'Golaccio

Football Italia - two words which still make fans smile from ear to ear when they think about the show that gave us the inside track on Italy's Serie A.

The broadcaster made the signing of the decade when they snapped up the rights to Serie A for a bargain £1.5million for the debut 1992/93 season. It was the start of a decade of decadence that enthralled armchair fans.

Exuberant presenter James Richardson really was the star of the show, a host who managed to get the balance between banter and insight spot on. He would welcome you into the world of Italian football with him perched outside a stunning cafe, with the daily newspapers spread across the table alongside a mouthwatering gelato, as he relayed the big talking points.

Bizarrely, it was Lazio star Paul Gascoigne who was initially set to host the show, but the enigmatic English star failed to turn up for several tapings.

Richardson took control - and ran with it.

This was the pre-Internet era, Italian football was king, and it was unmissable viewing for lovers of the beautiful game. It was European football's greatest league.

The world was bigger, and a peek behind the scenes at a different culture was a dizzying and exciting experience for those with a passion for football.

The Famous intro > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASM3jm-ocyA

That special theme song, which still brings back a flood of fantastic memories when you hear it.

Many youngsters mistook the famous 'Golaccio' in the opening credits as 'Goal Lazio'. Silly us. During the Saturday morning show, you would be treated to the highlights of last week's action from Serie A plus exclusive interviews, and on Sunday it would be live coverage from one of best matches from the afternoon schedule.

People can sometimes go over the top when recalling events from their childhood - but Football Italia genuinely was a visceral viewing experience.

Richardson was born to host this show.

He was in a relationship with an Italian girl when he became the host in '92, and his ability to speak the native tongue allowed him to interview the world's top stars. He had never worked in front of the camera before, but he was a natural who had a genuine love for the Italian game.

You could tell he was living the dream, and that enthusiasm was infectious to the legions of supporters who tuned in on a weekly basis. He hosted the season for 10 years between 1992 and 2002, before the show moved to Eurosport and latterly Channel 5.

Kenneth Wolstenholme's dulcet tones were perfect for the show in the formative years, before Peter Brackley established himself as the voice of the coverage. He was often joined on commentary by British players who had experience of Italian football.

Joe "Miiiiiiilan" Jordan, Paul Elliot, Luther Blissett and Ray Wilkins were all regular contributors to matches on the Sunday afternoon.

As good as the production values were on Football Italia, they had a box office cast to showcase on a weekly basis.

Make no mistake, Football Italia was great show, but the legions of world-class players highlighting European football’s best league is what kept people hooked. There was a wealth of excellent sides during the 1990s.

Sampdoria and Lazio book-ended the title winners during that decade, as Milan and Juventus won every Scudetto in between. Those stats alone do a disservice to how competitive Serie A was during that time - where a different side finished second and third in eight consecutive seasons.

Milan's all-conquering side featuring Dutch trio Ruud Guulit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard were disbanded and replaced with the likes of George Weah and Zvonimir Boban, as well as Oliver Bierhoff who arrived from Udinese where he netted 57 goals in 86 appearances.

The deadly double act of Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli, alongside rising star Alessandro Del Piero made Juventus must-watch TV.

Gabriel Batistuta, Christian Vieri, Juan Sebastian Veron, Enrico Chiesa, Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Baggio were other blue chip talents plying their Italy's top tier. Parma were arguably the great underachievers as they had a side filled to the brim with world class players.

During the 90s, they had legendary Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon, French standout defender Lilian Thuram, as well as the world's best centre-back Fabio Cannavaro, and the highest they could muster was a second place finish in 1997.

Fiorentina had their own deadly duo, with Portuguese playmaker Rui Costa able to provide for the iconic Gabriel Batistuta, a striker who was arguably the best player in the entire league. He would go on to win the title at Roma under Fabio Capello.

You had Ronaldo at Inter, Nesta at Lazio and Francesco Totti at Roma, the stars were truly everywhere.

Ciao Football Italia. We miss you.