To say that Italians are passionate about soccer is an understatement. Italians live for their "calcio", and for good reason: some of the best and most noted players in the world play soccer in Italy.

There are a few professional leagues in Italy, the highest being Serie A (established in 1927). The player salaries in the Serie A are some of the highest in all of sports. Next in line is the Serie B league and a few leagues in Serie C and Serie D. Although not as popular as Serie A, these lower leagues will also have competive games and talented players.

For Serie A, there are 18 teams that play 34 games. The season runs from September through May. Most games are played on Sunday, with an occasional game on Saturday. Then there are playoffs and a championship game. The winner of the Italian Championship will then play in the "Champions League" of European teams to determine a champion for Europe.

At the end of the year, the four worst teams from Serie A will then play in the Serie B league the following year. The top 4 teams from Serie B will be promoted to Serie A. All of the other leagues will also similarly promote and demote teams.

Some of the better players will be also elected to the national team that will compete in other events like the European Cup (2008) and the World Cup (2010).

The World Cup, undoubtedly the most watched sporting event in the world, is held every four years. Italy has won the World Cup 4 times, the most recent being in 2006. Brazil has the most wins with 5. Germany is the next team behind Italy with 3 World Cup championships.

If you are a sports fan and have the opportunity to see a game in the Serie A league, then you should definitely not pass up the opportunity. There is much pageantry, revelry and passion that can only be understood by attending a game. Needless to say, it is tough to secure tickets for Serie A. Tickets are allocated to the many fan clubs that follow each team. You will probably have an easier time finding tickets for Serie B or Serie C games. Although the Italian soccer fans are not as rowdy and the infamous British "hooligans", you will likely see police in riot-gear. But don't let that deter you from seeing a game...it's all part of the atmosphere.