Galderisi, Giuseppe (Salerno, 22/3/63)
A diminutive striker who started off with Juventus but had his greatest success with Verona in the mid-1980s when he took them to the League title and forced his way into the national team. He returned to Serie A in 1995-96 thanks to Padova’s promotion push.
Galli, Carlo (Montecatini, 6/3/31)
A much-travelled forward in the 1950s and 1960s, Galli burst on the Serie A scene as a teenager with Palermo. This earned him a move to Roma then on to Milan where he picked up a couple of championship wins. Strong in the air, he was capped 13 times by La Nazionale and found the net five times.
Galli, Filippo (Monza, 19/5/63)
An unsung hero of the great Milan side of the 1980s, he spent 15 years with the Rossoneri and played at least a bit-part role in many of their major triumphs. In the twilight of his career he enjoyed spells with Brescia, Reggiana, Pro Sesto and Watford.
Galli, Giovanni (Pisa, 29/4/58)
A top-flight ‘keeper for more than 20 years, he made his way into the national set up thanks to some fine performances with Fiorentina. It was at Milan, however, that he was most successful, winning European and World Club honours. Napoli, Torino and Parma were his other ports of call, as well as being first choice for his country in the 1986 World Cup - where he earned the unfortunate moniker ‘Two shots, two goals.’
Ganz, Maurizio (Tolmezzo, 13/10/68)
Dubbed ‘He who always scores’ by the Atalanta faithful, it was at the Bergamo club that he made his Serie A breakthrough. Then went on to play for Inter, Milan, Fiorentina and Ancona, amongst others, but never quite scaled the heights he promised when in black and blue.
Gascoigne, Paul (Gateshead, England, 27/5/67)
The affable Geordie midfielder arrived in Italy on the back of his World Cup performances at Italia ‘90 and after a serious injury sustained in the FA Cup Final for Tottenham Hotspur. Lazio saw fit to splash out millions on this highly talented individual, but the investment did not pay off. Despite some special moments, like scoring in a Rome derby, by 1995 – and a string of niggling injuries later – it was time for Gazza to return to Britain with Glasgow Rangers.
Gattuso, Gennaro (Corigliano Calabro, 9/1/78)
The midfield hardman of Italian football, Gattuso is viewed as one of the most important players for both Milan and the Azzurri. After making an unspectacular start to his career at Perugia, Glasgow Rangers took him to Scotland and he became a fans’ favourite at Ibrox. After one season he returned to the peninsula with Salernitana, which then led to a move to Milan. With the Rossoneri he has won both domestic and European honours, his crowning glory being a man of the match performance in the 2003 Champions’ League Final.
GENOA (Founded: 1893. Stadium: Luigi Ferraris, Capacity: 43,868)
The Griffin, which is the symbol of Genoa, certainly represents the sleeping giant which has spent the longest time in its slumber. Nine League titles give the Rossoblu a justifiable claim to being one of Italy’s top teams, but the last of them came in 1924. They are also the oldest club still on the go in Italy, with their heyday coming at the very dawn of Italian football. Formed with the noble name of the Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club on September 7, 1893, they were largely made up of British ex-patriots until a certain Dr Spensley opened the door to Italians and created a team that would win six of the first seven Italian League titles.
Playing in blue and white originally, they adopted the name Genoa Football Club in 1899 and by 1901 they had switched to their famous red and blue strips. They were giants of the age but Juve, Inter and Bologna eventually overtook them by 1934 they suffered relegation to Serie B. Although they bounced back and carried off the Coppa Italia in 1937 the years after the Second World War brought little joy. By the 1970s they reached their lowest ebb in Serie C, but the 1990s gave them a UEFA Cup semi-final, inspired by the likes of Tomas Shuhravy and Carlos Aguilera. However, by 1995 they were back in Serie B for a decade before gaining promotion this season.
Gentile, Claudio (Tripoli, Libya, 27/9/53)
Probably the greatest man marker ever to make his way on to a football pitch, there was little escape from his attentions. Gentile proved a formidable partner for Gaetano Scirea at the heart of the Juventus and Italy defence throughout the 1970s and into the World Cup in 1982. His finest hour came when winning the 1982 World Cup against the likes of Maradona and Zico, but he also picked up six domestic League titles, two Italian Cups, the European Cup-Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Cup with the Bianconeri. He played 71 times for Italy and at the end of his career he moved to Fiorentina for three seasons before finishing off with Piacenza in Serie B. Currently Italy’s U-23 Coach.
Ghezzi, Giorgio (Cesenatico, 10/7/30 - Died 1990)
The famous goalkeeper for both Milan and Inter was nicknamed ‘Kamikaze’ due to the reckless nature of his goalkeeping. He picked up League titles with both Milan giants, but his greatest night came in the Rossoneri’s European Cup triumph of 1963 when he helped to thwart Eusebio and Benfica. Swift and agile, his path to national honours was blocked for most of his career and he was capped just half a dozen times.
Ghiggia, Alcide (Montevideo, Uruguay, 22/12/26)
His name will forever be remembered in South America as the man who stunned Brazil in the World Cup final of 1950 by scoring the winning goal for Uruguay. An exciting winger of great skill, he played for Roma for eight seasons in the 1950s and, thanks to some dubious Italian connections, he also played for Italy. He played five times for his new country, scoring once and made more than 200 Serie A appearances for the capital club.
Giannini, Giuseppe (Rome, 20/8/64)
Known as ‘The Prince’ to all Roma fans, his classic midfield playmaking abilities also made him a central figure in the World Cup campaign of 1990. He made his Italy debut at the age of 22 and went on to pick up 47 caps under Azeglio Vicini. More than 300 League appearances made him a living legend at Roma, the club to whom he stayed loyal despite bids from big clubs and regular fall-outs with club Coaches.
Giordano, Bruno (Rome, 13/8/56)
For many years the front man of the Lazio attack, Giordano was Serie A’s top scorer in the 1979 season. After 200 games with the capital club he moved to Napoli to form the famous Ma-Gi-Ca trio – Maradona, Giordano, Careca – that led them to the title in 1987. Giordano was denied a couple of seasons in the game for his involvement in a bribe scandal in 1980. Without this he might well have added to the 13 caps and one goal he scored for his country.
Giovannini, Attilio (San Michele Extra, 30/7/24)
A member of the Inter defence in the 1950s and a double Scudetto winner with the club. He played for Italy 13 times and was also a towering presence in the defence of Bolzano, Lucchese and Lazio during his career.
Gratton, Guido (Monfalcone, 23/9/32)
An attacking midfielder whose best days came with Fiorentina in the 1950s. He also scored three goals for Italy in 11 international appearances.
Graziani, Francesco (Subiaco, 16/12/52)
‘Ciccio’ got goals wherever he went and played an important role in the World Cup win of 1982. His glory days came at Torino where he managed almost 100 League goals and was Serie A top scorer in 1977 after helping Toro to their historic title win of 1976. He moved to Fiorentina in 1981 and then later to Roma and Udinese where he always contributed a regular supply of goals. Moved into coaching and was lasted spotted at the helm of a side in an Italian football-based reality TV show.
Greaves, Jimmy (East Ham, 20/2/40)
The greatest scorer in British soccer history, he became the youngest player to reach 100 goals before his 21st birthday at Chelsea. But he failed to adapt to the tough regime in Italy. Although he scored nine goals in 14 matches for AC Milan, he returned home inside six months to join Spurs for £99,999. A further 220 goals followed in 321 games before he wound down his career at West Ham. Played 57 times for England but, despite scoring 44 times, injury and Geoff Hurst’s emergence meant he didn’t make Alf Ramsey’s World Cup Final winning team of 1966. A re-formed alcoholic, he went on to carve out a new career as a TV pundit.
Gren, Gunnar (Gothenburg, Sweden, 31/10/20)
Nicknamed ‘The Professor’ due to the tactical role he adopted in the midfield for Sweden and Milan, Gren formed part of the historic Grenoli trio – along with Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm – that helped the Rossoneri dominate the 1950s. After being spotted in the Swedish Olympic team of 1948 he enjoyed four seasons with Milan, although none was more successful than his first – he bagged 18 goals in 37 games. After that the goals dried up and he moved on to Fiorentina and Genoa before returning to Sweden to play in his hometown.
Grezar, Giuseppe (Trieste, 25/11/18 - Died 1949)
Five times an Italian championship winner, he was part of the great Torino side that was tragically lost in the plane crash at Superga. He established himself at Triestina as a defensive right-sided midfielder before making the move to the Turin club which dominated Italian football in the 1940s. He scored once for Italy in eight appearances before his career was cruelly cut short.
Grun, Georges (Schaerbeek, Belgium, 25/1/62)
Signed from Anderlecht in 1990, this Belgian international defender was a model of elegance and organisation at the centre of the Parma defence for four seasons. He was part of the driving force which established the team from Emilia Romagna as a major power in the Italian game.
Guaita, Enrico (Nogaya, Brazil, 15/7/10 - Died 1959)
Roma enjoyed this gifted Brazilian’s talents for a couple of precious seasons, but it was at international level that he really made his mark. Thanks to lax playing laws he was soon capped by Italy and in ten games he scored five goals and made a big contribution to winning the World Cup in 1934. An outstanding dribbler and passer, he tormented defenders from the right wing and scored 42 goals in 61 Serie A games.
Guarneri, Aristide (Cremona, 7/3/38)
A right back turned central defender, he bolstered the Inter defence in the 1960s and helped them to some of their most memorable moments. A vital part of domestic, European and world football glories for the club, Guarneri was a rugged defender and perfect element for the defensive policies of Helenio Herrera. These battling qualities also helped him win 21 caps for Italy and he played a part in the 1968 European Nations Cup win. He finished his career with hometown Cremonese after a couple of brief spells with Bologna and Napoli.
Gullit, Ruud (Amsterdam, Holland, 1/9/62)
Good aerial ability, excellent close control and a thundering shot made the dreadlocked Dutchman one of the most imposing attacking midfield presences in Italy. Part of the Dutch trio that made Milan great in the late 1980s along with Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten, he contributed both goals and outstanding creative play to the set up of the Rossoneri. A serious knee injury put him out of the game for most of the 1989-90 season, but he bounced back to play a big role in proceedings for the next three seasons. It was only by 1993 that Milan decided he was surplus to requirements and sent him packing to Sampdoria - where he grabbed the most goals of any of his Serie A seasons. Sixteen strikes in 31 games convinced Silvio Berlusconi of the error of his ways and he decided it was time to bring Gullit back to the San Siro. But the return to the Rossoneri did not work out as planned. Dressing room envy saw to it that he only lasted eight games before heading back to Samp. At the end of the 1994-95 season and, having won just about every honour available - including the European Nations Cup and European Footballer of the Year in 1987 - he decided to take up a new challenge with Chelsea.
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