Brian Barry-Murphy's men will wrap up their pre-season fixtures when they host Italian giants AS Roma at Cardiff City Stadium. The Bluebirds and I Giallorossi have shared one Welsh footballing icon.
In March 1950, an 18-year-old Welshman made his debut for his country in a 0-0 draw against Ireland - his name was John Charles. Charles went on to have one of the most successful footballing careers of any Welsh, or indeed British player. This included a stint in Italy with AS Roma, and closer to home with Cardiff City.
Charles began his career in the youth setup at Leeds United before going on to become one of their all-time greats, scoring over 150 times in 300+ appearances for the Whites.
He then made the move to Turin with Juventus for what was a British record transfer fee at that time of £65,000, and spent five years with The Old Lady. His versatility, able to play world-class football at centre-back and centre-forward, is a skill almost unheard of in the modern game.
Charles headed back for a short second stint with his old side, Leeds, but halfway through the 1962/63 season made the switch back to Italy, joining AS Roma. His spell in Rome couldn’t have started any better, as he scored in under 15 minutes on his debut against Bologna.
After only 13 appearances for Roma, scoring four times, his time with I Giallorossi came to an end in 1963. Charles made the decision to move closer to home, and signed for the Bluebirds. Manager George Swindin was soon replaced by Jimmy Scoular, ushering in a period of success at Ninian Park.
Charles spent three years in the Welsh capital, delivering some great performances in a relatively successful first season with the club, scoring 11 times in 34 appearances in the Second Division. He featured heavily during our first European Cup Winners' Cup adventure, as Scoular's side reached the semi-final before losing out to Real Zaragoza.
Interestingly, Charles would return to Italy as a Bluebird in 1963/64 as part of a three-game friendly tour. Fittingly, City faced both of John's former Italian teams, drawing 3-3 with Juventus and losing 4-1 to Roma, along with a narrow 4-3 defeat to Latina Calcio.
During Charles' time with City, he won the Welsh Cup in successive years, 1963/64 and 1964/65, before departing for Hereford United in 1966, where he eventually became manager.
It was during his time as a Bluebird that he called an end to his time on the international stage. After being one of Wales’ youngest ever players and playing a part in the 1958 World Cup, Charles unfortunately got injured before the quarter-final defeat to Brazil. This left Welsh fans, and manager Jimmy Murphy, wondering if the result against the eventual winners may have been different if Charles had played.
John Charles left a legacy as one of the greatest British players of all time. His honours list includes three Serie A titles, third place in the 1959 Ballon d’Or and First Division top scorer in 1956/57, and he holds a special place in the hearts of both Welsh and Italian football fans alike.