November 14, 1987-Italy 2-Sweden 1

November 14, 1987

Italy 2-Sweden 1

UEFA European Championship Qualifying-Group 2      

Venue: Naples (Napoli)-Stadio San Paolo

Attendance: 59, 045

Referee: Adolf Prokop (East Germany)

Goalscorers: (Italy): Gianluca Vialli 27, 45

                    (Sweden): Peter Larsson 38

Lineups:

Italy:

1-Walter Zenga (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)  [12 / 0]

2-Giuseppe Bergomi (Internazionale Football Club- Milano) [41 / 3]

3-Giovanni Francini (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli) [5 / 0] (14-Luigi de Agostini (Juventus Football Club-Torino) [5 / 0] 26th) 

4-Franco Baresi (Associazione Calcio Milan-Milano)   [16 / 0]

5-Ciro Ferrara (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)   [3 / 0]

6-Salvattore Bagni (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)  [40 / 4] (15-Carlo Ancelotti (Associazione Calcio Milan-Milano) [16 / 1] 89th) 

7-Roberto Donadoni (Associazione Calcio Milan-Milano)   [11 / 1]

8-Fernando de Napoli (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)   [16 / 1]

9-Alessandro Altobelli  (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)  [55 / 24] 

10-Giuseppe Giannini (Associazione Sportiva Roma)   [10 / 0]

11-Gianluca Vialli (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)  [20 / 4]

Coach: Azeglio Vicini

Booked: Gianluca Vialli 55

Other Subs :

12-Stefano Tacconi (Juventus Football Club-Torino)

13-Paolo Maldini (Associazione Calcio Milan-Milano)  

16-Roberto Mancini (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)  

Team Captain: Alessandro Altobelli

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Diadora

Uniform Colors: Blue Shirts, White Shorts, Blue Socks

Photo From: Onze, Issue 147, March 1988

(Italy squad, Top, left to right: Walter Zenga, Alessandro Altobelli, Ciro Ferrara, Giuseppe Bergomi, Fernando de Napoli, Giovanni Francini, Bottom, left to right: Gianluca Vialli, Salvatore Bagni, Roberto Donadoni, Giuseppe Giannini, Franco Baresi)

Sweden:

1-Thomas Ravelli (Östers Idrottsförening- Vaxjo)  [52 / 0]

2-Roland Nilsson (IFK (Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna) Göteborg)  [11 / 0]

3-Glenn Hysén (Associazione Calcio Fiorentina-Firenze / Italy)  [47 / 6]

4-Peter Larsson (IFK (Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna) Göteborg)  [21 / 2]

5-Torbjörn Persson (Malmö Fotbollforening)   [8 / 0]

6-Jonas Thern (Malmö Fotbollforening)  [2 / 0]

8-Robert Prytz (Berner Sport Club Young Boys / Switzerland)  [44 / 13]

7-Glenn Strömberg (Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio-Bergamo / Italy)  [37 / 5]

9-Björn Nilsson (Berner Sport Club Young Boys ./ Switzerland)  [16 / 1] (14-Anders Limpar (Örgryte Idrottssällskap- Göteborg) [8 / 1] 68th) 

11-Stefan Pettersson (IFK (Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna) Göteborg)  [10 / 0]

10-Johnny Ekström (Empoli Football Club / Italy)  [16 / 6] (16-Dan Corneliusson (Como Calcio / Italy) [20 / 11] 68th) 

Coach: Olle Nordin

Subs bench:

12-Jan Möller (Malmö Fotbollforening)

13-Stig Fredriksson (IFK (Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna) Göteborg)

15-Mats Gren (Grasshopper -Club Zürich / Switzerland)

18-Andreas Ravelli (Östers Idrottsförening- Vaxjo)

Team Captain: Glenn Hysén

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas

Uniform Colors: Yellow Shirts, Blue Shorts , Yellow Socks

Photo from: European Football Yearbook, 88-89, Editor Mike Hammond

(Top, left to right: Björn Nilsson, Torbjörn Persson, Glenn Hysén, Peter Larsson, Glenn Strömberg, Thomas Ravelli, Bottom, left to right: Jonas Thern, Stefan Pettersson, Robert Prytz, Roland Nilsson)

Note: Johnny Ekström is missing from team photo

Notes:

-Match number 444 for Italy and number 638 for Sweden

-This was the 17th meeting between the nations.

-The previous match between the nations, as well as the previous on Swedish soil and Sweden’s previous victory was the first leg of these EC Qualifiers at Stockholm on June 3, 1987 that Sweden won 1 to 0.

Italy players: Zenga, Bergomi, Francini, de Napoli, Mancini, De Agostini, Giannini, Altobelli, Vialli, Tacconi, Ferrara and Donadoni and Sweden Players: Thomas Ravelli, Roland Nilsson, Hysen, Peter Larsson, Fredriksson, Andreas Ravelli, Prytz, Strömberg, Limpar, Ekström, Jan Möller and Torbjörn Persson were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

Luigi De Agostini was booked in that match.

Peter Larsson once again scored Sweden’s winner.

Photo from: Guerin Sportivo, November 18-24, 1987

(Sweden and Italy squads)

         

-The previous match between the nations, in the same stadium was another EC qualifier on October 15, 1983 that Sweden won 3 to 0.

Italy players: Bergomi, Baresi, Bagni, Ancelotti and Altobelli and Sweden Players: Thomas Ravelli, Hysen, Fredriksson, Prytz, Strömberg, Corneliusson and Andreas Ravelli were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

Strömberg scored twice for Sweden.

This was Italy’s worst home defeat in 28 years.

(Captains Hysen and Altobelli)

-The next match between the nations, as well as Sweden’s next victory, would be a Friendly in Göteborg on June 2, 1998 that Sweden  won 1 to 0.

Italy player: Giuseppi Bergomi and Sweden Player: Roland Nilsson were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

- Italy’s previous victory was a Friendly on September 26, 1984 at Milano that they won 1 to 0.

Italy players: Bergomi, Bagni and Altobelli and Sweden Players: Hysen, Fredriksson, Strömberg, Corneliusson, Peter Larsson and Gren were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

Photo From: Onze, Issue 147, March 1988

(Franco Baresi and Glenn Stromberg)

-Italy’s next victory would be a Friendly on February 23, 2000 at Palermo that they would win 1 to 0.

Italy player: Ciro Ferrara was present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

-The other teams in this UEFA European Championship qualifying group were Portugal, Switzerland and Malta.

Italy won this group and qualified to the Finals in West Germany the following June.

-Glenn Strömberg also scored against Italy in a UEFA European Championship Qualifier on May 29, 1983 at Göteborg in a 2 to 0 win.

Photo From: Onze, Issue 147, March 1988

(Salvatore Bagni ,Glenn Stromberg and Peter Larsson)

-On November 2, 1987, Olle Nordin selected the following squad:

Goalkeepers: Jan Möller, Thomas Ravelli

Defenders: Stig Fredriksson, Glenn Hysén, Peter Larsson, Roland Nilsson, Torbjörn Persson, Andreas Ravelli

Midfielders/Strikers: Anders Limpar, Björn Nilsson, Stefan Pettersson, Robert Prytz, Glenn Strömberg, Jonas Thern, Johnny Ekström, Mats Gren, Mats Magnusson (Benfica), Lennart Nillson (IFK Göteborg) 

Dan Corneliusson was later called up

-On November 9, 1987, Azeglio Vicini selected the following squad:

Goalkeepers: Walter Zenga and Stefano Tacconi,

Defenders: Giuseppe Bergomi, Giovanni Francini, Luigi De Agostini, Franco Baresi, Roberto Tricella (Juventus), Paolo Maldini, Ciro Ferrara,

Midfielders: Salvatore Bagni, Carlo Ancelotti, Gianfranco Mateolli (Internazionale Milano), Fernando De Napoli, Giuseppe Giannini, Roberto Donadoni

Strikers: Alessandro Altobelli, Gianluca Vialli , Roberto Mancini

-On the same day (November 9^th), former defender and Captain, Juventus’ Antonio Cabrini announced his international retirement.

As a result Francini started in his place.

Photo From: Onze, Issue 147, March 1988

(Fernando de Napoli, Peter Larsson and Gianluca Vialli)

-Italy was missing Inter’s Riccardo Ferri in defense. Ciro Ferrara deputized in his place.

-Thomas and Andreas Ravelli are twins.

-Peter Larsson scored in both matches vs. Italy in 1987; there were his only goals for Sweden up to that point.

-Sweden’s Torbjörn Persson and Björn Nilsson played their last matches for Sweden.

-This was Salvatore Bagni’s penultimate match for Italy. The following month he would play his final match vs. Portugal. By the New Year he would be supplanted by Carlo Ancelotti in the squad.

Photo from: European Football Yearbook, 88-89, Editor Mike Hammond

(Gianluca Vialli ‘s first goal from a narrow angle)

-Likewise by the New Year, Giovanni Francini would be supplanted by Paolo Maldini as outside back.

Veteran Alessandro Altobelli would also be edged out by Roberto Mancini.

-Azeglio Vicini had sought to rejuvenate the Italian national team and had always stated that the Euros were to serve as preparation and experience for the upcoming World Cup that they were to host in 1990.

Photo from: Guerin Sportivo, November 18-24, 1987

(Salvatore Bagni and Glenn Stromberg)

-Goalscorer Gianluca Vialli was also booked in the 55^th minute.

-All three goals were scored in the first half.

-For the first goal, Luigi De Agostini passed to Vialli on the left side who scored from a close angle to the roof of the net.

-For Sweden’s equalizer, Stromberg crossed from right into the goalmouth, Pettersson laid it back to Larsson who hammered home from the edge of the penalty area.

-For Italy’s winner, Luigi De Agostini took a free kick from the left side to the right side for Vialli, whose first time volley ricochet on the ground and over Ravelli.

Photo From: Onze, Issue 147, March 1988

(Fernando de Napoli, Peter Larsson and Gianluca Vialli)

Photo from: Guerin Sportivo, November 18-24, 1987

(Walter Zenga making a save from Peter Larsson)

-Sweden actually outshot Italy 12 to 9.

-Dan Corneliusson’s next cap would be in 1990.

-Giovanni Francini, Ciro Ferrara, Fernando de Napoli and Salvatore Bagni were playing in their home stadium.

At that stage they were League leaders in the Serie A, though by the end of the season, AC Milan overtook them.

-Ciro Ferrara, Fernando de Napoli and Salvatore Bagni had won the Scudetto with Napoli the previous season (1986/87).

-Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Donadoni won the Scudetto that season with AC Milan.

-Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini won the Coppa Italia with Sampdoria that season.

-Alessandro Altobelli skippered Italy following Cabrini’s retirement. By the New Year, Giuseppe Bergomi was the official Captain of Italy.

On June 23,1988, Altobelli announced his international retirement following the Euros.

-As stated in previous entries in this blog, Roberto Donadoni has managed the Italian National team.

-Roberto Donadoni and Glenn Strömberg were club mates at Atalanta (1984-86).

-Roland Nilsson, Glenn Hysén, Peter Larsson and Stig Fredriksson won the UEFA Cup in 1987 with IFK Göteborg.

-Glenn Hysén, Glenn Strömberg, Johnny Ekström and Dan Corneliusson were playing for Italian clubs.

-Glenn Strömberg was playing in the Serie B for Atalanta. He played there for 8 seasons (1984-1992)

- Robert Prytz joined Glenn Strömberg at Atalanta the following season.

-Jonas Thern and Anders Limpar eventually joined Italian clubs. Thern was in fact playing in his future home stadium. He joined Napoli in 1992.

Limpar joined Cremonese in 1989.

Thern also played for AS Roma in his career.

-Glenn Hysén’s Tobias is a current Sweden International.

-Peter Larsson joined Ajax Amsterdam in the midseason and Stefan Pettersson joined him the next season. Peter Larsson reached the Cup Winners Cup Final that season with Ajax.

-Sweden’s Roland Nilsson, Glenn Hysén Anders Limpar and Italy’s Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini played in the English Premier League in their careers.

-Both Vialli and Ancelotti have managed Chelsea.

-Luigi De Agostini replaced Francini in the 26^th minute and contributed to both of Vialli’s goals.

Match Reports:

Guerin Sportivo, November 18-24, 1987 / France Football, November 17, 1987

Match Video / Highlights: