I love Italy and I love soccer. So, I love to watch “The Beautiful Game” any chance I can, especially if I can watch it in Italian. Calcio, the Italian word for this most beloved sport, just sounds better when it’s in Italiano.
If you’re learning Italian, want to see a match in Italy, or just want to know the local language of the game, here are some useful Italian words used in the game of Calcio.
Allenatore = Coach
Arbitro = Referee
Autogol = Own goal
Biglietto/Biglietti = Ticket(s)
Calcio = Soccer/Football. “Calciare” also means “to kick.”
Calcio d’Angolo = Corner Kick
Calcio Libero = Free Kick
Campionato = Championship
Capitano = Captain
Capocannoniere = Lead goal scorer
Cartellino Giallo/Rosso = Yellow/Red Card
Classifica = Standings or Scoreboard
Giocatore = Player
Maglia = Jersey
Maglia da trasferta = Away jersey
Panchina = Bench
Portiere – Goalkeeper
Rigore = Penalty
Rovesciata = Bicycle Kick
Squadra = Team/Club
Stadio = Stadium
VAR = VAR!
Feature photo of Italy’s Euro 2020 championship celebration © Claudio Villa