Goooooalazzzzzo!
Anyone who remembers that iconic goal shout will remember channel fours biggest sporting achievement - bringing glamerous Italian Serie A football to terrestrial television sets.
It's actually only been seven years since the Football Italia programne finished in 2008 (2002 on C4), but it seems longer as it was far removed from it's mid 90s heyday.
Back then it had everything. Saturday mornings the suave James Richardson sat crossed legged enjoying a leisurely alfresco breakfast whilst dissecting the Italian sports pages for us. Interviews with world class players plying their trade in the then best league on earth. And then goal round ups from previous weekend, with seemingly all involving high skill and/or spectacular finishing.
Sunday afternoons really were Super Sundays, free televised full match of something like the Milan derby. No Stoke v Hull being billed as 'Super' and charging £40 a month.
There'd often be a few ex pats on display as English geniuses like Gascoigne, Platt, Ince and, er, Dorigo left our dull old game to put their wits against Maradona, Baggio, Vialli, Maldini, Zola et al. Pundetry would be Mr cool again, Richardson, but Italian football connoisseurs like Paul Heaton and Elvis Costello would occasionally show up to provide their expertry.
The fans were unreal too. Far left and far right and seldom in between, cauldrons of noise, flares and flags. Support taken to ultra level.
Pink strips. Never seen those before. Palmero and Juventus (away) proudly trotting out in 'salmon'. Cool. Fiorentina sponsored by Nintendo. And their away kit with the Nazi swastika hidden in it. Squad numbers in the 30s and 40s was a foreign concept too given the English football league was still using 1-11.
In short mid 90s Italian footie had glamour, class, wealth and style. And it was all epitomised by Football Italia. Bellissimo.
