In his new book Veni, Vidi, Vici, Dominic Hougham takes readers back to the late 1980s and 1990s, when Serie A was the undisputed epicentre of world football. It was a time when the greatest players on the planet flocked to Italy, Channel 4 turned Sunday afternoons into a cultural phenomenon for British fans, and legends like Diego Maradona and Roberto Baggio defined an era with both brilliance and drama.
We sat down with Hougham to discuss what made Italian football so irresistible, why Channel 4’s coverage struck such a chord, and how the magic of Serie A still endures.
Your new book Veni, Vidi, Vici covers a golden period for Italian football in the late ’80s and ’90s. What made Serie A so irresistible during that era?
“Quite simply, all the best players in the world were there. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, English clubs dominated Europe, but the Heysel tragedy and subsequent ban on English sides left a vacuum. Silvio Berlusconi’s purchase of AC Milan changed everything as his investment brought in stars like Gullit, Van Basten, and Rijkaard. Other club owners followed suit, and suddenly Italy became the place to be.
“Top players were lured by the wages, lifestyle, and the chance to win trophies. Italian clubs started dominating Europe, which attracted even more talent. At its peak, Serie A had 10 different clubs reaching European finals, and eight of 12 Ballon d’Or winners played there. As a spectacle, nothing could touch it.”
Maradona at Napoli remains one of football’s most iconic player-club stories. Could we ever see a player have that level of significance again?
“Messi and Ronaldo have been hugely influential, but what made Maradona unique was the context. He joined Napoli, a club that had narrowly escaped relegation and had never won major silverware, and transformed them into champions. He delivered two Scudetti and a UEFA Cup, and in Naples he’s still revered as a god.
“Add to that his international feats such as winning the 1986 World Cup almost single-handedly and reaching the 1990 final and you see why he stands apart. He also had that dramatic ‘light and dark’ side: brilliance on the pitch, but chaos off it. Modern players are polished, even bland. Maradona was raw, flawed, and unforgettable.”
Channel 4’s coverage of Italian football in the ’90s is still remembered fondly. Why did it resonate so strongly with British fans?
“Context again is key. English football in the early ’90s was insular with few foreign players or managers, a lot of long-ball football, decaying stadia, and hooliganism still present. It felt scruffy and uninspiring.
“Then Channel 4 arrived, showing us Serie A in full colour: world-class players in modern stadiums, passionate tifosi, choreographed tifos, sunshine, and glamour. James Richardson hosting from Italian piazzas with his cappuccino made it feel impossibly cool compared to ‘Saint and Greavsie.’ Even the kits looked better.
“And crucially, it was free-to-air. The new Premier League required a subscription, but Serie A was on every Sunday for nothing. For a whole generation of British fans, it opened their eyes to a new footballing world.”
Beyond Maradona, which foreign player had the biggest impact on Serie A?
“From an English perspective, Paul Gascoigne. His move to Lazio wasn’t hugely successful, but it was the spark that convinced Channel 4 to broadcast Italian football. Without Gazza, there may have been no Sunday afternoons with Serie A for British fans.
“On a broader scale, I’d pick Ruud Gullit. After Maradona, he was Serie A’s next true foreign superstar. Van Basten was brilliant but plagued by injuries; Gullit was central to Milan’s title in 1988 under Arrigo Sacchi. That triumph gave Sacchi time to build his legendary side, which went on to win back-to-back European Cups and revolutionised football. Gullit was the catalyst for Milan’s dominance and, in many ways, for Serie A’s golden age.”
Roberto Baggio carried Italy to the 1994 World Cup final, only to miss that penalty. Do you see him as a tragic figure or as a symbol of Italian flair?
“Baggio is my favourite player of that era, so I’ll defend him to the hilt! It still frustrates me that so many reduce him to that one miss. People forget he dragged a poor Italian side to the final almost single-handedly—saving them against Nigeria, scoring the winner against Spain, and both goals against Bulgaria.
“By the final, he was injured and exhausted, playing 120 minutes in the Californian heat. Two teammates missed before him, but his miss is the image remembered. That’s unfair.
“At his peak – whether at Fiorentina, Juventus, Milan, or even Brescia – he was breathtaking: flair, imagination, unpredictability. He played through horrendous injuries and even an allergy to painkillers. For me, he embodies Italian football’s artistry and drama. He deserves to be remembered among the all-time greats.”
By the end of the ’90s, Serie A’s dominance began to fade. What caused the decline?
“Finances. Serie A’s success relied on wealthy owners, but many ran into trouble. Parma collapsed after Parmalat’s scandal, Fiorentina went bankrupt and had to restart in Serie C2, Lazio’s owner defaulted on debts, Napoli went bust in 2004. Torino, Sampdoria and many others were affected.
“As the money dried up, the best players looked elsewhere, especially to the Premier League, which was booming. The Calciopoli scandal in 2006 further tarnished the league’s reputation.
“It was almost Shakespearean – the highs were incredible, but the fall was brutal. That said, Italian football retains its glamour. Even today, it’s compelling because no single team dominates like Juventus did in their nine-year run. Serie A may not be what it was in the ’90s, but it will always have a special magic.”
Veni, Vidi, Vici is a love letter to Serie A’s golden years, capturing the stories, characters, and unforgettable drama of an era when Italian football ruled the world.
Available to buy at Pitch Publishing.
Featured image courtesy of Pitch Publishing.
Callum McFadden 