitter at @GuillemBalague and his podcast @PureFootballpod.
Guillem is also a patron for the excellent charity Football Beyond Borders - @FBeyondBorders.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of TGU podcast host Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with author of the new book 'The Defiant' Chris Lee.
Frank and Chris talk about the origins of his new book 'The Defiant', the impact that facism and Benito Mussolini had on sport including football in Italy, the resistance movement amongst footballers, Italian stadiums, Chris's fandom of Fiorentina and his recent trip to Italy, the creation of his website 'Outside Write' and much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Chris on Twitter at @CMRLee and Outside Write at @OutsideWrite.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
Enjoy your Calcio!
In this bonus episode of the TGU podcast Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with Mooney VR46 Moto GP rider Luca Marini.
Frank and Luca discuss his love and passion for football and AS Roma, Francesco Totti, his recent charity football matches playing against fellow Moto GP riders and the likes Gabriel Batistuta and Totti himself, the thought process and emotions between football and Moto GP and much more.
Check out Luca's goal on YouTube, it's well worth it.
https://www.moto.it/MotoGP/motogp-2022-inter-juve-milan-perche-non-pensate-a-luca-marini-che-gol-nella-partita-del-cuore-video.html
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Luca on Twitter at @Luca_Marini_97.
You can find Mooney VR46 Racing Team on Twitter at @VR46RacingTeam.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast, thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of the TGU podcast Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with Roy Nemer, the editor of the Argentinean footballing website Mundo Albiceleste.
Frank and Roy discuss his love and passion for Argentinean football, his website Mundo Albiceleste and the influence Argentina's finest footballers past and present have had on Italy and the Serie A.
They discuss Maradona and Napoli, Italia 90', Argentinean footballing positions and shirt numbers and their importance, Argentinean footballing greats both past and present, the the time Diego broke Australian hearts, Argentina's World Cup history and much much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Roy on Twitter at @RoyNemer.
You can find Mundo Albiceleste on Twitter at @MundoAlbicelest.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast, thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of the TGU podcast Frank Risorto sits down for a chat with the ESPN Brazil Serie A commentator and analyst Leonardo Bertozzi.
Frank and Leonardo discuss Leonardo's early days in football, his career and love of the game and the influence calcio has had on Brazilian futebol.
They discuss Leonardo's relationship with football, they take a deep dive on the past and present Brazilians to play football in Italy's Serie A, talk about Brazil's love of Italian football, the rivalry between the two countries, the iconic 1982 Brazilian national team, the O Fenômeno' himself, the one and only Ronaldo, who Leonardo was fortunate enough to see play live before he moved to Europe and much much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Leonardo on Twitter at @lbertozzi.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode of the TGU podcast Frank sits down for a chat with Ashwin Ballal who has authored the book on Diego Simeone, 'Made in Argentina, Mastered in Madrid' out now via Pitch Publishing.
Frank and Ashwin discuss Simeone's playing career including his early days at Pisa, his subsequent move to Spain with Atlético Madrid and time in Italy with Inter Milan and Lazio.
Ashwin talks about the beginnings of Simeone's management career with Catania, the influence Italy has had on his managerial traits and characteristics, and the evolution of the Argentinean's management style on and off the field.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Ashwin on Twitter at @ashwinballal_. You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust. You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra. Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode Frank sits down for a chat with the 'legendhino' himself, the one and only Tim Vickery.
Frank and Tim get into the weeds of Italian film, why Tim has never travelled to Italy and discuss 'the other', Tim's early days in Brazil and how a certain shoe commercial changed everything.
They talk Italy and Brazil's World Cup rivalry including the iconic 1982 match, Tim's relationship with football and Brazil, the World Football Phone In, Tim's relationship and partnership with Dotun Adebayo and much more.
Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Tim on Twitter at @Tim_Vickery.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
Enjoy your Calcio!
In this episode Frank sits down for a chat with head designer of Italian apparel brand Zeus Sport, Amilcare Elvo.
Amilcare and Frank discuss their favourite Calcio kits, the history of Zeus Sport, the process and steps involved in the design and manufacture of a football kit, Amilcare's love of design, Italian sporting brands and their influence, the strangest kit designs and much more.
If you like your football kits then this is right up your alley. Enjoy the conversation.
You can find Amilcare on Twitter at @AmilcareElvo.
You can find Frank on Twitter at @SerieA_Aust.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter @GentlemanUltra.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
If you want an in-depth Lega Pro season preview you've come to the right place.
Frank and Andy run through the new Lega Pro season and then in a perfect accompaniment to his piece Andy runs us through his All-Star Lower League XI cult heroes piece recently published on The Gentleman Ultra.
Andy is besotted with the magical world of lower league Italian football and it tells as he runs through Girone A, B and C ahead of the upcoming season with storylines and players to watch, featuring the likes of Reggiana, Siena, Novara, Padova, Crotone, Pescara and more.
Enjoy the conversaton.
You can find Andy at @CCalcistica on Twitter.
You can find Frank at @SerieA_Aust on Twitter.
You can find The Gentleman Ultra @GentlemanUltra on Twitter.
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
In this episode Frank sits down for a chat with Dominic Bliss, journalist, author of 'Erbstein: The Triumph and Tragedy of Football's Forgotten Pioneer' and co-founder of The Egri Erbstein Tournament.
Frank and Dominic chat the extraordinary life and times of Ernő Egri Erbstein.
Erbstein was one of the greatest coaches there has ever been, a pioneering tactician and supreme man-manager who created Il Grande Torino, the team that dominated Italian football in the years immediately after the Second World War.
Erbstein's life was an extraordinary one characterised by courage and resourcefulness in the face of adversity and he was a part of the great Jewish coaching tradition developed in the coffee houses of Budapest.
From his playing days to his managerial start in Bari, Erbstein's story is an amazing tale and through years of painstaking research Dominic has pieced together the lost history of one of football's most influential figures.
Enjoy the conversation.
Follow Dominic on Twitter: @theinsidelefty
Follow Egri Erbstein Tournament: @EgriErbstein
Follow Frank on Twitter: @SerieA_Aust
Follow The Gentleman Ultra: @GentlemanUltra
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
In this episode Frank sits down for a chat with Luca Marchiori, British Italian food writer, and host of the Luca's Italy podcast to talk the two things that arguably matter the most to Italians, food and football.
Luca gives us all something to chew on, pardon the pun, the next time we're in Italy serving up something outside of the ordinary TGU podcast as both he and Frank delve into the history of Italy's most beloved and popular dishes, all whilst weaving Calcio throughout the episode.
Luca has written for, among others, Tuscanycious!, the official website of the Tuscan Tourist Board, Great Italian Chefs, Devour Tours and has been published in The Independent and can be seen on Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil, talking about the great love of his life, Venice.
Enjoy the conversation.
Find Luca on Twitter: @LucaMarchiori
Find Frank on Twitter: @SerieA_Aust
Follow The Gentleman Ultra: @GentlemanUltra
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
In this episode Frank sits down for a chat with Daniel Williamson, the author of When Two Worlds Collide, which charts the Intercontinental Cup's colourful history, from its trailblazing inception to its demise, with the legendary players, iconic stadiums and controversial moments in between all covered.
Frank and Dan discuss the Intercontinental Cup in all its glory, and particularly shine a light on the Italian football clubs involved.
From the grand Inter side of the 60s' to Juve's run in the 80s' and 90s', AC Milan's dominance, the iconic players and moments, as well as the history behind his book, what's next for Dan and much more.
Find Dan on Twitter: @winkveron and his books @intlcupyears and @ronaldobook
Find Frank on Twitter: @SerieA_Aust
Follow The Gentleman Ultra: @GentlemanUltra
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
In this episode Frank sits down for a chat with Patrick Kendrick, Freelance commentator for Serie A world feed and IMG; Conference Interpreter and Presenter for AC Milan, and reporter for UEFA and BT Sport.
We talk about Patrick's early life in football and football commentary, the art of interpreting, the life of a commentator, the power of silence, the work and research involved in modern day commentary, life in Italy on and off the microphone and much more.
Find Patrick on Twitter: @patrickendrick
Find Frank on Twitter: @SerieA_Aust
Follow The Gentleman Ultra: @GentlemanUltra
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
In this episode Frank sits down with Diego Fornero, social media manager, journalist for Toro News and creator of The Invincibili Podcast to discuss all things Torino.
They discuss how and why he supports Torino, growing up in Turin as a Torino fan, the legacy of Superga and Gigi Meroni, the problems that surround the club and its history, legacy and brand, what makes Torino so special and the creation of The Invincibili podcast series.
Find Diego on Twitter: @diegofornero
Find Frank on Twitter: @SerieA_Aust
Follow The Gentleman Ultra: @GentlemanUltra
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
In this episode Frank talks to Stuart Horsfield, of These Football Times, the author of '1982 Brazil The Glorious Failure' and host of 'What's the Score' podcast.
Frank and Stuart talk about the iconic Brazilian side of 1982 and his fantastic book available via Pitch Publishing.
They discuss the legendary 1982 World Cup match between Brazil and Italy, the backstory to the great Brazil side, why they're the side Stuart measures all great football teams against, the official World Cup film G'ole!, Claudio Gentile, Diego Maradona, Paolo Rossi, the Italy and Brazil rivalry, Stuart's next book and if the 1982 World Cup is the greatest of them all.
Stuart can be found at @loxleymisty44, @thesefootytimes and hosts the podcast 'What's the Score' with @thebackpages4.
In this episode Frank talks to Tom Underhill, author of the book, 'The Working Hands of a Goddess: The Tactics, Culture and Community behind Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta B.C.' now available via Pitch Publishing and where all good books are sold.
Frank and Tom discuss how the book came to life and why Tom chose to delve deep into Atalanta.
The impact of Gian Perp Gasperini and what changed in Bergamo after his arrival in 2016, what makes Atalanta so interesting on and off the field, the impact Antonio Percassi has had on the club, the culture in and around the club, Atalanta's renowned youth set up, Tom's matchday experience in Bergamo and more.
Find Tom on Twitter: @tomd_underhill
Find Frank on Twitter: @SerieA_Aust
Follow The Gentleman Ultra: @GentlemanUltra
Please don't forget to rate, review and share the podcast and thanks for listening.
In this discussion Frank speaks with Frank Ponissi, General Manager of Melbourne Storm Rugby League club, one of Australia's most renowned sporting administrators and in this conversation we aim to apply Frank's front office principles and culture to Italian football.
Frank's principles and cultural lessons are relevant to any sporting organisation and we apply them to Italian football in this all encompassing conversation.
Frank discusses his early days in coaching and sports administration, coaching in France, England and South Africa and the foundations they set for his career today as GM of football.
Frank talks about working at an elite sporting level, where and how you can go wrong with recruitment, and why it's so important to any club, how success starts with the solid foundations of a sporting club, how and why front office stability is essential, and why strong leadership is critical at any elite sporting organisation. Enjoy the conversation.
Frank talks with Santo Cilauro, an Australian comedian, television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author and a co-founder of the legendary The D-Generation and The Late Show.
Frank and Santo discuss his early days watching football in Melbourne, the Victorian Premier League and NSL, his Dad's love of Calcio and football, attending multiple World Cups as both a fan, including a special trip to Korea and Japan with his father in 2002.
Watching the Azzurri, both in the early hours of the morning and in person, the 1970 and 1982 World Cup, working as an unofficial translator for Juventus in the early 80's and all that came with it, Italy versus Australia, the special connection between football and family and much more.
In this episode Frank chats to Tom Griffiths from @CalcioEngland and https://calcioengland.com/.
Frank and Tom discuss; Italian teams preseason travels in England; Tom's passion and love of Italian football; Tom's unique work on his blog Calcio England and The Gentleman Ultra; Travelling around Italy for Calcio and the matchday experience; Going down a Calcio rabbit hole and shopping for Italian football treasures; Where's next on Tom's Calcio travel schedule and more.
Frank chats with author Stephen Brandt (@StephenCBrandt).
In this conversation they discuss; The legendary Flamengo era of the early 80s'; 1981 Club World Cup between Flamengo and Liverpool; Zico's footballing career in Brazil, Italy and Japan; Zico's management career and his legacy; Zico's Serie A spell with Udinese; the Zico vs Maradona showdown and watching football in Italy, Brazil and Argentina.
Stephen has an upcoming book on the great through @PitchPublishing called 'Flamengo Collecting the Cups' due out in 2023 and has published a book on the history of Boca Juniors called 'Boca Juniors: A History and Appreciation of Buenos Aires' Most Successful Futbol Team'.
In this must listen conversation, Frank and Vince Grella discuss growing up in an Italian household, his early days in football and the now defunct National Soccer League (NSL), his move to Italy from former NSL club Carlton FC to Empoli, the expectations and pressure that come with playing in Italy's top flight, his spell at Ternana and the foundations it built for a 10 year career in Italy, his move back to Empoli and subsequent move to Parma, resilience, mental health, leadership, his time in Turin with Torino, sliding doors moments, the Italian national team, the 2006 World Cup, Vince's move to England and more.
Please be sure to rate and review the TGU podcast, it helps us out a lot!
Frank is back with another episode, and in it he talks to author of The Fix: The Story of the first Champions League Season, James Dixon.
In this episode, Frank and James discuss: the birth of the Champions League and the process behind the book; the 1993 CL Final between Marseille and AC Milan; Silvio Berlusconi and Bernard Tapei; the Marseille match-fixing controversy and the lead up to the final against AC Milan; Fabio Capello's Milan; the legacy of Marseille and AC Milan in the years following the final; Bernard Tapei. A hero or villain?
In his latest episode, Frank talks to Dotun Adebayo of Football Ramble, Brazilian Shirt Name and BBC5 live World Football fame to discuss a range of topics, including: Dotun's early life and career in journalism and broadcasting, the rise of Paul Gascoigne and his move to Italy, AC Milan, George Weah and Italia 90', Racism in Italy and in the UK, the power of football to connect us all around the world, Mario Balotelli, Growing up in a multicultural UK, the WFPI, mental health and the power of a conversation.
Please rate, review and subscribe to the TGU podcast, as every little helps!
Frank is back with another episode of TGU Down Under. This time Frank sits down with Fiorentina Femminile striker Karin Lundin.
Frank and Karin discuss her move to Fiorentina from Sweden, her life in Florence on and off the field, the challenges and obstacles in moving to Italy, becoming a full time professional, the differences between playing in Sweden and Italy and her first season with Fiorentina in Serie A Femminile.
In his latest episode, Frank interviews John Foot, author of the seminal book 'Calcio: A History of Italian Football', one of the must-have books on the Italian game in the English language.
Frank and John discussed the origins, history and the process behind his book 'Calcio', the referees influence on Italian football, controversy in Italian football, how writing the book changed his perspective on certain clubs and players, the media and personalities in Italian football, Italian football's missed opportunity, how different would the book look if it was written today, the divide between Italy's regions through football, the political and government influence on Italian football, a possible second Calcio book - fingers crossed - and more.
In his latest episode, Frank sits down to talk to Vieri Capretta, who works for UEFA and Fiorentina. Frank and Vieri talk about:
- A normal working day for Vieri; Working with UEFA and Fiorentina as a 'swiss army knife' journalist in Italy; Serie A's reach into the English speaking world; Florence and it's unique relationship with Fiorentina; Life and football in Italy during the pandemic; Working at Euro 2020; New ideas in football media content
Please don't forget to rate and review the TGU podcast, it helps us climb up the ratings!
In a double whammy of Serie C goodness, Frank talks to Andy Wallace (@CCalcistica on Twitter) to discuss his passion for lower league football in Italy, travelling to Italy and his first matchday, Serie B, Lega PRO and everything that comes with it, his team Taranto F.C. 1927, Italian football on and off the field and finally someone to explain how the Lega PRO playoff system all works!
In his latest episode, Frank speaks to Athletic Carpi striker Lewis Walker, son of former Sampdoria defender Des, about his time in Serie C, growing up around football with a famous surname, his move to Italy and how that came about, life on and off the field in Italy, Athletic Carpi and their quest to return back to Serie C, and more.
TGU alumni Frank Risorto is back with another episode of Down Under. In this episode, Frank speaks to New Zealand podcaster Riccardo Ball.
Riccardo opens up about: Growing up in NZ and Riccardo's Italian and Croatian heritage; the immigrant influence on NZ Football; the 1982 World Cup and its impact and legacy on NZ football; the 2010 World Cup and seeing New Zealand taking on the Azzurri; New Zealand footballers in Italy; the All-Whites current World Cup campaign and more.
Please make sure to rate and review the podcast, it greatly benefits us, and please give us any feedback (or abuse) on Twitter!
In the second episode of TGU Down Under, Frank talks to Virtus Entella defender Gabriel Cleur.
Gabriel opens up about how he made his way to Italy, the challenge of moving abroad, both on and off the field, adapting to Italian football, playing football and living in Italy during the pandemic, the difference between Serie B and Serie C, living in Chiavari and Virtus Entella, his short stint as Antonio Cassano's team-mate, mental health as a professional footballer and more.
Please rate and review the TGU podcast, we would be eternally grateful!
The Gentleman Ultra is branching out! Gentleman Ultra alumni Frank Risorto is fronting a new podcast series, in which he talks to various people who love Italian football from all corners of the globe.
The first episode sees Frank sit down with Sal Bono, who runs the CurvaMundialPod. Sal talks about his roots and family in the US and Italy, the inevitable Italy and 'what next', his AC Milan fandom, Italia 90', an Azzurri fans life of wonder and joy, heartbreak and devastation and the creation of CurvaMundialPod.
Expect to hear more from Frank very soon!
Richard is joined by David Ferrini to discuss Bari's greatest team of the 1990s.
The decade was a good one for the team from Puglia, with multiple seasons in Serie A and signing a certain David Platt in the summer of 1991 from Aston Villa.
The likes of Igor Protti, Gianluca Zambrotta, Kennet Andersson, Zvonimir Boban and of course, Antonio Cassano, all lined out for the southern Italian side during the 1990s.
But who made the best XI? Richard and David dissect our article from the TGU archives to see if guest writer Francesco Amesbury got his XI spot on.
On Roby Baggio's 55th birthday, Emmet Gates and David Ferrini break down an article Emmet wrote for the TGU website in celebration of his big day - his five greatest goals scored in UEFA competitions in the 1980s and '90s.
Emmet and David dissect the goals and give the context around Baggio's career at the time, and what Baggio has done since his retirement in 2004.
Tanti auguri to Il Divin Codino!
Goal links:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzM7Ef1wu1c&t=67s
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX4F1fLhUlU
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GUyLicJLS0
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrcfcrHYPZs&t=134s
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-v4vdZf8_I&t=43s
Following some technical difficulties, Emmet and Richard are joined by Serie A (and B) commentator David Ferrini to discuss Peak Parma. That is, when Parma ruled Europe (but not Serie A) in the mid-to-late 1990s and was home to an array of superstars like Gianfranco Zola, Faustino Asprilla, Dino Baggio, Hristo Stoichkov, Gigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram, Hernan Crespo, Juan Seba Veron and more.
The team examine the period from 1994 to 2000, the years Parma realistically could've won the Scudetto, their favourite jersey from the era, and how they will be remembered.
Please remember to subscribe, rate and review the podcast, it's greatly appreciated!
Richard and Emmet are back after a prolonged absence from the TGU pod.
The crew discuss the new Fabio Quagliarella documentary on Mola TV, how the issues explored in the doc affected his career, and they dissect some of his most spectacular goals throughout his brilliant career for the likes of Sampdoria, Udinese, Napoli and Juventus.
The documentary is free to watch via Mola TV.
Richard and Emmet are joined by Serie A commentator David Ferrini to talk about Italian football's forgotten Baggio - Dino Baggio.
The former Parma, Juventus and Lazio midfielder lived firmly in the shadow of his more famous namesake, but was one of the finest Italian midfielders of his generation.
TGU pays tribute to Dino by dissecting his career, his obscure UEFA cup record, and who in the current Serie A landscape shares similar characteristics to Baggio.
Please subscribe and rate the TGU podcast, it would be greatly appreciated!
Richard Hall and Emmet Gates are joined by Doug Bierton, co-founder of the world's biggest classic football shirt website, classicfootballshirts.co.uk, to talk shirts.
Doug tries to name his top five favourite calcio shirts of all time, whilst reminiscing about the players who wore those majestic pieces of cloth.
This is a podcast that could've lasted another hour, or four!
Richard Hall and Emmet Gates analyse the opening weekend of the new Serie A season, and discuss how their respective fantasy football teams performed, and who sparkled in game day 1.
As a new Serie A season kicks off, we at TGU have started a new fantasy league in association with Mystery Kits, with the winner netting a mystery calcio shirt at the end of the season.
Richard Hall and Luca-Hodges Ramon sit down to discuss which players to buy, and the prospects for the new campaign.
If you'd like to join the TGU league, hit us up on Twitter for the link!
Richard and Luca break down Livorno’s stringent left-wing political ideology. On the backend Cristiano Lucarelli’s fantastic career is overviewed and his background as the hero of the port city.
Richard Hall, Emmet Gates and Luca Hodges-Ramon return to discuss the comeback of Pazza Inter, with the news that Romelu Lukaku could be sold by the club due to their crippling financial situation.
The three TGU stalwarts compare the events of 2021 to that of 2010, when Inter squandered their lead over the rest of the Italian game in the aftermath of the treble and the departure of Jose Mourinho.
Will things get better for Inter, or substantially worse? Who will be the next to go? Can Richard survive another decade of Inter mediocrity?
Richard Hall and Emmet Gates speak to Parma owner Kyle Krause about his plans for the club, bringing Gigi Buffon back to the Stadio Ennio Tardini, renovating the stadium and the training ground, growing Parma's brand and next season's challenge of playing in Serie B.
Apologies for the sound quality issue, there was mistakes made in the recording of the interview, so it's advised that you turn the volume up for this one!
Luca Hodges-Ramon and Emmet Gates are back to inspect Italy's Euro 2020 victory against England at Wembley.
We review the final, take a look at where it was won and lost, how Roberto Mancini's side will look ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and whether Giorgio Chiellini will retire from Gli Azzurri or stay for one more tournament.
As it's the 15th anniversary of Italy winning the 2006 World Cup, we also reflect on that win, and compare the 2006 side to the current iteration, and whether Italy winning the World Cup that summer was actually detrimental to the country in the long term.
Campioni d'Europa!
Richard and Emmet return to preview the final of Euro 2020, which has caused an endless amount of inner turmoil for Richard.
Who will he support, England - the team of his homeland - or Italy - the country he idolises - on Sunday?
Emmet has no doubts about which side he's backing.
We break down where the final could be won and lost, and talk about Roberto Mancini's elegance.
*Apologies for the background noise on this episode. There was house renovations going on and the sound carried!
FINALLY! TGU's next entry in our look back at Italy at the Euros is here, after many delays.
Luca Hodges-Ramon steps in for Richard, as he and Emmet delve deep into Italy's shambolic Euro 2004 campaign.
Giovanni Trapattoni was in charge of Gli Azzurri, who somehow hung on to his job following Italy's equally disastrous 2002 World Cup run.
This tournament is chiefly remembered for the 'biscotto' between Denmark and Sweden that eliminated Italy, but Il Trap's side were the architects of their own downfall.
Also, Bernardo 'F**king' Corradi??!! Seriously??
Richard and Emmet return to discuss Italy's run to the final of Euro 2000.
After the failure of not even qualifying for Euro '92, and the disastrous Euro '96 under Arrigo Sacchi, Italy, now coached by Dino Zoff, brought Gli Azzurri to the edge of glory at the turn of the century.
Should Italy have won the tournament? How bad was Alessandro Del Piero in the competition? Should Roby Baggio have got a call-up? Was this Francesco Totti's best tournament showing for Italy?
Richard and Emmet break it all down.
Richard and Emmet return to discuss Italy's foray in England in the Brit-pop tinged summer of 1996.
Gli Azzurri actually made it to the competition this time, after the doomed attempt to qualify for Euro '92.
Now under the tutelage of Arrigo Sacchi, Italy went into Euro '96 as one of the favourites, and Sacchi had an embarrassment of riches to choose from.
Things however didn't pan out like everyone thought, because of, well, Sacchi.
Italy were drawn in Group C alongside Germany, Russia and Czech Republic.
How did they fare out? Listen and learn of Sacchi's sheer lunacy.
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With Euro 2020 (or 2021) on the horizon, TGU will look back at Italy's recent history at European Championships.
We start with Gli Azzurri's failure to qualify for Euro '92, the forgotten tournament of the 1990s.
Richard and Emmet delve into Italy's doomed campaign, looking at some of the puzzling decisions made by coach Azeglio Vicini, his relentless rotation of players, and the games that well and truly killed Italy's chances of qualifying.
They also look at how well Italy would've done had they reached the competition, the last eight-team Euros.
This Italy squad remains one of the best teams to never qualify for a Euros, and had only just reached the semi final of Italia '90.
So what went wrong?
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Luca Hodges-Ramon and Richard Hall dive into the fandom of arguably Italy’s most historic club, Milan. Narrated by Wayne Girard.
Inter Milan’s alternative club guide written by Richard Hall, narrated by Wayne Girard. Surveying the ultras, the history, the story...
We're back with another episode in our 'Classic Game' series. This time we are travelling back to April 1st 2001, as Carlo Ancelotti's Juventus side welcome Roberto Baggio's Brescia to the Stadio Delle Alpi.
This game is of course famous for one of the greatest goals of Baggio's career, as he put a massive dent in Juve's Scudetto hopes.
To talk Richard and Emmet through the action is David Ferrini, an Australian commentator for Serie A's world feed. David chats to us about how he got interested in Italian football, and how he made the leap into commentating.
Please take the time to subscribe, rate and review the TGU podcast. Your feedback is invaluable to us! Thank you.
As voted for by the TGU fans, Richard and Emmet discuss the top 10 greatest Italian goalkeepers of all time.
From Buffon to Zoff, Zenga to Peruzzi, Italy have had a constant source of world class shot-stoppers throughout the decades.
Who is No.1?
We're back with another entry in the TGU 'Classic Game' series. This time we skip back to October 1994, as newly promoted Padova take on reigning champions Milan.
Richard Hall and Emmet Gates are joined by guest David Amoyal to talk us through the action. David was born and raised in Padova, so this game is close to his heart.
We also investigate the impact Alexi Lalas had on Serie A, as the first American to ever play in the Italian top flight.
In the aftermath of Serie A's disappointing performances in the Champions League Round of 16, Richard Hall and Emmet Gates dissect the biggest problem hurting Italian progress in the competition - the modernising of Italy's ancient stadia.
Will the Italian government relax the laws permitting to renovating or building new stadia in the country in the near future? Can Serie A as a league collectively agree on how best to run their competition? Are 20 teams in the league several too many?
Richard and Emmet break all the issues down.
With the announcement this week that Inter and long-time sponsors Pirelli will part ways at the end of the current campaign, TGU decided to rank the best shirts of the 26-year Pirelli era at Inter.
Richard Hall and Emmet Gates discuss which shirts became iconic, and which shirts should be entered into a hall of shame.
What's your favourite shirt from the Inter-Pirelli parternship? Let us know!
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On the back of our recent TGU interview with Sven-Goran Eriksson, Richard Hall and Emmet Gates discuss whether the Lazio side of 2000/01 - Eriksson's last at the club - was the greatest side in the history of Italian football never to win a major honour.
Lazio had maintained the core of their title-winning side from 1999/00, and broke the world transfer record to sign Hernan Crespo from Parma. Claudio Lopez, Angelo Peruzzi and Dino Baggio also arrived to bolster an almighty squad.
Eriksson's acceptance of the England job early into the season changed everything however, and a season that promised so much ended with the club winning no major trophy, and the Sergio Cragnotti empire was beginning to crumble.
Do you agree with us? Let us know!
Ahead of the most highly anticipated Derby della Madonnina in years, Richard Hall and Emmet Gates look at some of the players who have worn both the Nerazzurri and Rossoneri shirt down the years.
Some players have excelled for one half of the city over the other, whilst some, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, thrived for both.
Richard Hall is joined by Editor Emmet Gates and TGU regular Sam Brookes for another episode of TGU Calcio Castaways.
Sam recalls his favourite goals, game and player from the recent history of Italian football.
December 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark Bosman ruling, which forever changed the dynamics of the modern game. Players could now leave for free once their contracts expired.
TGU's Richard Hall and Emmet Gates break down the five best and worst free transfers since the ruling came into effect.
Don't agree with our choices? Let us know on our social media channels!
On Wednesday November 25th, the world lost arguably the greatest footballer the game has ever seen.
Diego Armando Maradona, a man who lived many lifetimes in one, died aged 60 in his homeland.
Many tributes have been done over the weeks since his passing, and we at TGU felt it was only right, given his long association with Napoli, that we also paid our own small tribute to the diminutive genius.
Site editor Emmet Gates had recently complied a ‘Six for 60‘ article for the great man’s 60th in October. Emmet and Richard Hall sat down to talk through six of his finest goals for the Partenopei, and his importance to the city of Naples.
Welcome to the first in a new podcast series for The Gentleman Ultra.
TGU will review, inspect and analyse some of the greatest games in Serie A history, and we felt there was no better game to start than this all-time classic between Inter and Sampdoria from May 1991.
Sampdoria were on the verge of winning an historic first Scudetto, but had to travel to Giovanni Trapattoni's Inter side with four games remaining. Inter, who were second going into the game, knew a loss what mean the end of their own title aspirations.
What transpired over the course of the next 90 minutes is one of the greatest matches of the last 30 years, in any league.
Richard Hall and Emmet Gates are joined by special guest Rob Smyth of The Guardian. Rob helps break down the game, and explains why indeed the match stands out as one of the best in Italian football history.
The Gentleman Ultra founder Richard Hall and site editor Emmet Gates spoke to Jonathan Grade. Jonathan was first runner, and later producer, of the legendary Channel 4 show Gazzetta Football Italia from 1993 to 2002.
Jonathan has recently released a book, titled: Golazzo: The Football Italia Years.
In our exclusive interview, Jonathan recounts his remarkable time working on the show, interacting with the world’s greatest players, why the show was such a success in the UK, when he thought the show hit its peak, and what led to its eventual downfall at the beginning of the 2000s.
If you were a fan of the show (who wasn’t?), then you’ll really enjoy this!
Luca is an original member of The Gentleman Ultra and currently works as a Football Agent between the UK and Italy. In this episode he is interviewed to discuss his favourite goals, match, and player he would most love to sit down with.
In the first episode of Storytelling Sagas, Wayne Girard narrates his piece on Daniele De Rossi's heroic yet tumultuous career.
Richard Hall is the founder and creator of The Gentleman Ultra. In this episode he is interviewed to discuss his favourite goals, match, and player he would most love to sit down with.
TGU Calcio Castaways (E05): With Wayne Girard
In the latest installment of our series, Richard Hall asked Wayne Girard to choose his favourite goals, games and person to hang out with on a desert island.
Wayne is a columnist for A.S. Roma and editor for The Gentleman Ultra.
TGU Calcio Castaways (E04): With Sheridan Bird In the latest instalment of our series, Richard Hall asked Sheridan Bird to choose his favourite goals, games and person to hang out with on a desert island.
Sheridan is a journalist and broadcaster in Milan.
In the latest instalment of the series, Richard Hall asked Adam Summerton to choose two goals, two games and one player to hang out with on a desert island.
Adam is a commentator for BT Sport and Prime Video amongst others.
In the second of the series, Richard Hall asked Andrew Cesare to choose two goals, two games and one player to hang out with on a desert island.
Andrew covers Italian football for ESPN.
In the first of a new series with a familiar concept, Richard Hall asked @theinsidelefty to choose two goals, one game and one player to watch on a desert island.
It's another TGU podcast bitesize special as Richard Hall and Neil Morris look ahead to the Coppa Italia while also looking back at Atalanta's triumph in the 1962/63 edition.
Host Richard Hall is joined by TGU regular Luca Hodges-Ramon as we begin our quest to select a best XI from the 1980s by chatting to Milan-based broadcaster and journalist Sheridan Bird.
With the Milan derby upon us, what better time to bring you the first of our TGU podcast bitesize specials. In the black and blue corner, Richard Hall searches for hope amongst the Inter gloom, while in the red and black corner, Luca Hodges-Ramon travels to the San Siro with quiet confidence.
TGU's very own veteran performer Richard Hall is joined by young gun Luca Hodges-Ramon to discuss Ramez Nathan's piece on the old-timers who shone in the crepuscular light of their calcio careers.
TGU host and founder Richard Hall and editor Neil Morris are joined by special guest Giancarlo Rinaldi to discuss Pirlo's oenological exploits, how the seeds of Football Italia were planted and Fiorentina's current plight.
TGU host and founder Richard Hall, and editor Luca Hodges-Ramon are joined by special guest Chris Lee to discuss calcio’s early pioneers, Schillaci’s steep trajectory and the burden of expectation placed on emerging talent.
TGU host and founder Richard Hall, and editor Luca Hodges-Ramon are joined by special guests Adam Digby and Matt Santangelo to discuss indignation on Juventus’ Curva Sud and the upcoming Milan derby.
To mark the new season, TGU host and founder Richard Hall, and editors Luca Hodges-Ramon and Neil Morris are joined by special guest Nima Tavallaey Roodsari to discuss the coming season and the TGU 90's Serie A Dream Team.
Also, Richard enthuses about Diego Fuser while Serie B's ongoing shenanigans prompts some collective head shaking.
As one star arrives in the north of Italy and another disappears in the south, TGU host and founder Richard Hall, and editors Luca Hodges-Ramon and Neil Morris, discuss the growing divide between the haves and the have nots in Italian football. Also covered are the launch of Golazio bar in London and how fans can watch this season’s calcio action.
In episode 4, host and TGU founder Richard Hall, editors Luca Hodges-Ramon and Neil Morris, and contributor Wayne Girard look at the events that played out on and off the field in Roma's recent Champions League clash with Liverpool.
In episode 3, host and TGU founder Richard Hall, and editors Neil Morris and Emmet Gates look back at the playing and broadcasting career of Ray Wilkins and pick their favourite goals from the Gazzetta/Football Italia era.
In episode 2, host and TGU founder Richard Hall and editors Luca Hodges-Ramon and Neil Morris chat about players who ventured abroad in the 1950s and 60s, and how to win friends and influence people in Bergamo, before tackling a couple of questions from our followers on Twitter.
In our first ever episode, host and TGU founder Richard Hall and editors Luca Hodges-Ramon and Neil Morris chat about their most memorable moments from Italia 90, pay tribute to Davide Astori, go on a sticker hunt with Paolo Poggi and discuss the best Italian football kits of the last 50 years.