Serie A greats Christian Vieri, Edgar Davids, Christian Pannuci and Simone Barone excited for Calcio Italiano

A quartet of Italian football greats have pledged Perth fans will be treated to serious contests between giants of the sport when four of the world’s biggest clubs touch down later this year. While Serie A giants AC Milan, Juventus and Inter Milan and one of southern Italy’s biggest clubs in Palermo may be headed to WA for pre-season games in August, the legends have warned fans to not expect them to be run-of-the-mill, easy-going friendlies. Serie A royalty descended upon Perth on Thursday as football greats Christian Vieri, Edgar Davids, Christian Panucci and Simone Barone arrived to promote ‘Calcio Italiano’, the four-team, three-game series set for Optus Stadium in August. The quartet met junior players from local teams Perth Azzuri, Bayswater City, Fremantle City and Balcatta Etna (four of the WA’s biggest Italian clubs) for a kick-about in Cottesloe, with all four indulging kids and their football-mad parents for signatures and selfies. They then spent their afternoon enjoying Perth’s offerings, spending time in the likes of Fremantle, Rottnest Island and the Swan Valley. ‘Calcio Italiano’ will kick off with a world-first ‘Derby della Madonnina’ (Milan derby) held outside Italy between AC Milan and Inter on August 5, Inter will then play Juventus on August 8 before Juventus will round out proceedings against Palermo on August 11. When it comes to big name Serie A players, there are few who eclipse Vieri, the Australian-raised striker who shares the record for most World Cup goals scored for Italy. Vieri played for all three of Inter, Juventus and Milan and became the world’s most-expensive player in 1999 when he signed for Inter, scoring 123 goals for the club across a six-year spell. “The fans here are going to have a good two games, because they are going to be playing the derby and then against Juventus,” he told The West Australian. “It’s going to be good for the fans, the Milan supporters, the Inter supporters, the Juventus supporters, the Palermo supporters — there’s lot of Sicilians in Australia. “They’re going to see their idols are going to see three of the biggest teams in the world coming here to play. “When these teams play against each other, no one wants to lose, because you’ve got stadiums that are full and they’re important games. Like Vieri, Panucci played for both Milan clubs as well as Spanish giants Real Madrid and fellow Italian side AS Roma, but won the Champions League — arguably the sport’s biggest club title — with AC Milan in 1994. He said even a ‘friendly’ Milan derby would be more passionate than the average game. “We never have a friendly match in a derby; derbies, we always want to win, because a derby is derby,” Panucci said. “This is an amazing match, it’s an incredible match. I played a lot of derbies in Spain, but Inter Milan and AC Milan is unbelievable.” Davids was one of the most iconic footballers of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s and played for all three of Milan, Inter and Juventus, playing more than 150 games for the latter. The ex-Dutch international midfielder said it was a good opportunity to promote Juventus and was confident his old club would produce two high-quality games. “When you play against great teams and big teams, it is always a way to measure yourself against formidable opponents, so you know which level you are at at that time,” Davids said. “At the end of the day, I’m a football lover, so you want to see a great match.” Barone, who played with Australian greats Bresciano and Vince Grella, was part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad and had a pitch-side view of Francesco Totti’s injury-time penalty to defeat the Socceroos in the round of 16. With Palermo fighting for promotion back into Serie A this season, Barone said it meant a lot to him to see his old club headed to Perth and involved in the August games. “I’m very happy Palermo is here to represent a city and the region that is Sicily and that it can be with very big teams like Juventus, Inter or AC Milan,” he said. “This means for Palermo and for the team, that it has an international appeal and value, and I’m very proud to be here to represent it.” Deputy premier Rita Saffioti said they would continue to pursue high-profile sporting events like Calcio Italiano. “We continue to look at things that are unique and draw people from interstate. What’s really pleasing is these teams aren’t playing elsewhere in Australia,” she said. “(Tourism Minister) Reece Whitby and myself are working together and sports tourism is really a key part of what we’re pursuing. “People are not only looking at destinations, they’re looking for experiences, and that’s something we need to continue to work on. “It’s not just about visiting a site and having a picture next to a landmark anymore, it’s experiences and that’s where events really come into play.”