In print Son of the humorist, journalist and writer
Giovanni Mosca, and brother of Antonello, Benedetto and the writer
Paolo Mosca, Maurizio Mosca began working for the newspaper
La Notte in
Milan before moving to the
Gazzetta dello Sport, where he spent twenty years as editor in chief and where he also served as the interim director for two years. In 1983, the paper published an interview with
Zico, who seldom granted interviews with Italian newspapers. Mosca declared that it had been made possible thanks to his close friendship with the footballer. Later, during an appearance on
Il Processo del Lunedì (The Monday Trial, most closely associated with its host,
Aldo Biscardi), Mosca appeared with
Zico. Biscardi asked Zico how he became a friend of Maurizio Mosca, to which the Brazilian responded: "I don't know this man". Mosca's career at
Gazzetta dello Sport ended immediately. On being forced to leave the newspaper. Mosca claimed to be the victim of a "plot", and that he was considered "dangerous" by certain members of the national football system.
TV Having commentated for
Domenica Sportiva ('Sunday Sport') since 1969, Mosca began working regularly in television in 1979, making his debut as the host of a sports programme on a regional channel in
Milan. He featured in many television and radio shows, almost always about football, both regionally and nationally. After his ejection from the press, Mosca began to work in the growing market of private TV sports programming. The end of the 1980s saw the increased influence of
Silvio Berlusconi's
Fininvest, and Mosca supported
Cesare Cadeo on
Calciomania, shown on
Italia 1. During the show, in addition to expressing opinions, Mosca played the role of satirical opportunist, inspired by the latest news from the world of football. He made his entrance on stage dressed in an apron, brandishing
tagliatelle around the time of the "Case
Lipopill" (when the players
Andrea Carnevale and
Angelo Peruzzi had attributed their failed drugs tests to dietary suppressant medication). During the years of the great
A.C. Milan team coached by
Arrigo Sacchi, lit up by the magic of the Dutch trio
Marco van Basten,
Ruud Gullit and
Frank Rijkaard, Mosca became a supporter of the "game to zone" and "total football". He was sufficiently successful to guarantee himself a position as a regular guest and pundit on
Guida al Campionato (Guide to the Championship), a Sunday show hosted by a young
Sandro Piccinini. Mosca specialized in
risky bets, such as "forecast by pendulum". One of his programmes intended for a wider audience was ''L'Appello del Martedì'' (The appeal of the Tuesday), in which he would appear on stage dressed in magistrate's robes and headgear. Later came other appearances, in programmes such as
Controcampo,
Zitti e Mosca,
La Mosca al Naso and he had a section on
Studio Sport called ''Ce l'ho con...'' (I blame...) through which he expressed, as can be understood by the eloquent title, his disappointment towards a particular character of the sports landscape. In 2002 he conducted the TV show
Senza Rete (Without Net), broadcast on
Rete 4, along with
Paolo Liguori, also participated in this broadcast
Monica Vanali and
Benedetta Massola. Maurizio Mosca is then passed to conduct a television football program popular in
Lombardy broadcast on
Antenna 3. On 11 May 2005 Mosca was a guest on the program
Carta Straccia, shown Antenna 3 and hosted by
Roberto Poletti. The theme of the programme was a complaint by Consumers Association (CODACONS) against the
wrestling shows on TV. During the broadcast, in that occasion, Mosca entertains the public, improvising an improbable match with
wrestlers from a local federation and a
transvestite. Mosca played himself in
Neri Parenti's movies
Paparazzi (1998) and
Tifosi (1999), and he wrote an autobiographical book titled
La vita é rotonda... come un pallone da calcio (Life is round... like a football), published by Rizzoli in 2001.
Illness and death Having been ill for a long time, Mosca died on the morning of 3 April 2010 at San Matteo Hospital in
Pavia. Two days before his death,
Sport Mediaset published his final article, regarding the dispute between
José Mourinho and
Mario Balotelli. In the article, Mosca discussed the reintegration of Mario Balotelli at
Inter and improved relations between the two. == Television and radio programs ==