ZOFA ZOGOOD; It's So Relaxing for an Italian in the Prem

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When Italians used to think of England, they conjured up pictures of the Queen, Big Ben and a greasy helping of fish and chips.

But today things are very different.

The mere sight of an English flag automatically inspires images of Vialli's bald head at Chelsea or Fabrizio Ravanelli's silver crest at Middlesbrough.

Then of course there's Zola Goala - Stamford Bridge's new hero and Roberto Di Matteo with his art of football (both pictured right).

Effectively, the English Premiership has almost become an extension of the Italian League.

The Italian superstars are moving in - and it seems that even more are keen to come.

So what is it that attracts the glitzy Azzurri over here and, most importantly, do they fit in?

Obviously money plays a big part in any player's decision to go abroad, however desperately they try to play down this key factor down.

It's importance is easily assessed. In the years BS - before Sky - there was little money in the English League vaults and nobody who was anybody ever bothered to cross the Channel.

Far greener pastures were to be found in Italy, so none of their star players ever needed to stray.

Now the grass has turned yellow on the peninsula and, in the year of Our Sky, in which a deal worth pounds 670million descended upon the Premier …