The Italian Job

The book is essentially a memoir but with the aid of some really interesting interviews…it gives some astonishing insights into the workings of the modern game * GQ Style *
The Italian Job reveals how rival cultures in England and abroad are reflected on the pitch * The Times *
Gianluca Vialli’s new book is an interesting comparison of sporting attitudes here and on the Continent - To the Italian player, football is a job: to the English one, it’s a game * The Observer *
…this fascinating book that analyses the difference between English and Italian football…The Italian Job tackles the questions which inform football debate in England and Italy - from the tactical and technical to the cultural and sociological * Italia *
An early contender for this year’s literary prizes in sport * Sunday Tribune *
Vialli (aided by noted Italian football writer Gabrielle Marcotti) has fixed his inquisitive mind on exploring the differences between English and Italian football cultures, covering everything from tactics to supporters * Time Out *
The most thoughtful book by a footballer I can remember reading * The Independent *
Interesting look at the relationship between football and culture in both Italy and England * Nuts *
A fascinating examination of football in England and Italy…the result is a thoughtful, thorough examination * Programme Monthly & Football Collectable *
…deeper than your average footballer’s autobiography, it is far from impenetrable and appeals to a wider audience than just die-hard Chelsea fans…Marcotti’s prose is both entertaining and informative for the smarter-than-average armchair supporter * City AM *

Gianluca Vialli is one of the most famous Italian footballers in the post-war era. He won league titles with Sampdoria and Juventus and captained Juventus to Champions’ League victory in 1996. At international level he won 59 caps for Italy, scoring 16 goals and leading them to the semi-finals of both the 1988 European Championship and the 1990 World Cup. As a manager, in two and a half seasons at Chelsea he won more trophies than any other manager in the history of the club, including the FA Cup, Cupwinners’ Cup and League Cup. He currently divides his time between London and Italy where he is the top analyst for Sky Italia’s Serie A and Champions’ League coverage. Gianluca is donating proceeds from The Italian Job to the Fondazione Vialli e Mauro per la Ricerca e lo Sport , a charitable foundation set up by Gianluca and Massimo Mauro, which raises funds for research into cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Gabriele Marcotti is the UK correspondent for Corriere dello Sport, and World Football columnist for The Times. He has also written for the Financial Times, Sunday Herald, Daily Mail and La Stampa. He co-presents two weekly radio shows on TalkSport and is a regular analyst on Bravo, Setanta and SkySports News. He is also a columnist for Sports Illustrated.

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