A new season is beginning to take shape, and there is already plenty to talk about.

This week, Jules and I head to Rome for a thriller that had just about everything, look at Frosinone’s impressive upset and what it might tell us about their ambitions, before turning to Venezia and a start that has been far from the one anyone in the lagoon would have wanted. We then dive into Serie B for the Derby del Veneto and policing issues in Italy, before chatting Modena, and the Sorrento in Serie C.

Three stories from three very different corners of Italian football, and plenty of questions beginning to emerge as the season settles into its rhythm

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Juventus are stumbling, Roma are flying, and Cagliari’s Fabio Pisacane has somehow become one of the most compelling stories in Serie A.

This week, I’m joined by new co-host Jules, and we get into the growing issues at Juventus and what their latest defeat says about where the club stands, before turning to Roma’s explosive start under Gian Piero Gasperini this season. We also head to Cagliari, where Pisacane’s unlikely rise from player to head coach has captured the imagination of the island and beyond after their wonderful start to the new campaign.

Plus, the wider stories, talking points and oddities across Serie A and Serie B from another eventful week in Italian football.

A warm welcome to Jules, too, who joins the podcast and will hopefully be a regular voice you’ll hear. Half Italian, hailing from Parma, he’s agreed to spend an hour with me every Tuesday discussing Italian football. Lucky him.

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Napoli’s collapse against Inter was one of those results that felt bigger than just three points. After finding themselves in control, everything unravelled, raising fresh questions about where this Napoli side is heading and what needs to change.

Elsewhere, Fabio Grosso becomes the first managerial casualty of the Serie A season, while Roma’s impressive start continues to gather momentum. Is there something genuinely exciting developing in the capital, and how seriously should we be taking them?

In this episode of the FORZA CALCIO Podcast, I look back at the biggest stories from the latest round of Serie A: Napoli’s problems, the fallout from Grosso’s dismissal, and Roma’s early promise.

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In Episode 003 of The FORZA CALCIO Podcast, we take a hard look at the uncertain future of the Italy national football team following yet another failure to qualify for the World Cup. How did a four-time world champion fall this far, and more importantly, what needs to change?

I am joined by That Milan Podcast host Matt Santangelo, and we break down the deep-rooted issues affecting Italian football today, from a struggling youth development system to a lack of opportunities for emerging talent at club level. We also dive into the coaching concerns, questionable coaching philosophies, and whether the identity of Italian football has been lost in the modern game.

Is this just a transitional phase or a sign of deeper structural problems within the FIGC and Serie A? And what can be done to bring Italy back to the top of world football?

All that and more in Episode 003 of The FORZA CALCIO Podcast.

▶️ Listen on Apple Podcasts▶️ Listen on Spotify

🔗 Links & Promos

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🤝 Support the guests

Matt Santangelo ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@thatmilanpodcast?si=fM_6zjjL2CuWCU0l▶️ https://www.instagram.com/matt_santa22/▶️ https://x.com/Matt_Santangelo

In this episode of The FORZA CALCIO Podcast, we dive into one of the biggest talking points in Italian football: the decline of the traditional Italian striker. I am joined by Uncle Sharma, Interista and YouTuber talking all things Nerazzurri and Calcio!

From legends like Bobo Vieri, Pippo Inzaghi, and even creative attackers like Francesco Totti, we explore what’s changed and why Italy isn’t producing elite forwards in the same way it once did.

We break down the tactical evolution of the game, the development of players in Serie A, and whether youth development in Italy is holding back creativity and flair. Is this a real decline or just a shift in what a modern striker looks like and a failure to tactically evolve?

We also highlight the positives, emerging talent, system success, and whether Italy even needs a world-class number 9 to compete at the highest level.

It’s a balanced, honest discussion with strong opinions, comparisons across generations, and plenty of debate.

🎙️ If you love Italian football, this one’s for you.

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🔗 Links & Promos

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🤝 Support the guests

Uncle Sharma ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe5T5uFI-Kp9CNHGfqmnDQ ▶️ https://x.com/rsharmzz▶️ https://www.instagram.com/theunclesharma/▶️ https://www.tiktok.com/@uncle_sharma

New episodes coming soon.🇮🇹⚽ FORZA CALCIO

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Curva, Tifosi & the Matchday Experience

Italian football doesn’t start at kickoff, it starts in the streets, the bars, the chants, and the Curva.

In Episode 1 of The FORZA CALCIO Podcast, I am joined by Scott and Christian as we dive into the heart of calcio culture: the Curva, the tifosi, and what matchday truly feels like in Italy. From the build-up before the game to the noise, colour, tension, and emotion inside the stadium, this episode is about the people who give Italian football its soul.

We talk about:• The role of the curva in Italian football culture• The positives and negatives of fan culture in Italy• Chants, banners, rituals, and unwritten rules• How the matchday experience in Italy differs from everywhere else

This is one of those conversations that dives into fan culture in Italy, giving firsthand experience of the ups and downs of following your team in the country from those who do it regularly, so whether you’re a casual calcio fan or you’re like me, a diehard calcio aficionado, you’re going to want to stick around.

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🤝 Support the guests

Scott Balaam, founder of Tibbs News and Calcio Amore▶️ https://www.tibsnews.co.uk▶️ https://www.tibsnews.co.uk/category/calcio-amore/domenica-bastardi/▶️ https://x.com/scottbalaam▶️ https://www.instagram.com/scottbalaam/

Christian Waugh, former sports journalist and goalkeeper coach at Lago Patria FC▶️ https://www.instagram.com/christianwaughh/

New episodes coming soon.🇮🇹⚽ FORZA CALCIO

Welcome to The FORZA CALCIO Podcast, the home of Italian football, its stories, its drama, and its soul.

If you love calcio, not just the goals, but the tactics, the culture, the chaos, the history, you’re in the right place.

I’m Luke, and this podcast is an extension of FORZA CALCIO, the newsletter built for people who live and breathe Italian football, from Serie A title races and tactical battles, to legendary clubs, iconic players, and the moments that define the game in Italy.

So what is The FORZA CALCIO Podcast?

This is where we go deeper.

Each episode, we’ll explore:

• The biggest stories in Italian football

• Tactical breakdowns and trends shaping Italian football

• Club histories and rivalries

• Players past, present, and future

• Fan stories and moments from on the ground in Italian curvas

• And the cultural side of calcio, why it feels different, why it is different

This isn’t hot-take football content. It’s thoughtful, informed, and passionate, just like the Italian game deserves.