APPLAUSE - Sport in Turin

Dal calcio all'atletica passando attraverso i Giochi Olimpici Invernali del 2006. La storia sportiva di Torino, lunga e variegata, non smette di suscitare passione.

Juventus, the story of a great love affair

The story of Juventus began on 1 November 1897, thanks to some students of the "Massimo d'Azeglio" high school who chose the name "Sport Club Juventus" for their team.

In the first two years the uniform was a white shirt, then pink with black tie and finally, from 1903, "bianconera", black and white, with which they celebrated their first championship in 1905. From that point on no team has won so much: 27 Championships and 2 overturned, 9 Coppe Italia, 4 Supercoppe Italia, 2 Championships, 3 Uefa Cups, 1 Champion of Champions Cup, 2 European Super Cups and 2 InterContinental Cups.

Juventus has had great players (7 Golden ball winners: Sivori, Platini (3 times), Baggio, Zidane, Nedved and Cannavaro) but, above all, great men who have put the team first.

There have been moments of sadness both from the human and sporting point of view, with the Heysel stadium tragedy and premature deaths of Gaetano Scirea and Andrea Fortunato, and the five lost finals of the Champions Cup.

Juventus has different nicknames: "Vecchia Signora" - old woman - for its style, "Italy's girlfriend" for the numbers of fans, the "Footballing legend", for their innumerable successes. With their 14 million fans it is the best-loved team in Italy and third in the world, after Real Madrid and Manchester. The president and first fan par excellence, with his unique style, was Gianni Agnelli, famous for his quote: "You either love or hate Juve... I didn't have any doubts". With him are millions of fans because Juventus, as their new theme tune says, is the "Story of a great love affair."

Toro, a myth's destiny

Turin's glorious football history began in the "Voigt" pub in via Pietro Micca. Here, on 3rd December 1906, 23 distinguished gentlemen founded the "Football Club Torino". After a championship, unjustly cancelled, Toro and its magical trio - Baloncieri, Libonatti, Rossetti - became the Italian champion of 1927-28. It then conquered the first official Coppa Italia in 1936, with four others following: the last one in 1993 against Rome a victory 3- 0 at home and a defeat 5-2 away (and three penalty goals).
From 1943,Toro won 5 championships with its invincible Grande Torino team that tragically perished in a plane accident. Then there was the last affirmation in 1976,with its "Goal twins" Pulici - Graziani. In 1992, it lost the UEFA final against Ajax.
Finally the last decade has been the most inauspicious with Toro often joining Serie B.

So how does Toro find so much support then? Passion for Toro is an inexplicable faith, stronger than the bad luck that has tortured the team (the plane tragedy near Superga and premature deaths of Gigi Meroni and George Ferrini).The parade of the "Orgoglio Granata" (Toro pride) on 4th May 2003 was symbolic: the same day as the demotion into Serie B, 50,000 fans paraded around the centre of Turin to show their attachment to Toro.
The symbolic location is the Stadio Filadelfia that hosted Grande Torino competitions and after the Superga tragedy, transmitted its new players with the "Toro heart" and the "tremendismo" (a term coined for the burgundy colour of the team shirt). The fans' pride is their Curva Maratona that is one of the most beautiful in the world (the first to organize a fan club: the Fedelissimi Granata).

Turin as seen by Del Piero

I don't remember my first impression of Turin, arriving here from Padua to play for Juventus - twelve years ago now.Maybe the obvious things struck me - the geometric regularity of the intersections, the elegance of the centre, the misty winter climate, the white crown of the Alps on windy days.

One thing for certain was that is was my new home and I hoped it would be for a long time. Now that coming home means coming back to Turin, I have learned to know it well, growing fond of certain places and to feel as if I'm part of it...

For years I lived in piazza Carlina, and I used to stand on the terrace that looked out onto the roundabout, trees, flower beds, cafés outside and I liked everything I saw - and I still like it. Moving house though to live on the hill meant my view was transformed into in a panorama that allows me to almost embrace the whole city... the area behind the Po is really nice and I love driving up along these lanes, round the bends - preferably when there's no snow! What catches your eye and makes Turin fascinating, among other things, is its double nature, made up of aristocracy, Savoy and early Italian capital on one side, and factories and workers on the other.

This is why places attract me where you can see the industrial backbone of the city, like the Lingotto or the unmistakable shapes of the gasometers in the Vanchiglia area. And for other reasons, I'm fond of the Municipal Stadium, where we used to train up until a couple of years ago, but also the road that takes me to the Delle Alpi Stadium on a Sunday morning, my adrenaline level up with the stars and that impatience in my legs to get out onto the pitch.

Every once in a while - if I can - I like to walk (the centre is fortunately still pedestrian friendly), especially late in the evening, not so much to avoid the crowds and fans who, even though they are fantastic and warm, are never intrusive here (another reason for liking living here!) but more to enjoy the empty roads, lit up by lamp-posts or, just before Christmas, with the Christmas lights, to breathe in the night air and green of the city that with the dark feels better and helps me relax. My favourite destination in these cases is almost always the "old" area of Turin around the Duomo and the quadrilatero, with its unusual and medieval landscape and narrow, twisted lanes. I would recommend to whoever visits the city for the first time to not miss the area around via della Rocca and especially piazza Cavour, very beautiful indeed, with its hillocks and century old trees, or the Valentino, at any time. A real must on a clear day and without suffering from heights, is the Mole, from where you can enjoy a stunning panorama, before then having a browse around the Cinema Museum that is both interesting and very attractive.

Like any city, Turin changes face and atmosphere with the change of the seasons. In spring, the tree-lined avenues and the hill turn bright green and training is moved outside into the warm air that gets hotter and hotter as we approach the final phases of Championship and Champions League... Around the end of May - beginning of June there are the traditional celebrations for the Championship, with the town centre taken hostage by streams of Juventus fans: the last time, during the 28th Championship - it was unbelievable. So give in to the gentle charms of the city.You'll certainly be well rewarded, as I have been.

Let me tell you about the grande Torino

Interview with Franco Ossola
Franco Ossola is the son of Franco Ossola, legendary Grande Torino left wing. Architect and writer, he is the Curator of the Museum of the Grande Torino.

How did the legend of the Invincible start?
It all began in 1938 with the nomination of Ferruccio Novo as president, an astute and intelligent man. In '39, the first one to arrive was Frank Ossola, still eighteen and taken from Varese for 50,000 lire, where the trainer Roberto Janni, ex charismatic Toro player, didn't let him play for fear that Inter and Milan observers would take him away from his Toro. It was he who recommended the young player to the president Novo. After this came Ferraris II, Gabetto and Menti.

The turning point...
In May of '42 Toro lost the game in Venice together with their last chances to win the championship. But it conquered Loik and Mazzola: Novo went down into the changing rooms and with the record fogure of one million and two hundred thousand liras, he convinced the president of Venice to give up the two champions. The following year, Torino won the first championship and the Coppa Italia. Then the Second World War broke out. In October '45 the championship started again and Bacigalupo, Ballarin, Maroso, Rigamonti, Castigliano arrived as defence. It was the second championship.The year after,Toro won again (during Italy-Hungary,Toro had 10 players in the National team, all of them except the goal keeper).The following season saw other championships and other records: 65 points in 40 games, ahead of the classified second teams by 16 points, 125 goals, only 33 not saved, 21 useful consecutive results, 29 victories.

And then we come to 1948-'49
On the occasion of Italy-Portugal, Mazzola accepted the Benfica captain Ferreira's request, to play his farewell game with Toro in Lisbon.Toro equalized on 30th April against Inter and staked a claim on its fifth championship. On 3rd May it lost chivalrously 4-3 to Lisbon. On 4th May they were on the move again but, for reasons that were never really known, the aeroplane crashed against the Basilica of Superga. Everyone died: 31 victims, including 18 players. And that closes the epic Grande Torino that exalted the imagination of fans thanks to Niccolò Carosio's radio commentaries and epic stories in the sporting press.Toro was well loved throughout Italy: after the war it was one of the few reasons for pride in the country.

What was the secret of their exciting game?
Turin was the first in Italy to adopt a "system", a popular tactic in England, and caught other teams unaware who played the "method." Between 1945-46 in Rome, for example, Toro was already winning 6- 0 after 20 minutes to the amazement of all spectators who at the end of the match (lost 7-0) applauded them.

And then there was the Filadelfia.
The Filadelfia was never beaten between '43-'49 - for over 100 games. At times Toro triumphed with resounding scores like 10-0 to Alessandria, a record score in our championship. In that case there was the so-called "Granata's quarter of an hour." Ex Toro Gallea played for Alessandria,who asked Mazzola to show mercy. After half time finishing at 4-0 Toro began to play for time until the vexed public attacked Mazzola due to a scandalous affair he was having outside his marriage. The captain tried to reach a fan, but Gallea was quick to appease him .In the heat of the moment, Valentino got angry with him and promised him a lesson. With the famous gesture of rolling up his sleeves, he ordered the team to line up and in a few minutes scored several goals. The Filadelfia stadium was also where training took place and whereit is possible to meet the players. They were local lads and well known in the city: Gabetto and Ossola had a café in the town centre and they served coffee behind the counter.

How was the Museum of the Grande Torino started?
The Museum of the Grande Torino was first opened on 4th May 2002 thanks to the work of the Association "Memoria Storica Granata", and made up by fans in the nineties to safeguard Toro's history. This was in a time of abandonment made worse with the demolition of the Filadelfia and the disappearance of precious documents. Among the most important of the museum's findings are some remains from the aeroplane, my father's uniform and Bolmida's trumpet he was the Filadelfia trumpeter and he played to charge up the players before matches.

The museum is situated near the Basilica of Superga and is open from 14.30 to 18.30 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Myths in Turin sport

Vittorio Pozzo
Born in Turin in 1886, he was the longest standing technical commissioner in the Italian National Team, from 1929 to 1948 and the greatest winner. He led the azzurri in winning two world championships (1934 and 1938) and one Olympic championship (1936). He died in Turin in 1968.

Primo Nebiolo
Born in Turin in 1923, he was a long jumper when young, and at the age of 24, in 1947,he was already the president of CUS Torino. This is how he started his climb to the top in management in Italian and international athletics (IAAF). He transformed light athletics by creating the world championships, the Grand Prix and international meetings. He died in 1999, supporting Turin's candidacy for the 2006 Olympics.

Livio Berruti
Athlete born in Turin in 1939, he was one of the greatest sprinters that Italy has ever had. His greatest satisfaction was during the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where he won the gold medal in the 200 metres, establishing the world record of 20"5.

Carlo "Charlie" Caglieris
Born in Turin in 1951, he is one of the greatest winning athletes of Italian basketball. He achieved three championships with the Virtus Bologna and two European finals with Turin, between the second half of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s. His most important success though was in 1983, in France, when he led the national team to winning its first European title. This closed a historical cycle that had already brought home a second place in the 1980 Moscow Olympics

Piero Gros
He was born in 1954 in Sauze d'Oulx, in Turin's province, and is one of the biggest winners in Italian skiing. His first success occurs while making his debut in the world cup: a giant slalom in Val d'Isere in 1972. In total he won five world cup special slaloms and seven giants, plus a world bronze and silver. However, his most important victory was the Olympic gold in giant slalom in Innsbruck in 1976.

Olympic Turin

The winter Olympic games of 2006 left behind not only competitions and medals, but also places marked by emotion and sports spirit present in great quantity...

Olympic Stadium
Born in 1933, held the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies of the Games. Modernization works today allow 30,000 spectators to follow Juve and Toro matches every Sunday.
Piazza D'armi

Palavela
Theatre of figure skating and of short track competitions , this building is characterized by its ribbed vault and by its glass surfaces which made it futuristic when it was built, in 1961, to celebrate the first hundred years of Italian Unification.
Via Ventimiglia, 145

Palaghiaccio
Here figure and speed skaters trained during the Olympic Games. Today it hosts either people who want to spend an unusual afternoon in Turin, or professional champions that take part in national and international competitions.
Via San Remo, 67

Oval
In this structure, with a suspended roof without supports, speed skaters raced. Nowadays it hosts fairs and exhibitions in addition to sports competitions of different kinds.
Via Nizza, 236

Palaisozaki
From hockey to concerts: this area that was designed just for the Olympic Games by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki has many times been protagonist of the sports and cultural events Turin offers.
Corso Sebastopoli, 123

Olympic Village
Once wholesale market, during the Olympic Games it was residence for athletes and journalists, after the Games it was transformed into houses, offices and laboratories. Here is an example of the unexpected ability of Turin to transform and renew itself.
Via Giordano Bruno

Olympic Gangway
368 meters long, 69 high and 55 wide. This gangway and its overhanging red arch have become symbols of Turin 2006. Today pedestrians and cyclists can go along it.
Between via Giordano Bruno and the Lingotto