14 Facts About Gianni Brera

Giovanni Luigi "Gianni" Brera was an Italian sports journalist and novelist.

Gianni Brera was born in San Zenone al Po, near Pavia, the son of Carlo, a tailor, and Marietta Ghisoni.

Gianni Brera obtained his degree in political sciences at Pavia University in 1943, while on leave from his post as lieutenant of the paratrooper division "Folgore".

Gianni Brera took pride in having lived through World War II without ever shooting another human being.

Gianni Brera wrote for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Guerin Sportivo, Il Giorno, Il Giornale, La Repubblica and several other publications.

Gianni Brera often referred to himself as "Gioannbrerafucarlo".

Gianni Brera wrote a number of books, a theatre play, and a couple of radio plays.

Gianni Brera is considered one of the most influential Italian sports journalists of the 20th century.

Gianni Brera is widely credited for innovating Italian language, notably by creating a whole new terms for football, some of which have been adopted by other countries.

Gianni Brera nicknamed Silvio Berlusconi Il Cavaliere after the businessman was awarded the Order of Merit for Labour.

Gianni Brera's self-declared fondness for Genoa testified his love for the "heroic age" of Italian football ; moreover, after Gianni Brera's death the original foundation charter of the Genoa Cricket and Football Club was found among his papers, and his family donated it to a Genoese museum.

Apart from the imaginative lexicon, Gianni Brera was noteworthy for his rich style and liberal use of foreign or regional phrases.

Gianni Brera spoke fluent French and Spanish, a little German and Latin, and some English.

In May 2019, Gianni Brera was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame for the 2018 edition, under the category Special Awards.