Italy v England: 15 Cultural Similarities Between Italy & England

Last week Goal.com brought you 30 cultural differences between Italy and England, which led to an overwhelming response from readers. By popular demand, we have scratched our heads to find 15 cultural similarities between the two nations.

On the Pitch

1) David Beckham is not the only English footballing connection with Italy...Milan, Genoa and Palermo were all founded by Englishmen.

2) Italy & England are both hopeless at penalty shoot-outs. Italy crashed out of three successive World Cups in the 1990s and also lost at Euro 2008, while England bowed out in 1990, 96, 98, 2004 and 2006.

3) Both Italy and England have an Italian manager in charge of their national teams – Marcello Lippi and Fabio Capello respectively.

4) Both the Azzurri and Three Lions have ridiculously high expectations placed on them going into tournaments, although at least the Azzurri do qualify and win things occasionally.

5) The traditional powerhouses of the game in both countries are in the industrial north - Liverpool & Manchester in England, Milan & Turin in Italy - with sides from the capital struggling to enjoy consistent periods of success since Arsenal's dominant streak in the 1930s.

6) Both Italy and England think they have the best league in the world. While all superstars went to Serie A in the 80s and 90s, now they go to the Premier League.

7) Both countries have suffered footballing tragedies. In England the brilliant Busby Babes of Manchester United were almost totally wiped out in the Munich Air Disaster of 1958. In Italy the all-conquering Grande Torino squad was also lost in the Superga Disaster of 1949.

8) Both nations have had their own versions of the Holy Trinity - Law, Charlton and Best for Man Utd in the 1960s, and Gullit, Van Basten and Rijkaard for Milan in the late 80s and early 90s.

9) Lazio's 1974 Scudetto-winning legend Giuseppe Wilson had an English father and was born in Darlington. Roma midfielder and 2006 World Cup-winning star Simone Perrotta was born and lived in Ashton Under-Lyne (birthplace of the great Geoff Hurst) until he was six-years-old.

10) An English goalkeeper with Italian links, Peter Bonetti, single-handedly cost The Three Lions a place in the semi-final of the 1970 World Cup when he blundered to allow Franz Beckenbauer's West Germany recover from two goals down to win 3-2. In the last four clash, the Germans would ironically play Italy, with the Azzurri triumphing 4-3 in the 'Game of The Century'.

11) Dominic Matteo, Daniele Dichio and Riccardo Scimeca all also have English and Italian blood in them, but both nations try to deny any link to these three.

Off The Pitch

12) Both countries share a mutual dislike of the French. England’s loathing, which originated in 1066 with the Norman Conquest, has improved since the end of the nineteenth century, while Italy’s has worsened since the arrival of Monsieur Domenech.

13) Both Italy and England once had the greatest empires in the world - the Romans and the British. The Romans ruled England for almost 400 years while, during their dominance, the Brits were more interested in fighting with Domenech’s ancestors.

14) Both countries can't handle extreme weather. Italians wear thick fur coats when the temperature is anything less than 20 degrees. The English slap on the sunscreen and get heatstroke when it’s any higher than 15 Celsius.

15) Both are useless at tennis. Italy haven't had a male player in the Top 10 for more than 30 years. England haven't had a Men's Singles grand-slam winner since the time of Fred Perry in the 1930s (and no, Andy Murray doesn't count).

What are your views on this topic? Any other cultural similarities between Italy and England that you can offer? Goal.com would like to know...

Carlo Garganese and Goal.com team