Welcome to Calcio Strano where we give you your weekly fix of what Italy does best.
Football at its strangest, weirdest, funniest and most unbelievable.
From being betrayed by a scarf to a photocopier salesman, from vespas to a wall of shorts, from lucky salt and holy water to a rolex watch war, join us every Monday for a slightly different perspective on Italian football.
The Night Brian Johnson and Chuck Norris Played Football in Florence
It's 1983. You're standing under the floodlights of the Stadio Artemi in Florence, twenty thousand or so fans and you're there to play centre-back — for the United States of America — and next to a man who is about to get sent off for being, and quote, "too dangerous." That man is Chuck Norris. And playing right alongside him, lacing up his boots like it's nothing out of the ordinary is the lead singer of AC/DC, Brian Johnson. Please share the word of Strano, follow the show on Instagram @calcio.strano.podcast, and subscribe where you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio.
27 Sept 2026
The Vatican City, Calcio and Giovanni Trapattoni
Today we're heading to one of the smallest countries in the world, roughly the size of 62 standard size football pitches, fewer than a thousand residents and the smallest country in the world, both by geographic area and population and yet it has its own football league, its own national team, and, for one brief and slightly bizarre chapter, its own connection to one of Italianfootball's most decorated managers. Please share the word of Strano, follow the show on Instagram @calcio.strano.podcast, and subscribe where you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio.
20 Sept 2026
Release the ponytail! The day Baggio cut his hair
Let's talk about a haircut that mattered more to a nation than most changes of government.
Roberto Baggio was, for the better part of a decade, defined almost as much by his ponytail as by what he could do with a football.
The ponytail wasn't just a hairstyle.
It was Baggio. It was a brand before there was such a thing in sports marketing.
This is the story of the summer of 97' and when Baggio cut off his divine ponytail, the how and why, the impact one hair cut had and it's supposed whereabouts.
Please share the word of Strano, follow the show on Instagram @calcio.strano.podcast, and subscribe where you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio.
13 Sept 2026
From the San Siro to North Sydney Oval. Nicola Berti's NSL sojourn
Picture a midfielder who spent over a decade playing in Italy's Serie A, won a Scudetto, two UEFA Cups, played in a World Cup final for Italy and now fast forward to the year 2000, and that same player is running around a cricket pitch in Sydney, Australia.
This is the story of Nicola Berti and how he ended up in Australia's National Soccer League.
Please share the word of Strano, follow the show on Instagram @calcio.strano.podcast, and subscribe where your get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio.
6 Sept 2026
The White Stripes, a bar in Milano and an unexpected Calcio anthem
Da, da-da-da-da, daah, daah. You heard it during the World Cup, you’ve probably heard it at a Champions League game.
You’ve probably heard it at a basketball game or even awedding reception, vive gli sposi!
It's one of the most recognizable pieces of music on theplanet — and today, it exists as a football chant thanks to one specific night.
This is the story of how "Seven Nation Army," by a two-piece rock band from Detroit, became football's unofficial anthem — and how it all runs through AC Milan.
Please share the word of Strano, follow the show on Instagram @calcio.strano.podcast, and subscribe where your get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio.
30 Aug 2026
The most famous car in Naples - Maradona's black Ferrari.
It's the summer of 1986 and Enzo Ferrari gets a phone call asking him to do something he'd never done before, build and manufacture a black Ferrari Testarossa. His reported response was 'Ferrari's only come in red!' but little did he know who was asking the question.
This is the story of Diego Maradona's black Ferrari Testarossa. The most famous car in Naples.
Please share the word of Strano, follow the show on Instagram @calcio.strano.podcast, and subscribe where your get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio.
27 Aug 2026
The team where every player has the same name
In the small town of Serino, Campania, there was once an amateur football team where the entire starting eleven, the substitutes, the coach, the club doctor and club secretary all had the shared the exact same surname.
This is the story of Team De Feo.
Please share the word of Strano, follow the show on Instagram @calcio.strano.podcast, and subscribe where you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio.
24 Aug 2026
The unexpected tennis career of Paolo Maldini
Somehow, Paolo Maldini, one of Italy’s greatest ever players decided in his late-forties, years after retiring from professional football, to focus on becoming a professional tennis player, albeit breifly, and even more amazingly, found himself in the draw for an ATP challenger event.
This is the story of Paolo Maldini’s brief but strange professional tennis career.
Share the word of Strano, follow the show on Instagram @calcio.strano.podcast, and subscribe where you get your podcasts. It's all very much appreciated.
Thanks for listening and enjoy your Calcio!
17 Aug 2026
The chef betrayed by a scarf
A chef in a blue baseball cap is leaning out over the balcony railing, smiling, wearing a sky-blue scarf which he takes off and begins to wave around to the adulation of those below.
Napoli has just won their first Serie A title in 33 years,and half of Naples seemed to have relocated to a Greek island to celebrate.
Except the man on the balcony wasn't just some over-excited Napoli fan. He was one of Italy's most wanted fugitives who'd been missing, and completely off the grid, for eleven years. And in about thirty seconds of pure football joy, he undid it all.
This is the story of Vincenzo La Porta, football loyalty,and how it eventually caught up with him.
Thanks for listening to Calcio Strano.
Please share, subscribe where you get your podcasts and enjoy your Calcio!
11 Aug 2026
Calcio Strano Introduction
Welcome to Calcio Strano where we give you your weekly fixof what Italy does best.
Football at its strangest, weirdest, funniest and mostunbelievable.
From being betrayed by a scarf to a photocopier salesman, from vespas to a wall of shorts, from holy water to a rolex watch war, join your host Frank Risorto, every Tuesday for a slightly different perspective onItalian football.
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