Do the names Roberto Baggio, Francesco Totti and Marco Materazzi ring a bell in your brain? If yes, then you know what I am talking about and if no then probably you are not an Italian Football fan and do not know about it so read on!
The game of football existed in Italy even before people knew that it was called so! The rules were somewhat soccer-like and it was known as Calcio (still known by the same name to locals). The sophisticated form of soccer as known today was brought by the British men around 1880s. There existed separate clubs for foreigners and locals. The very first club was Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club.
The Italian Football Federation (the FIGC) manages national teams and facilitates organization of the games. It is the governing body for football in Italy. Presently headed by President Giancarlo Abete.
The league structure was introduced after FIGC joined FIFA in 1905. A league is more of an organization comprising of various clubs which sets up various games of its own. Italian Football system is a three tier system. First tier is Serie A with 20 clubs, second tier is Serie B with 20 clubs and the third tier is Lega Pro Prima Divisione Girone A and Lega Pro Prima Divisione Girone B, both with 18 clubs each. The leagues have been positioned in such a hierarchy because of the performance of their participants. The topmost tier is occupied by the champions and so on.
If you are new to Italian football you are now ready for your journey as you've got the basics and if you were already a fan you just read something that added to your knowledge! So have fun and keep yourself updated with the football fever as no other game gives your adrenaline a rush other than a good game of Soccer!