Serie A
What’s in a nickname?
That is a question The Athletic has been answering this week as we trace the origins of football clubs’ monikers in England , Germany , France , Spain and the rest of the world.
This time, we’re looking at the nicknames — flattering and otherwise — in Italian football.
More on the intriguing world of nicknames in football… Villans, Cherries, Toffees and Tractor Boys: English football clubs
Jockeys, birds of prey and supermarket chains: French football clubs
Red Trousers, Storks and Breisgau Brazilians: German football clubs Mackerel, cucumbers and mechanical cheese: Spanish football clubs Let’s begin with a deep cut. A lombata if you’re familiar with Italian butchery. Rivalries in Italy take the country’s flair for nicknames to tender and tasty places. It’s not enough to know the colour scheme of a jersey (Biancocelesti, Rossoneri, Giallorossi), a local landmark (a fountain, a volcano, sometimes both) or a spirit animal ( Ascoli ‘s is the woodpecker) to appreciate their flair for nicknames.AdvertisementYou need to really get under the skin. Sampdoria , for instance, have arguably the most beautiful jersey not just in Italy, but the world. There’s no sash, no stripes, no checks. The blue base layer with the white, red and black hoop (Blucerchiato) is unique in football. To neighbours Genoa , however, their ‘cousins’ do not belong in this sport. They deridingly call them ciclisti. That’s right. Cyclists because the jersey resembles the kind of garb Fausto Coppi used to […]
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