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It's safe to say that homegrown midfielder Gianluca Busio is ahead of the curve. The talented U.S. youth international became the second-youngest player in MLS history last August when he signed with Sporting Kansas City at age 15. Fast-forward to now, and the 16-year-old Busio already has a first-team match under his belt. He helped Sporting KC to...

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American business magnate Rocco Commisso is reportedly set to buy AC Milan after it appears that the ownership of Yonghong Li has come to an end after he missed a payment, paving the way for a takeover. Commisso is reportedly working with Goldman Sachs in order to secure the funding to purchase Milan, looking to outpace a rival bid from Chicago Cub...

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The Ricketts family, owner of the Major League baseball team Chicago Cubs, expressed interest on Friday in acquiring a controlling stake in Italian top-rank football club AC Milan. The news came as two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that the Italian club's Chinese majority shareholder had failed to meet a deadline on Friday for a...

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Those who go against the grain, who push for change, who question the status quo are not the sort who are universally cherished. Making a difference can be a struggle. It can divide, it can offend, it can cast you aside. "It's still lonely," says Hope Solo, arguably the greatest female goalkeeper in history, of life as a plain-speaking fighter for...

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On June 24th each year, Florence's main square turns into an arena for a sport which is a brutal combination of rugby, football, and wrestling. The Local explores the history of the unique tradition. Calcio Storico (Historical football) is a game thought up by 16th-century Florentines and as the name suggests, it's an early - and very violent - for...

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Usually, in Italy, you’d sense electricity in the air before the soccer World Cup begins: the country’s passion for calcio is well known, and when it comes to the national team, you can bet even the least likely among us turn into a fervid supporter. It’s a matter of pride, some say, because Italy has such a glorious past in the sport, pity this ye...

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Welcome to the wonderful world of Panini World Cup sticker albums, a cultural, soccer tradition that spans more than 50 years, attracting and creating millions of soccer fans around the globe. Since Panini formed a partnership with FIFA and published the first album as part of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the multi-generational phenomenon of colle...

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Sixteen teams – 12 from Europe, three South Americans (though not the holders Uruguay) and one from Africa, Egypt – lined up for the finals, which were this time conducted purely on a knockout basis. Host nation Italy, under the approving gaze of Mussolini, beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the final after extra-time. The Czechs silenced the partisan 50,0...

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Quiz time. How many players have played in consecutive World Cup finals? The Italians did it in 1934 and 1938; Brazil did in 1958 and 1962 – and then in 1998 and 2002; the Netherlands lost the 1974 and 1978 finals; Maradona captained Argentina in the 1986 and 1990 finals; and West Germany went one better by contesting three successive finals betwee...

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His handsome looks, flowing locks and easy style of play all helped create a mystique around the AC Milan and Italy legend who has gone down as, arguably, the greatest defender ever. Maldini was the complete player, quick, tall, strong and brilliant on the ball with both feet, but his brain - his ability to spot danger before it happened and his ic...

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