Italy's A-List Trivia Quiz

Answer: A.C. Milan

Associazione Calcio Milan was founded at the end of 1899 by two English expats, in whose honour the club has kept the English spelling of the city's name (Milano in Italian). Milan is one of the Italian clubs that have won the most international trophies (both FIFA and UEFA), and one of the most successful in terms of Italian Serie A title wins (familiarly called "Scudetto", which means "little shield"). Milan is also one of the world's wealthiest football clubs, and was at one time owned by controversial billionaire and politician Silvio Berlusconi.

Some of Italy's and the world's strongest footballers have played for Milan - as even a cursory look at the club's Hall of Fame will reveal. Some of the club's most renowned players have also found fame and fortune as coaches, both in Italy and abroad. Milan plays its home games at Stadio San Siro, which can hold more than 80,000 people.

The club's nickname of "Il Diavolo" (The Devil) comes from its colours, red and black - which represent fire and the fear felt by their opponents.

Answer: S.S.C. Napoli

Founded in 1926 (though an earlier club had been established by two Englishmen in 1904), Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli was not particularly successful in the first few decades of its history. Things began to change for the better in the 1960s, with very good placements in Serie A championships.

However the real turning point for the club came in 1984, with the acquisition of Argentine midfielder Diego Armando Maradona - regarded by many as one of the greatest football players (if not the greatest) of all time. With Maradona and a number of other very talented Italian and foreign players in its ranks, Napoli won both the Italian Championship and the Coppa Italia in the 1986-1987 season.

It was the first Championship win for a team from Southern Italy, and this historic event turned Maradona into a veritable icon for the city of Naples.

A second title came in the 1989-1990 season. Maradona's departure marked the beginning of the club's decline, leading to bankruptcy in 2004. Thankfully, S.S.C. Napoli has rebounded from this time of deep crisis.

The club plays its home games at the Stadio San Paolo, one of Italy's largest football stadiums. Like the Italian national team, its players are nicknamed "Gli Azzurri" (The Blues). Napoli has a strong fanbase not only in Italy, but also in other parts of the world, such as South America.

Answer: A.C.F. Fiorentina

Fiorentina, Florence's major-league football club, was established in 1926 with the name of Associazione Calcio Firenze. The club won two Italian championships (in 1955-1956 and 1968-1969); it was also the first Italian club to win a UEFA competition, the Cup Winner's Cup, in 1960-1962.

After it went bankrupt in 2002, Fiorentina was refounded as Associazione Calcio Fiorentina e Florentia Viola, and had to start again almost from the bottom (Serie C2), but in a few years made it back to Serie A. One of Fiorentina's most popular coaches, Cesare Prandelli, managed Italy's national team from 2010 to 2014. Roberto Baggio, one of Italy's most famous footballers, played with Fiorentina for five years (1985-1990). Fiorentina's colour is purple, and the team's nickname is "I Viola" (The Purples) or "I Gigliati" (those bearing the lily symbol). Fiorentina plays its home games at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Answer: S.S. Lazio

The older of Rome's two major-league football clubs, Società Sportiva Lazio (named after the region where Italy's capital is located) was founded in 1900, and in 1929 played in the first organized Serie A championship. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Lazio's performances were uneven, and resulted in two relegations.

However, in the season 1972-1973, the team emerged as one of Serie A's strongest contenders, and in the following season won the championship for the first time. A second title came in the season 1999-2000, after many years fraught with problems (such as the involvement of some of the club's players in illegal betting).

In spite of its many ups and downs, Lazio is widely held as one of Italy's strongest teams, and many of its players have been chosen over the years for Italy's national team. One of Lazio's former coaches, under whose management the team won its second championship, was Sven-Göran Eriksson, who went on to become England's manager. Lazio plays its home games at Rome's huge Stadio Olimpico, shared with their arch-rivals of A.S. Roma.

The team's nickname of "I Biancazzurri" (The Blue-and-Whites) refers to their colours, inspired by those of Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

Answer: F.C. Internazionale Milano

Known as Inter for short, Football Club Internazionale Milano is Milan's other Serie A team. Founded in 1908 by a group of former members of Milan Football and Cricket Club (now AC Milan), throughout its history Inter has won an impressive number of domestic and international trophies, including some UEFA Champions League titles.

Some of the world's top players - such as defender Giuseppe Bergomi (one of the members of the National team that won the World Cup in 1982), and German striker Jürgen Klinsmann - have passed through Inter's ranks.

The club plays its home games at Stadio San Siro; matches between Inter and Milan are known as "Derby della Madonnina" (after the city's symbol, the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on top of Milan's Cathedral).

The team is nicknamed "I Nerazzurri" (the Black-and-Blues), or "Il Biscione" (The Grass Snake, one of the city's heraldic symbols).

Answer: Torino F.C.

Though not as internationally famous as the other Turin-based club, Juventus, Torino Football Club has a glorious history. One of the clubs that contributed to Torino's foundation in 1907, Internazionale Torino, was born from the merger of Italy's two oldest football clubs.

However, Torino became a force to be reckoned with in the 1940s, with the historic team nicknamed "Grande Torino" (Great Torino), winner of 5 Serie A titles and backbone of the Italian national team. The whole team came to a tragic end on 4 May 1949, when the plane in which they were travelling crashed on the hill of Superga, on the outskirts of Turin, killing everyone on board.

Not surprisingly, years of decline followed this tragedy, and severe financial difficulties brought about the club's bankruptcy in 2005. Though things have improved in more recent times, Torino has never regained the status it enjoyed before the Superga tragedy.

The club's nickname of "Il Toro" refers to the rampant bull on its badge and the city's coat of arms; its players are also called "I Granata" (The Pomegranate-Red Ones), from the maroon colour of their shirts. Torino plays its home games in its own stadium, formerly known as Stadio Comunale, and now as Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

Answer: Atalanta B.C.

Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio was founded in 1907 by a group of high-school students in the city of Bergamo, located about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Milan. They gave it the name of the mythical Greek huntress Atalanta, a follower of the virgin goddess Artemis. Though Atalanta was not a deity, one of the team's nicknames is "La Dea" (The Goddess).

The club's other nickname of "queen of provincial clubs" is due to the fact that Atalanta is the most consistent club not based in a regional capital (like all the others featured in this quiz) in terms of participation to Serie A championships.

In fact, even if its accomplishments may not look as impressive as those of larger, wealthier teams, Atalanta has long been a reliable presence in Italy's major league. Atalanta's home ground is the Stadio Azzurri d'Italia; its followers are said to be among Italy's most loyal.

Answer: A.S. Roma

Associazione Sportiva Roma was founded in 1927 from the merger of three older football clubs, whose purpose was to give Italy's capital a strong team that could compete with the dominant Northern Italian clubs. Their first "Scudetto" came in the season 1941-42, but was followed by many years of up and downs, which also included one relegation and a near-bankruptcy. Thanks to a team of very strong players and the skillful management of Swedish coach Nils Liedholm, Roma rebounded in the late 1970s, and went on to win its second title in 1982-1983.

A third title came in 2000-01, mainly due to the contribution of iconic team captain Francesco Totti, who was also part of the national team that won the FIFA World Cup in 2006. Roma's colours, imperial purple and golden yellow, are the same as the city of Rome's, and have earned the club's players the nickname of "I Giallorossi" (The Yellow-and-Reds); the club's badge also features a wolf, Rome's symbol.

The rivalry between the supporters of Roma and those of Lazio is one of the world's fiercest, and has occasionally led to acts of violence.

Answer: Genoa C.F.C.

Italy's fourth-oldest football team, Genoa was founded in 1893 by a group of Englishmen (hence the spelling of the city's name, which is called Genova in Italian) with the name of Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club. Though at first the emphasis was mainly on cricket, football soon became dominant in the club's activity.

After winning the first Italian Championship, they went on to win eight more titles - the last of which was in the 1923-1924 season. In more recent times, the club's performance has been somewhat uneven, with frequent relegations to lower divisions (Serie B and Serie C1). Genoa's home games are played at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, which is shared by their rivals of Sampdoria, Genoa's other major football club, and one of Italy's youngest teams (founded in 1946).

The club's symbol, the griffin (hence the nickname "I Grifoni", The Griffins) is derived from the city of Genoa's own coat of arms. Christopher Columbus, of course, was born in Genoa in 1451.

Answer: Juventus F.C.

Established in 1897. Juventus Football Club (named after the Latin word for "youth") is one of the northwestern city of Turin's two major-league teams. With its many domestic and international trophies, Juventus is by far the most successful club in the history of Italian football, with a staggering amount of league titles won since its inception.

The club has been owned by the Agnelli family, the founders of FIAT, almost without interruption since the year 1923. With such impressive credentials, it is not surprising that Juventus has one of the world's largest fan bases, and that it has contributed the most players to the Italian national team.

This popularity explains one of the club's enduring nicknames, "La Fidanzata d'Italia" (Italy's sweetheart). Famous Juventus players, both Italian and international, are almost too many to mention, and a look at their Hall of Fame will show many famous names. Juventus plays its home games at its own stadium, re-named Allianz Stadium in 2017.