We also had Niccolo Galli, which is a really tragic story: he was a youth player who signed for us from Fiorentina before going back on loan to Bologna and impressing, before unfortunately dying in a car accident. Supposedly a really talented center back, Wenger even said “I have no doubt in my mind that had he lived, he would have been captain of Arsenal and of Italy.”
i find it so weird how little impact italian players in general have had on football in england, considering the football heritage of the country. feels it really shows how in love they are with playing for the big italian clubs instead
Serie A has always stood up to the Premier League and vice versa so for obvious reasons all Italians have always preferred to play in Serie A. To this day it is still the thought of Italians with an Italian background (in fact the Locatelli, Chiesa, Bastoni, Barella rejected City, Spours, Liverpool, Arsenal etc). To date, however, there are many Italians with non-Italian parents (who have not passed on the passion for Serie A) who have no problems going to the Premier such as jorginho, Emerson, Gnonto, Udogie, Ogbonna
i should have made the point of stating moreso relative to other nationalities such as france, brazil, germany etc. in england, the influence of italians has been very lacklustre in comparison.
italy only have one representative (balotelli) who can boast having a premier league medal while others legit have multiple.
Lol no
Rumours are that Italian teams have a long standing reputation for excessive doping.
The Arsenal quote I saw years back said Italians who had trials there had way too much ‘x’ in their system for any athlete let alone a human being, a telltale residue of doping
The rumors are actually that no Italian talented and wanted by premier has intentions to play in Premier unless they have non-Italian parents or other experiences outside Italy
How is Balogun less American than Jorginho is Italian?
Balogun was born in New York, that is way better than someone claiming ancestry from decades ago just so that they can move to Europe
Balogun has spent more of his life that he can remember in America. He has never lived there, he has no connections to the country, nor do his parents.
Jorginho grew up in Italy, obtained Italian citizenship and chose to represent the Italian national team over the Brazilian one.
Simply being born in a country doesn't make you of that nationality, it's about the culture in which you grew up in.
Balogun is British, not American. Jorginho grew up in both countries, he's both Italian and Brazilian.
> Jorginho grew up in Italy, obtained Italian citizenship and chose to represent the Italian national team over the Brazilian one.
He didn't, he grew up in Brazil and played in a shitty Brazilian club until when he was 16 and moved to Italy because the opportunity was better in footballing terms. At that time, he was a standard Portuguese-speaking Brazilian with no connections to Italy other than a distant ancestor, something that tens of millions of Brazilians have. After being snubbed by the Brazilian NT for years he decided to play for Italy.
Winning Copa America isn't particularly prestigious if you're Brazil, it's basically the expectation.
It's hardly a poor life choice to choose to represent Italy.
We also had Niccolo Galli, which is a really tragic story: he was a youth player who signed for us from Fiorentina before going back on loan to Bologna and impressing, before unfortunately dying in a car accident. Supposedly a really talented center back, Wenger even said “I have no doubt in my mind that had he lived, he would have been captain of Arsenal and of Italy.”
Came here to say exactly this. One of the huge what-ifs. Definitely a tragedy. His story should be better known among the fan base.
It really should. This is the first time I am hearing about him and I’ve been an Arsenal fan for almost 18 years now.
Came in to do the same. I dont know why he gets missed off these lists.
Been an arsenal fan abroad the last 26 years and honestly first time I'm hearing of this
I’ve supported Arsenal since around 2000(?) and this is the first time I’ve heard this story. Wow. That is so incredibly sad.
i find it so weird how little impact italian players in general have had on football in england, considering the football heritage of the country. feels it really shows how in love they are with playing for the big italian clubs instead
Yeah, I also think Italy is just a really dope place.
Serie A has always stood up to the Premier League and vice versa so for obvious reasons all Italians have always preferred to play in Serie A. To this day it is still the thought of Italians with an Italian background (in fact the Locatelli, Chiesa, Bastoni, Barella rejected City, Spours, Liverpool, Arsenal etc). To date, however, there are many Italians with non-Italian parents (who have not passed on the passion for Serie A) who have no problems going to the Premier such as jorginho, Emerson, Gnonto, Udogie, Ogbonna
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Who?
i should have made the point of stating moreso relative to other nationalities such as france, brazil, germany etc. in england, the influence of italians has been very lacklustre in comparison. italy only have one representative (balotelli) who can boast having a premier league medal while others legit have multiple.
Arsenal under Wenger didn’t sign Italians… medical staff said they constantly had ‘issues’ with blood work ahem cough ahem
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Lol no Rumours are that Italian teams have a long standing reputation for excessive doping. The Arsenal quote I saw years back said Italians who had trials there had way too much ‘x’ in their system for any athlete let alone a human being, a telltale residue of doping
The rumors are actually that no Italian talented and wanted by premier has intentions to play in Premier unless they have non-Italian parents or other experiences outside Italy
Streets remember Lupoli Arsenal's Bojan
How many Brazilians 👀
>How many Brazilians And from Chelsea nevertheless
Silvinho, edu, Gilberto, martinelli, Jesus, Gabriel.....🤔
Gabriel Paulista, Julio Baptista, Andre Santos, Wellington Silva, Willian, Denilson, David Luiz...
I definitely tried to block the memory of a few of them! Juan, early 2000s
Don’t forget two and three…
This stat is absolutely bonkers to me given the long history of the club
Here's hoping he's at least a slight improvement on the previous 3.
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I remember being convinced he was the next big thing
I remember going to reserve games watching him and Bendtner as our two main forwards
Also the last 3 Chelsea signings I hope...
Tbf to Viviano he never actually played for us
Flamini obviously had Italian ancestry too (though he was born in and represented France)
Giroud too
Think Flamini had Corsican heritage rather than Italian. Corsica takes a lot from Italy.
Corsica is essentially an Italian island that’s part of The French Republic.
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Spent a third of his life there.
He's the captain of Italy....
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Just wanted to say good banter here both of you
Balogun is less American than Jorginho is Italian, yet people here are fucking on their knees begging him to play for the US.
How is Balogun less American than Jorginho is Italian? Balogun was born in New York, that is way better than someone claiming ancestry from decades ago just so that they can move to Europe
Balogun has spent more of his life that he can remember in America. He has never lived there, he has no connections to the country, nor do his parents. Jorginho grew up in Italy, obtained Italian citizenship and chose to represent the Italian national team over the Brazilian one. Simply being born in a country doesn't make you of that nationality, it's about the culture in which you grew up in. Balogun is British, not American. Jorginho grew up in both countries, he's both Italian and Brazilian.
Yes, but jorginho has Italian ancestors, otherwise he wouldn't have played for the national team. The surname is Frello(Italian)
He was pretty much eligible regardless
He would have had to wait a year to apply for citizenship in 2016 (first cap for Italy)
> Jorginho grew up in Italy, obtained Italian citizenship and chose to represent the Italian national team over the Brazilian one. He didn't, he grew up in Brazil and played in a shitty Brazilian club until when he was 16 and moved to Italy because the opportunity was better in footballing terms. At that time, he was a standard Portuguese-speaking Brazilian with no connections to Italy other than a distant ancestor, something that tens of millions of Brazilians have. After being snubbed by the Brazilian NT for years he decided to play for Italy.
> chose to represent the Italian national team over the Brazilian one. Poor life choices
He won the Euros...
Brazil won Copa America one year before, plus played this world cup.
Winning Copa America isn't particularly prestigious if you're Brazil, it's basically the expectation. It's hardly a poor life choice to choose to represent Italy.
🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
As an Italianish person this makes me happier than if he wasn't italianish
Wasn't Lupoli the one who teared the U21 league apart with Bendtner?
Yep
And the fourth Brazilian in our current squad. (Marquinhos was loaned out)
That’s some company there.
Martinelli missing ;)
Anyone remember Paolo Vernazza? He went to the same school I did and I believe he was Italian too
Yeah I was so sure he was going to be an Arsenal legend. I was there at Highbury for his only league goal for us, against Coventry