Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Arrigo Sacchi: The Constant Tinkerer

This article first appeared in The Libero newsletter




There are no words
Euro ’96, the tournament that brought the beautiful game ‘home’.  Thirty years after last hosting a major tournament, a prestigious football competition had returned once more to English shores. 

To many living in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the tournament evokes memories of Gazza, audacious lobs, Baddiel and Skinner, Stuart Pearce exorcising his Italia ’90 demons, some truly beautiful kits (notwithstanding David Seaman’s hideous number) and seeing the golden goal rule in action.


If you are Italian or a follower of the Azzurri, the competition will most likely conjure memories that are not so pleasant. Italy were expected by most to forge a run deep into the competition, yet spearheaded by a manager who was so erratic in his team selection and so stubbornly devoted to a single tactic, the disaster it morphed into sits alongside the World Cups’ of 2010 and ’14 as one of the worst Italian showings of modern times.

Following the conclusion of USA ’94 and their World Cup final defeat, Italy were in qualifying Group 4 for Euro ‘96 and were surrounded by teams that had all once been satellites of the now dissolved Soviet Union. Ukraine, Croatia, Lithuania, Estonia and Slovenia were all now playing as independent countries for the first time.

Italy got off to their traditional slow start to qualifying, drawing 1-1 away to Slovenia in September 1994. They followed this up with a 2-0 away victory against Estonia.

Then came the first of what many expected to be two crunch ties with Croatia in November. Played in Palermo, Italy were once again sluggish as a fine Croatian side tore through their defence at will. Davor Šuker scored twice to give Croatia their first big victory as an independent country, winning 2-1; it could just as easily have been four or five.

Sacchi recalled Roberto Baggio for the Croatian game despite the tension between the pair dating back to the World Cup. However even the presence of Italy’s star player couldn’t stop the class of Šuker, Robert Prosinečki and Zvonimir Boban as they were simply too much for the Italians.


Baggio and Sacchi in happier times


The real drama occurred after the match as a player mutiny, led by Baggio, demanded Sacchi to hand in his notice. The ceaseless tinkering and style of play had worn thin with the players. Sacchi however had the support of Antonio Matarrese, the President of the Italian Football Federation. Matarrese had anointed Sacchi as manager in late 1991 and knowing full well that his fate as president was linked to Sacchi's, he rejected any notion of his resignation.

Furthermore, Baggio very vocally, and indeed very visibly, slammed Sacchi’s shortcomings in the wake of the Croatia defeat. “I am not surprised he (Sacchi) is getting attacked (by the media). He promised an exciting and spectacular style of play and he hasn’t succeeded”, Baggio remarked.

When the beleaguered Sacchi got the assurance he needed from Mataresse, and with the already-strained relationship with Baggio all but shattered, he dropped him from further selection. Sacchi only calling upon him once more during the qualification phase, in the 1 – 0 win against Slovenia.

In the wake of the defeat to Croatia, Italy would go on to win six of their seven games in 1995 to secure qualification for the tournament as the best runners-up with Croatia topping the group. Sacchi’s team did showcase some strands of exciting football on occasion, namely in the 3-1 victory against Ukraine and the comprehensive 4 - 0 win over Lithuania.
Gianfranco Zola played a pivotal role in helping
 Italy qualify for England


Sacchi used thirty-seven different players in the ten qualifying games (excluding players who were called up but didn’t get to play). It was an outrageous number by anyone’s standards.

In December 1995 the draw for Euro ’96 was made in Birmingham. Italy were drawn in Group C alongside Germany, Russia and the Czech Republic in what was perceived to be the toughest group, labeled with the now regular ‘Group of Death’ tag.

Italy played several friendlies in the run up to the championships, beating Wales 3 – 0, followed by a 2-2 draw with Belgium and a 2 – 0 win against Hungary. Sacchi named his squad for the tournament one day after the conclusion of the 1995-96 Serie A season. He remained loyal to the players who had secured qualification; nonetheless there were a couple of surprises.

During his tenure as Azzurri coach Sacchi had leaned heavily on his old Milan faction, however his decision to bring back Roberto Donadoni, the thirty-two year old had only featured three times since the World Cup final and who was about to stroll into semi-retirement in the newly formed MLS, raised eyebrows. Diego Fuser, whilst a solid hard-working winger, was hardly going to set pulses racing.

The biggest surprise, while also not a surprise, was the omission of Roberto Baggio. Despite their relationship being at an all time low and Baggio not having a stellar season at Milan, many still expected the Divine Ponytail to be on the plane heading for England. Sacchi couldn’t really leave out Baggio, could he? He was still Roberto Baggio, Italy’s best forward by quite some margin. Yet out he was, and he would never play in a European Championship.

'’Baggio has struggled with Milan and I'm obliged to take players who are on form and who can integrate perfectly with the kind of game I've chosen,’’ Sacchi said to justify his decision.  To anyone reading between the lines, Sacchi’s message was clear; there would be no individuals or freethinkers in his squad.

Other exclusions were that seasons’ Capocannoniere Beppe Signori, who had incurred the wrath of Sacchi by refusing to play on the left wing any further during qualifying and (logically it must be said) told him he wanted to play in his preferred position as a striker.

Who needs the league's top scorer and a genius anyway?

Gianluca Vialli, fresh from winning the Champions League as Juventus captain, was another glaring exclusion. Vialli and Sacchi had a spat running back to 1992, supposedly over a prank Vialli pulled on Sacchi concerning Parmesan cheese. Sacchi, an individual mostly devoid of humour, didn’t appreciate the joke and never selected Vialli again.

Of the forwards Sacchi did select, only Gianfranco Zola had any tournament experience, and even that was very brief, famously getting sent off against Nigeria at USA ’94 after being on the pitch for a mere twelve minutes. It would be tournament debuts for Alessandro Del Piero, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Enrico Chiesa and Pierluigi Casiraghi.

Sacchi’s men kicked off their tournament at Anfield against the talented Russians, several of whom played in Serie A. Italy got off to a great start when Casiraghi, who was just coming off the most prolific season of his career with Lazio, scored after only four minutes made possible by a mistake by the Russian goalkeeper Stanislav Cherchesov.

Russia returned with force after a quarter of an hour when Valery Karpin’s shot, blocked by Luigi Apolloni on the edge of the area, fell into the path of Ilya Tsymbalar. The midfielder breezed past Alessandro Costacurta and slammed the ball past Angelo Peruzzi at his near post.

At half time Sacchi substituted the ineffectual Del Piero, who like Signori before him, was forced out to the left hand side of midfield to shunt up and down. He was replaced by Roberto Donadoni and wouldn’t play a further minute in the tournament. Seven minutes into the second half Casiraghi restored the Italians lead, lashing a slick pass from Zola into the bottom left hand corner of Cherchesov’s goal.

Fabrizio Ravanelli replaced Casiraghi in the 80th minute and could have added to Italy’s tally, but somehow managed to miss two glaring chances. Italy would see the game out, however, those misses by the Juve striker would have repercussions. Germany saw off the Czech Republic with a 2 – 0 win.

Often in a tournament when a big team exits prematurely, you can pinpoint exactly when things started rolling downhill. For Sacchi and Euro ’96, it was the game against the Czech Republic that signaled the beginning of the end.

If there was one attribute of Arrigo Sacchi’s character that he didn’t lack, it was the occasional ballsy move. Infamously substituting Baggio after twenty minutes against Norway at USA ’94 when Gianluca Pagliuca got sent off was one of the biggest gambles in World Cup history. Luckily for Sacchi it paid off. For the game against the Czechs he would take a risk once more.

He made five changes to the side that beat Russia three days prior. Out went Angelo Di Livio, Roberto Di Matteo, Del Piero, Zola and Casiraghi to be replaced with Fuser, Dino Baggio, Ravanelli, Donadoni and Chiesa. In Sacchi’s eyes, the system was the star; the players were merely pieces on a chessboard that could be shuffled and interchangeable at will.
"45 minutes Alex, that's all you're getting in
this tournament son"

“You can’t play in the European Championships with only 11,12 or 13 players”, Sacchi said during the tournament. “I have faith in all of my 22”. Changing five players before the second match was arrogance bordering on sheer lunacy, as he would find to his cost.

The game, once again at Anfield, produced the first real shock of the tournament. Sacchi’s high defensive line was caught out after only four minutes, when Karel Poborsky, facing towards his own goal, swiveled and swung in a cross from the right hand channel. Future Serie A legend Pavel Nedved darted in behind Mussi and nabbed the ball home past Peruzzi.

Italy equalised through Chiesa, who dispatched a Fuser pass following a rapid counter attack. To most it seemed like the Italians would push on, however the deck of cards started to crumble when Apolloni got sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the space of half an hour in the first half. Six minutes later the Czechs regained the lead, when Radek Bejbl met Pavel Kuka’s cross inside the Italian box and connected with a sweetly struck volley that gave Peruzzi no chance.

In the second half Sacchi replaced Ravanelli with Casiraghi and later introduced Zola with twelve minutes left in a final throw of the dice. The two nearly combined to save Sacchi’s blushes at the death but Casiraghi lifted Zola’s chipped pass over the crossbar with the goal gaping.

With the Germans brushing Russia aside with a 3 – 0 win, Italy now had to beat their old rivals or at least better their result against the Czechs to qualify from the group. “Sacchi, you asked for this”, screamed the Corriere dello Sport the next day, as the already-fierce criticism for the former shoe salesman now escalated to near national hysteria. Even Salvatore Riina, the Sicilian Mafia’s ‘boss of bosses’ weighed in on Sacchi during a break at his trial in Florence. Riina reportedly telling his lawyer “Sacchi uses suicide tactics and suicide choices”.

In his pre-match press conference, Sacchi told reporters that “We just can’t hope to beat Germany; we must be convinced we can do it”.

Sensibly, Sacchi restored Zola and Casiraghi to the starting lineup for the game against the tournament favourites. Di Matteo was brought back into midfield; Costacurta replaced the suspended Apolloni in defence. Paolo Maldini, who uncharacteristically was having a poor tournament, moved into the centre of defence and Amedeo Carboni started at left back.

From the opening minute the Azzurri pressed and hounded the Germans and the approach paid off as they were awarded a penalty inside the opening ten minutes. Matthias Sammer - impeccable throughout the tournament – was unusually dithering on the ball in the German backline and with few options open for a pass, attempted to get rid of it. Casiraghi intercepted the clearance and went racing through one-on-one with Andreas Kopke. The goalkeeper tripped the striker with his left leg and there was little doubt that it was a penalty.

Zola placed the ball on the spot and took several stutter-steps before striking the ball rather meekly with his right instep. The effort was poor in truth and one in which Kopke saved with minimum effort.  The magnitude of the occasion had clearly got to the little Sardinian and he wilted following the miss. “This mistake cut his legs”, said Sacchi after the match.

Zola's poor penalty

Italy regained their composure and set out again to find the elusive goal, their opponents, having already qualified, were very conservative and offered little in the way of attacking play. Fuser had two efforts brilliantly saved from Kopke, Sacchi became desperate and threw on Chiesa with twenty minutes left however Italy didn’t look like scoring and their play faded as the minutes ticked away. It ended 0-0.

Italians all around the ground were now anxiously waiting to hear the result from Anfield in what turned out to be a humdinger of a game. The Czechs took a two-goal lead before Russia clawed their way back and then took the lead with five minutes remaining. As the news filtered through inside Old Trafford there was a huge roar from the Italians, at this point Sacchi’s men were through to the quarter finals. However in the 88th minute Vladimír Šmicer struck from the edge of the box to equalise for the Czechs, 3-3. They were going through, Italy was out. The silence was palpable inside the Theatre of Dreams.

Sacchi - almost close to tears as he left the pitch – was typically robust in his comments after the game, claiming that his side ‘did not deserve to go home’. Upon being asked if he had any intention of resigning, he defiantly snapped back and said he had no intention of it.
The end is near

Matarrese, Sacchi’s most ardent supporter, stood firm behind the under-siege coach, stating “Of course we are disappointed to have been eliminated, but we went out with dignity and standing on our feet”. He also made it clear that as long as he was still president of the Italian football federation, Sacchi would remain coach. He was ousted as president two months later.

Several months later, Sacchi finally admitted to having made mistakes during the tournament, citing “My biggest mistake was not picking up on the drop in athletic tension in the squad after the game against Russia”. Further adding that ‘Our concentration wasn’t right’.

In a tournament in which they only scored three goals and created precious little, leaving a creative genius such as Baggio and goal-getters like Vialli and Signori sitting at home kicking their heels wasn’t the wisest of decisions.  Sacchi’s obsession with the ‘system’ is what ultimately failed him. Of the forwards he brought to England, only Del Piero would make a meaningful contribution for the Azzurri. Casiraghi, Ravanelli and Zola wouldn't even make the squad for France '98. 

Even by 1996 he was a man out of time; tactics had evolved and trying to implement such a pressing system that required daily dedication was never going to succeed in the international arena. Germany won the tournament employing Sammer as a libero – the role ironically Sacchi set out to destroy in his homeland in the late ‘80s. He was a one trick pony, and now that pony was all worn out.

Sacchi would finally leave in December, when Silvio Berlusconi came calling once more to manage Milan. It benefitted both parties; Sacchi got back to club football and the Italian football federation got rid of a hugely divisive coach on large wages. His underwhelming and unpopular five-year reign was over.

His legacy as leader of the national team amounts to having never used the same starting lineup twice and even his best moment – reaching the 1994 World Cup final – owes more to the brilliance of Baggio in spite of Sacchi. His reputation never truly recovered from the Euro ’96 debacle. The second Milan run lasted six months before being replaced by the returning Fabio Capello and he was never considered for a job in the upper echelons of management again.

Wednesday, 6 April 2016

Alex Del Piero's Top Ten Free Kicks

This article first appeared on JuveFC


Sydney FC vs Wellington Phoenix, 6th April 2014, 44th minute, Alessandro Del Piero stands over a free kick 20 yards from goal. The former Juventus captain weighs up the situation, takes a breath, strides two or three steps up and hits a spectacular curling shot which goes over the wall and lands into the net. The Conegliano native runs off in celebration and is soon embraced by his teammates, it was a classic Del Piero free kick, the 46th of his club career (excluding friendlies).
To honour the great man’s free kick prowess, I have decided to try and compile a top ten list of his finest set pieces, spanning three decades. This is a more arduous task than it sounds as he has so many free kicks that could (and should) make it into a top ten list. To try and narrow the list down to ten I’ve taken some things into consideration. Such as the importance of the match, the difficulty of executing the free kick and whether the strike was significant within the context of the match and the knock on effect. So with that said lets begin:

10. Rapid Vienna vs Juventus, Champions League 2005/06, 7th December 2005, 1-3
Importance of the match: The final match of the 2005/06 group stage, going into the game Juventus needed the win to top the group, ahead of Bayern Munich, who were away to Club Brugge. 1/5
Difficulty of the execution: In the 35th minute Juve are awarded a free kick some 30 yards from goal, Juve’s no.10 takes 4 or 5 baby steps and hits the ball with his laces sending the ball hurtling over the Vienna wall and across the box into the opposite corner of the net. Long before Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were ‘renowned’ for smashing free kicks and making the ball fizz, in the mid 00’s Juninho, Andrea Pirlo and Del Piero were exponents of this technique by hitting the ball with only three toes.  A truly spectacular strike. 5/5
Significance in the game: The goal set Juve on their way to sealing victory and topping the group, in the end a win wasn’t necessary as Bayern could only draw in Belgium. The Old Lady were rewarded with Werder Bremen in the last 16. 1/5
Total: 7/15

9.  Celtic vs Juventus, Champions League 2001/02, October 31st 2001, 4-3
Importance of the match: La Vecchia signora arrived in Glasgow on Halloween having already secured qualification and top place for the second group stage (remember that failed experiment?), Celtic on the other hand needed to beat Juve and hope Porto would slip up at home to Rosenberg to stand a chance of qualifying. 1.5/5
Difficulty of the execution: In the 19th minute the away side are awarded a free kick roughly 20 yards from goal. Del Piero like always places the ball down and weighs up the options, the free kick is positioned over to the right hand side of the box. Rab Douglas positions his wall to cover the left side of his goal, where he, and most people, expect Del Piero to strike the ball. The Juve captain alters from the script and deliciously curls the ball over the edge of the wall and across Douglas into his top right hand corner. Taking him totally by surprise. The Juve no.10 wheels away in celebration, a strike of absolute brilliance. 5/5
Significance in the game: The goal came against the run of play as Celtic, needing to win the game, went for the jugular from the 1st minute, the strike stunned Celtic Park, maybe because of the beauty of it or maybe they felt Juve didn’t deserve the lead. Either way the lead didn’t last long as Celtic equalized five minutes later and would eventually find themselves 4-2 up before David Trezeguet made it 4-3, Celtic would hold on for the victory but it was in vain as Porto beat Rosenberg 1 – 0 to qualify along with Juve. Celtic went into the UEFA Cup with a then record nine points.  1/5
Total: 7.5/15


8. Chievo vs Juventus, Serie A 2008/09, November 9th 2008, 0-2
Importance of the match: In November ’08 La Vecchia Signora were trying to stay in the race for the Scudetto, with Milan and Jose Mourinho’s Inter also vying for the league, the beginning of the season saw a 3-way battle. The club were also back in the Champions League for the first time in three seasons so then manager Claudio Ranieri was trying to juggle playing in the two competitions. 3/5
Difficulty of the execution: The area was textbook Del Piero territory, roughly 25 meters from goal and ever so slightly to the left hand side of the penalty box. II Capitano delivered a beautifully arched dead ball over the wall, curling all the time away from Stefano Sorrentino into his right hand top corner. The execution was so good he made it look simple, the only blemish being Cristian Molinaro dragging him to the ground in celebration and reminding us that he did unfortunately wear a Juventus jersey at one time. 3/5
Significance in the game: The goal gave Juve the lead in the 40th minute and would go on to score another goal through Marco Marchionni in the second half sealing the victory, keeping the pace with Inter who won against Udinese whilst Milan could only draw at Leece. This Juve side would ultimately fall short of mounting a serious title challenge as Mourinho won a Scudetto in his first season in Italy by some ten points. The Old Lady would also sack Ranieri during the latter part of the season and appoint Ciro Ferrara in the summer, the less said of which the better. 2.5/5
Total: 8/15

7. Napoli vs Juventus, Serie B 2006/07, November 6th 2006, 1-1
Importance of the match: Juventus had found themselves in the doldrums of Serie B due to the events of Calciopoli in the summer of 2006. In round ten of the season Del Piero and co. travelled south to Naples for the first time in five years as the two biggest teams in the division squared off. As usual the game was feisty and the atmosphere was electric in the vast concrete bowl of the San Paolo. 3/5
Difficulty of the execution: In the 67th minute Alex stands over a free kick on the left hand side of the box, roughly around 20 yards out. He takes two steps and beautifully curls a sumptuous effort that wraps around the post, leaving Napoli goalkeeper Gennaro Iezzo with no chance. On first viewing the free kick, while brilliant, doesn’t look like it would belong on a top ten list such as this, it’s only when seeing the replay that you see the beauty of it. Del Piero strikes the ball in such a way that it curls further and further away from the goalkeeper, ultimately just creeping past the post into the corner. Sublime. 3/5
Significance in the game: The strike was the opening goal in the match, giving Juve the lead for six minutes until Napoli equalised. The game ended in a stalemate but Juve would win the reverse fixture 2 – 0 in Turin as both teams achieved promotion to Serie A at the end of the season, finishing 1st and 2nd respectively. 2.5/5
Total: 8.5/15


6. Juventus vs Roma, Serie A 2008/09, November 1st 2008, 2-0
Importance of the match:  Juve were hosting Roma on match day ten of the 2008/09 season, Claudio Ranieri’s men had started the season indifferently as they attempted to juggle domestic and European football with a relatively small squad and were already trying to keep pace with the Milanese duo. Expectations for the Scudetto were minimal as the club wanted to build on from the previous campaign and qualify for the Champions League once more.  2.5/5
Difficulty of the execution: The Bianconeri are awarded a free kick some thirty metres from goal in the 37th minute. Del Piero carefully places the ball, sizing up how to approach the dead ball. The free kick is in an ideal position, Del Piero takes four or five little steps and hits the ball with the inside of his foot, sending the ball up over the wall and bending beautifully into Cristiano Doni’s right hand corner. The Roma stopper had no chance. 3.5/5
Significance in the game: The goal came at a perfect time in the match, Juve had been the better side throughout the first half but had no reward for their efforts. Juve would add a second goal two minutes into the second half with Alex again instrumental. The Old Lady would win the match 2 – 0 and go on to have a decent season without ever really looking like serious challengers for the Scudetto. 3/5
Total: 9/15


5. Juventus vs Milan, Serie A 1997/98, March 28th 1998, 4-1
Importance of the match: In the 1997/98 season La Vecchia Signora were slugging it out for league supremacy with Inter in a classic Serie A campaign, led by Ronaldo in the peak of his career. By the time Fabio Capello’s Milan came to the Stadio Delle Alpi in March ’98, Del Piero and co were sitting atop the table, with Inter a point behind and Lazio in third. The Bianconeri simply had to win as Inter were likely to win at home to Vicenza. 4/5
Difficulty of the execution: Daniele Daino fouls Del Piero some twenty yards from the goal, ever so slightly to the left hand side of the box, the Juve no.10 converses with Edgar Davids, presumably telling Davids he has zero chance of getting to take the set piece. Now most players in this scenario would aim to curl the ball over the wall and into Sebastian Rossi’s top right hand corner, you have seen it a million times in a football match. However, Alex wraps his foot around the ball and lifts it past the outside of the wall, into Rossi’s top left hand corner. A truly wonderful strike. 3/5
Significance in the game: Alex had given Juventus the lead with a penalty earlier in the game, Zvnomir Boban equalized for Milan with a penalty of his own in the 33rd minute. This goal, six minutes later, gave The Old Lady the lead once more, with Pippo Inzaghi further adding a brace to complete a rout and pile more misery on a horrible season for Milan.
Inter as expected beat Vicenza 2-1 to keep the pressure on Juve. The race for Lo Scudetto would boil down to a single match a month later between Juve and Inter that has gone down in infamy. Juve would win the game 1-0 and go on to secure their 25th title on the 10th May as they beat Bologna 3-2 at the Delle Alpi while Inter surprisingly lost away to Bari. 4/5
Total: 11/15


4. Real Madrid vs Juventus, Champions League 2008/09, November 5th 2008, 0-2

Importance of the match: By match day four Juve were battling Real for top spot of Group H, the Turin side were 1 point ahead of the Spanish giants and knowing that if they could seal a victory in the Bernabeu it would give them a huge advantage with their last two remaining games being Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia and BATE Borisov at home. This was the crunch tie of the group. 4/5
Difficulty of the execution: It’s the 67th minute of the game, with arguably the greatest player in the history of the sport watching in the stands, Del Piero stands over the dead ball some twenty yards from Iker Casillas’s goal, Real Madrid make something resembling a wall which is terribly positioned, in fact the last person in the ‘wall’ is Giorgio Chiellini, who promptly moves as soon as Alex expertly strikes the ball, which rises and then sharply dips into Casillas’s bottom right corner. El Diego certainly would have approved.  3/5
Significance in the game: II Pinturicchio had already scored a magnificent goal earlier in the game, bending a beautifully shaped shot past Casillas from outside the area. The free kick sealed a famous away win for an Old Lady side which wasn’t exactly brimming with world-class talent. Juve’s double victory helped the team to finish top the group.
Alex was on an astonishing run of form, this was his third goal from a free kick in a week, the other two strikes, against Chievo and Roma, have already been mentioned above. This was undoubtedly the most important of the three strikes.
Late in the game, Del Piero left the field to a standing ovation from the Madrid faithful, always the first to acknowledge when greatness appears before them. In 2013, with the two clubs once again pitted in the same group, Alex reflected on the moment ‘’ Receiving a standing ovation at the temple of football is priceless. It was incredible sportsmanship from the fans, their ability to applaud an opponent even when their team was losing. For me it is like a trophy at an individual level.’’  5/5
Total: 12/15

3. Inter vs Juventus, Serie A 2005/06, February 12th 2006, 1-2

Importance of the match: The Derby D’Italia, always one of the biggest fixtures in the Serie A calendar. Juve had to travel to hated rivals Inter and with the club fighting neck and neck for the Scudetto with Milan in a gripping title race, the Bianconeri knew all 3 points were vital as Milan were away to lowly Reggina expecting all three points. There was no margin for error. 5/5
Difficulty of the execution: It’s the 79th minute, the ball is located down the centre of Julio Cesar’s goal, there is some shoving in the wall, after what seems like an eternity the referee blows his whistle, Del Piero runs up and curls the ball with his instep, sending the ball arching over the Inter wall and flying into Cesar’s top left and corner. The angle of the free kick suited a player with Alex’s capabilities, as he could have sent the ball into either corner. He’s scored trickier set pieces. 3/5
Significance in the game: Crucial, the game was heading towards a draw before Alex scored, with Milan trouncing Reggina 4-1 earlier in the day, Juve had to win to keep pace with the Rossoneri. On a personal level Del Piero was also going through something of a crisis, he wasn’t seeing eye to eye with Fabio Capello, ever the drill sargeant, wasn’t that keen on the no.10 and his game time had dwindled in the 05/06 season.  The goal proved to be a catalyst for both club and player as Alex went on to win himself a place in Marcello Lippi’s Italy squad for the World Cup, while Capello’s Juve ended the season victorious, three points ahead of Milan. 5/5
Total: 13/15

2. Juventus vs Monaco, Champions League 1997/98, April 1st 1998, 4-1
Importance of the match: A place in the final of the Champions League, do the stakes get much higher? Juve were aiming to reach their third consecutive final, against a Monaco side which had knocked out Manchester Utd in the previous round and contained future Juve legend David Trezeguet and future Juve flop Thierry Henry. However Juve were the clear favourites to make it to Amsterdam. 5/5
Difficulty of the execution: In the 35th minute the home side is awarded a free kick – by now you get the gist. Del Piero is measuring the situation, he runs up and hits the ball with his instep, sending the ball over the Monaco wall and curling beautifully into Fabien Barthez’s top right hand corner, who gets finger tips to the ball but the pace of the strike is too great for the Frenchmen. The goal scorer wheels away in celebration. 4/5
Significance in the game: The game was 0-0 when Alex stroked home the dead ball to give Juve the lead, Monaco would equalize before Del Piero added a further two goals to complete his hat trick (nobody would score a hattrick in the semi final of this competition for another fifteen years). Juve’s French maestro Zinedine Zidane finished off a rampant Juve performance to make it 4 – 1.
The two legs against Monaco represented something of a watershed moment in his career, this was Alex at the absolute pinnacle of his career. In the 1997/98 season, he was undoubtedly the best player in the world alongside Ronaldo and would finish top goalscorer in the Champions League that campaign with ten goals, the last Italian to do so.
The rest of 1998 however would not be as kind to him, he was injured in the run up to the final, which would effect his performances at France ’98 were he was overshadowed by Roberto Baggio. He later sustained that injury in Udine shortly after the 1998/99 season began and he would never be the same player again. 5/5
Total: 14/15

1. Juventus vs Lazio, Serie A 2011/12, April 11th 2012, 2-1
Importance of the match: Juve went into this crucial match having regained top spot in the table after Milan had lost the previous weekend at home to Fiorentina. The club had not been top of the table this late in the season for six long years and in round 32 of the season Lazio visited the Juventus Stadium hoping to take something from the game as they had Champions League aspirations. Milan had won away to Chievo the previous day to recover top spot, albeit momentarily if The Old Lady couldn’t win. This was a game to prove Antonio Conte’s vibrant Juve side had the mettle to win when it really mattered. 5/5
Difficulty of the execution: In the 82nd minute Juve win a free kick, when Cristian Ledesma blocked a Claudio Marchisio shot with his arm. Del Piero and Andrea Pirlo, who had been Juve’s free kick taker for the entire season, stand over the ball. The ball is some thirty yards meters from goal, while Pirlo is talking to the referee, Del Piero (who was also making his 700th appearance for the club) quickly runs up and hits the ball through the Lazio wall (if one could call it that), bending it into Federico Marchetti’s bottom right hand corner. The Juve legend runs away in celebration with his now famous tongue celebration.
Much like his already mentioned free kick against Celtic a decade before, Del Piero again went against conventional free kick wisdom and struck the ball across the wall rather than up and over it, but unlike the Celtic goal he was further out this time around and had more men to get the ball through. Marchetti no doubt believed he would strike the ball over the wall, thankfully for Juve he thought wrong and there was nothing he could do to prevent the goal. Genius on Del Piero’s part. 5/5
Significance in the game: The importance of the strike cannot be valued enough, Juventus had battered Lazio from start to finish, but with the score at 1-1 and Marchetti making save after save, it looked likely that the game would finish in a stalemate and with it any chance that Juve would win their first Scudetto since 2006.
Del Piero’s goal not only gave his team the victory which they ultimately deserved, but you sensed it gave the whole team the conviction that was needed to go on and win the league. Following the Lazio win Juve would go on to win five out of their last six games, finishing the campaign four points ahead of Milan, who were led by ‘Mr. Scudetto’ Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
This was also Del Piero’s last goal from a free kick for Juve, he had a frustrating season as Antonio Conte rarely started him, opting for Alessandro Matri and Mirko Vucinic up front. There was also intense debate as to whether the club would offer him a contract extension, which they didn’t (still a sore spot with many Juventini).
He had only been on the field for ten minutes before he scored, but that was the beauty of Alex Del Piero in a black and white shirt, he needed only seconds to make a contribution. His impact in this match and to the 2011/12 Scudetto is still immeasurable. 5/5
Total: 15/15

Tony Yeboah's Fleeting Brilliance in the Premier League and '90s Pop Culture

This article first appeared on TheseFootballTimes


If you were a kid growing up in the 1990s, like this author did, you reflect on what a glorious decade it was. You romantically reminisce on pop culture icons like Sonic the Hedgehog, the cast from Saved by the Bell, The Simpsons and be extremely grateful that you were too old for the rubbish that permeated in the ‘00s.

What a decade

As a young football-obsessed child experiencing life in the ‘90s, the beautiful game was played everyday and in any location with a flat enough surface (even that didn’t prevent us sometimes). Two main memories vividly stick out, both of which coincidentally entered our footballing lexicon at roughly the same time.

“Goooooaaaaaaallaaazziioooooooooo!” could be heard echoing throughout our school playground and undoubtedly in hundreds of schools and housing estates throughout the UK. We all know where that came from, the legendary Channel 4 coverage of Serie A that made Roberto Baggio, Gabriel Batistuta and George Weah as much household names as Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona and Alan Shearer. 



Despite the fact that everyone, including myself, was unknowingly shouting it wrong, if you scored a goal, wherever you were, you wheeled away screaming it. Even though I found out in the early ‘00s that everyone was saying it incorrectly all those years, I’ve still encountered people to this day who when recalling Football Italia will say ‘goallazio’.

Baggio vs Lippi: Anatomy of a Feud

This article first appeared on TheseFootballTimes



The date is December 5th 2011, in the historic headquarters of the FIGC, nestled in the southeastern district of Florence. There is a ceremony in progress inside the Italian football history museum that has become an annual occurrence yet this is the inaugural event. The Italian Football Hall of Fame, an evening celebrating the very best in the distinguished history of calcio.

There are six figures standing side by side posing for photographs; visible are the unmistakable bald domes of Adriano Galliani, Pierluigi Collina and Arrigo Sacchi, and at the end of the row is the former (and now banned) UEFA President Michel Platini. All four are smiling while Collina and Galliani share a laugh together, yet your gaze is directed towards the two individuals sandwiched between Collina and Platini; Marcello Lippi and Roberto Baggio. The pair stare ahead and awkwardly smile, with not even a cursory glance afforded to each other. No jovial laughter here.

No small talk between these two

One of Italy’s greatest ever coaches and players have a rivalry that is infamous in the annals of the Italian game. It’s a feud that transcends the usual arguments that ensures between coaches and players such as tactics or playing time, this rivalry got very personal. How did it come to this? To find out we have to go back to the summer of 1994; Baggio’s darkest hour.

The feud didn’t begin that summer – that was all to come later - but it was in Turin that they first got acquainted. Baggio had spent the summer being lambasted by the Italian media for missing that penalty in the World Cup Final in Pasadena. ‘’They wanted a lamb to slaughter and they chose me.’’ He would remark about the events of that torturous summer. The Italian public seemingly contracting a collective dose of amnesia in overlooking that it was he who dragged an excruciatingly mediocre Azzurri side to the final in what was the greatest one-man display the tournament had seen since Maradona eight years prior and arguably hasn’t seen since.

Gheorghe Hagi's Remarkable Stint at Brescia

This article first appeared on TheseFootballTimes

There’s something peculiar about Brescia Calcio, or just simply known as Brescia. Founded in 1911 in the quaint but industrial city that is situated in the Lombardy region of Italy. They are oft described as a yo-yo team, yet hold the record for spending more seasons in Serie B than any other.

A young Pirlo...look at them locks

If one looks through their pretty unremarkable history, you will find that in fact some pretty remarkable players have won the biancoazzurro jersey. The most impressive one of course is Roberto Baggio, who brought such unprecedented levels of attention by his mere presence in his four year stint. The bearded genius, Andrea Pirlo, was born in the city and was raised through the primavera set up and made his Serie A debut at the tender age of 16 in May 1995.

Baggio and Pep
Pep Guardiola enjoyed a brief post-Barcelona stint at the Stadio Mario Rigamonti in 2001/02 in a team that featured not only the Divine Ponytail but also future World Cup winner Luca Toni. That’s quite an alumnus.


The most remarkable example however has to be that of one Gheorghe Hagi, Maradona of the Carpathians. Romania’s greatest ever player adorned the jersey of the Little Swallows for two seasons, sandwiched in between spells at the Spanish behemoths Real Madrid and Barcelona. When viewing his profile on Wikipedia it makes for a curious sight. Real Madrid. Brescia. Barcelona.

The mind-boggling aspect of Hagi’s stint in Italy was that he was supposed to be at the pinnacle of his career when he moved in the summer of 1992. He was 27 years old. When Baggio traversed the same path eight years later he was 33 and in search of first team football with a view to making the Italy squad for the 2002 World Cup.