Vecchia Signora. Juventus today are arguably Italy’s most famous club, and it’s easy to see why. Their achievements speak for themselves. 33 league titles. 12 Copa Italias. 7 Super Cups. 3 UEFA Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups and more. The Juventus story begins on a simple street bench in 1897. Four friends, the eldest just 17 years old, met on this bench on Corso de Umberto in Turin, all passionate about this fascinating new sport imported from England.  Deciding to start a new club, these kids gave birth to a legend. Juventus started playing football at Piazza d’Armi (Parade Ground) wearing pink and black strips, before joining the national championship in 1900 and moving to the more appropriate Velodrome Umberto I.

In 1903, inspired by Notts County who at that time were one of Europe’s finest teams, Juve switched to their famous striped black and white kits that they wear to this day. Five years after that, they had their first Italian title after successfully fighting off tough competition from Genoa and Milan. The clubs president at that time was Swiss-born Alfred Dick. He was an entrepreneur and manager of a leather and footwear company, however he was known for living up to his name with his difficult temperament and moody disposition. When the time came to vote for the presidency again, Dick was shafted by the board of directors and sensationally quit the club, taking some of the Bianconeri’s best players with him. He approached another local team called Torinese FC, and combined the two sets of players to form Torino FC, who became rivals of Juventus ever since.

With their player stocks now depleted, Juventus had a tricky time keeping up with emerging Italian football powers such as Pro Vercelli and Casale. But after a rebuilding period, they came back with a vengeance after the First World War, beginning their contribution to the Italian national team when goalkeeper Giancone and defenders Novo and Bruna were called up for the Azzurri. This was the beginning of a football dynasty, with Juventus enjoying successes in their future that the four kids sitting on that street bench could never have possibly imagined.

Star player: Alberto Barberis, DoB 1 January 1883, Vercelli, Italy

Barberis was one of the first ever players for Juventus. He was a law student who worked for Juventus boss Alfred Dick. When Dick decided to leave the club, Barberis refused and was subsequently fired by the Swiss entrepreneur. He was a member of the 1905 Scudetto winning Juventus team.