Book description
When journalist Paddy Agnew and his girlfriend Dympna touched down in
Rome in 1985 in search of adventure, sunshine and the soul of Italian
football (well, Paddy was looking for that), they were travelling into
the uncharted terrain of a country they did not know and a language
they did not speak.
It soon became clear that neither Italy nor Italian football would
be boring. In that first week in Italy, Michel Platini and Juventus
won the Intercontinental Cup, whilst just days later the PLO killed 13
people in a random shooting at Rome's Fiumicino airport. Paddy covered
both stories. The coming years saw the rise of TV tycoon Silvio
Berlusconi, as he became owner of AC Milan and then Prime Minister of
Italy, naming his political party 'Forza Italia' after a football
chant. In that same period, Argentine Diego Maradona became the
uncrowned King of Naples, leading Napoli to a first ever Scudetto
title in 1987, notwithstanding a hectic, Hollywood-esque lifestyle
that mixed footballing genius with off-the-field excess.
Forza Italia is a fascinating tale of inspired players,
skilled coaches, rich tycoons, glitzy media coverage, Mafia
corruption, allegations of drug taking and fan power - culminating in
the 2006 World Cup victory that delighted a nation and a match-fixing
scandal that shocked the world. It is also a personalised reflection
on the consistent and continuing excellence of Italian football
throughout a period of huge social, political and economic upheaval,
offering a unique insight into a society where football has always
been much more than just a game.
Paddy Agnew has been Rome correspondent for the
Irish Times
since 1986. Since 1991, he has been a match commentator on Italian
football for state broadcaster RAI whilst over the last 20 years he has
covered Italian football for ESPN TV, BBC World Service radio, Reuters,
World Soccer
magazine and many other news organisations. He lives near Rome with his
wife Dympna and teenage daughter RóisÃn.
