The Blog of Italo Cucci

Down Memory Lane

Malta has represented my debut in my international career as a sports journalist! That was 50 years ago.
In early 1963 I was assigned the first coverage of the ‘Nazionale’, the ‘azzurrini’ of the semi-professionals. The coach was Mr. Galluzzi, called “I’ggallo”, in the dialect of Tuscany.
I still remember some of the players, such as Ferrari Enzo (!), who became the first coach in a foreign country, with the Real Saragozza.
In Malta we had won, but in my memory lane there still is a particular event, nothing to do with sports. There, I discovered the Beatles. In the narrow streets of Valletta the air was resounding with “Please Please Me”, the very first hit of the Liverpool boys.
Later on, the Island’s football also gained a place in the “Guerin Sportivo”, of which I was the Managing Editor, and on my return to the Island, I discovered that the Maltese sports enthusiasts knew me even before I started participating in Rai’s Tv programmes, which were followed by the Maltese juventini, interisti, milanisti, napoletani, – like ‘Domenica Sportiva’, ‘Processo del lunedì’ and ‘Domenica Sprint’.
After half a century, on the occasion of the return to Malta of the National Team, – with Antonio Conte at the helm ready to face the boys of ‘our’ Ghedin – it seemed to me more than natural the launching of a project which draws me even closer to Malta. The setting up of the first Maltese national news agency in partnership with Italpress, the dynamic agency, which along to its specialisation in Sports carries a wide spectrum of news on political, economic, entertainment, environment, and why not, rule of law issues. Our’s – mine – is a passion for the Mediterranean which finds its roots in a common culture, over and above that fascinating Nature that embellishes our surroundings.
I am confident that this adventure will contribute to the further development of the local information sector, and together with you, will become the flagship of information in the Mediterranean.
Un augurio per tutti: buon lavoro!