This is the 264th
episode of my podcast, 'Soccernostalgia Talk Podcast’.
For this episode, I
interview English Freelance Football journalist Mr. Alex Connor as we discuss Chelsea
FC at the end of the Ken Bates era and beginning of the Abramovich era
(2000-2004).
Mr. Connor has a page on
Substack called the Chelsea FC Connection.
For any
questions/comments, you may contact us:
You may also contact me
on this blog, on twitter @sp1873 and on facebook under Soccernostalgia.
Inter hosted Sampdoria on May 5th,
1991, in a match that would virtually seal the title for one side, give the
other some hope in case of a win.
A lot was riding on this match, Sampdoria were
three points ahead of Inter (45 to 42) in this 31st round of
matches. After this there would only be three matches left in the Championship.
Vujadin Boskov’s unfancied Sampdoria had
surprisingly led the League against the traditional giants of Juventus, AC
Milan, Inter as well as Maradona’s Napoli.
AC Milan had been fading that season, while
Juventus and Napoli would have disastrous seasons.
In this tail end of the season, Inter were the
final realistic contenders to stop Sampdoria’s march to the Scudetto.
This match would not disappoint, and it would be
one of the most memorable Serie A matches of the decade. This match had
everything, sending-offs, penalty kicks, crowd trouble, goal line
clearances, goals ruled out, etc.
Giovanni Trapattoni’s Inter were led by the 1990
World Cup winning German trio of Lothar Matthaus, Andreas Brehme and Jurgen
Klinsmann.
Their Italian contingent included Italian
Internationals Walter Zenga, Giuseppe Bergomi, Riccardo Ferri, Nicola Berti and
Aldo Serena.
Sampdoria were led by the front-line duo of the
rejuvenated Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini.
In goal, Gianluca Pagliuca was starting to
threaten Zenga for the number one spot for Italy.
Brazilian veteran Toninho Cerezo (36 years old)
was enjoying a second youth and was one of the surprises of the season. Italian
veterans Pietro Vierchowod and Giuseppe Dossena were also having a good season.
As hosts and needing a win, Inter started the
match attacking relentlessly. Sampdoria had virtually no chances in this first
half, as Inter assailed the Sampdoria goal.
Klinsmann scored a goal just before halftime,
which was ruled out for offside.
Afterwards, Trapattoni stated, “A first goal
that the referee did not see last week in Florence, and now a second refused
for an imaginary offside, we cannot say the men in black did not present gifts’
(Note: Trapattoni was referring to the previous week’s scoreless tie with
Fiorentina)
Photo From: France
Football, Issue 2352, May 7, 1991
According to some observers, the goal may have
been valid and could have changed the trajectory of the match.
The biggest drama of the first half, also took
place just before halftime, the teams' respective Captains Giuseppe Bergomi and
Roberto Mancini were both sent off after an altercation.
Sampdoria would take the lead in the 61st
minute against the run of play as Inter kept attacking.
On the left side, Vialli retrieved a ball and
passed across to Dossena, who shot from a long-range shot from outside of the
box.
In the 66th minute, Inter had the
chance to tie the match after they were awarded a penalty kick after Cerezo
fouled Berti in the box. Pagliuca, who had already repelled all of Inter’s
attacks, saved Matthaus’ attempt.
Sampdoria nearly scored again later when on the
left, Lombardo’s shot from close range hit the post, he picked it up and passed
across to Vialli, his shot was blocked on the line by Brehme.
Sampdoria would score
their second goal in the 76th minute. From the right side, on the
middle of the field, Mannini sent a long cross on the left to Vialli, who
controlled and went around Zenga to score.
This goal sealed the
match and by extension the 1990-91 Serie A season as Sampdoria now had a
four-point lead (now over AC Milan) with a few matches left.
Not only they had the
points, but they had the momentum as they had relatively comfortable matches
left.
The Inter fans protested
in the stands as they knew their title hopes were gone. Zenga and Matthaus
tried to calm the fans and after about five minutes order was restored.
Sampdoria were on their
way to their first ever (and only to date) Scudetto. Inter’s consolation would
be the UEFA Cup that they would win in matter of days against AS Roma.
This was the Golden Age
of Calcio, and this match underlined that fact.
Photo From: Guerin
Sportivo, No 19 (845), May 8-14, 1991
(May 5, 1991,
Internazionale Milano 0-Sampdoria 2)
0:1 (61st minute, Sampdoria): On
the left side, Vialli retrieved a ball and passed across to Dossena, who shot
from a long-range shot from outside of the box.
0:2 (76th minute, Sampdoria): From
the right side, on the middle of the field, Mannini sent a long cross on the
left to Vialli, who controlled and went around Zenga to score.
(Italy
squad, March 31, 1990, Switzerland 0-Italy 1)
Preparatory
Friendly match Number 16-Greece (May 30, 1990, Perugia) (Unofficial)
Date: May 30, 1990
Competition: Friendly (Unofficial for
Italy, Official for Greece, Both Teams played without
National Emblems-FIFA and UEFA do not count this match as Official)
Result: Italy 0-Greece 0
Venue: Perugia -Stadio Renato Curi
Attendance: 35,000
Referee:Rosa
Dos Santos (Portugal)
Linesmen:-
Kick-off time: 20:30
Goalscorers:
(Italy):
None
(Greece):
None
Summary
of goals:
-
Lineups:
Italy:
1-Walter
Zenga (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
(12-StefanoTacconi (Juventus Football Club-Torino) 46)
3-Giuseppe Bergomi (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
4-Luigi De Agostini (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
8-Pietro
Vierchowod (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
6-Riccardo
Ferri (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
14-Giancarlo
Marocchi (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
17-Roberto
Donadoni (Associazione Calcio Milan)
11-Fernando
De Napoli (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
21-GianlucaVialli
(Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
13-Giuseppe
Giannini (Associazione Sportiva Roma)
19-Salvatore
Schillaci (Juventus Football Club-Torino) (15-Roberto Baggio (Associazione
Calcio Fiorentina-Firenze) 70)
Coach:
Azeglio Vicini
Other Substitutes:
22-Gianluca
Pagliuca (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
2-Franco
Baresi (Associazione Calcio Milan)
5-Ciro
Ferrara (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
7-Paolo
Maldini (Associazione Calcio Milan)
9-Carlo
Ancelotti (Associazione Calcio Milan)
10-Nicola
Berti (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
16-Andrea
Carnevale (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
18-Roberto
Mancini (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
20-Aldo
Serena (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
Team
Captain:Giuseppe Bergomi
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Diadora
Uniform
Colors: (Training kit): Half White , Half Blue Shirts, Blue Shorts, Blue Socks
Uniform
Colors: White Shirts, White Shorts, White Socks
Photo From: (Screen capture)
(May
30, 1990, Italy 0-Greece 0)
Photo From: (Screen capture)
(May
30, 1990, Italy 0-Greece 0)
Preparatory
Friendly match Number 17-AS Cannes (France) (June 2, 1990, Arezzo) (Unofficial)
Date: June 2, 1990
Competition: Friendly (Unofficial)
Result: Italy 3-AS Cannes (France)
0
Venue: Arezzo
Attendance: -
Referee: Marcello Nicchi (Italy)
Linesmen:-
Kick-off time: -
Goalscorers:
(Italy):
GianlucaVialli 37 pen, 71, Fernnado De Napoli 40
(Cannes):
None
Summary
of goals:
1:0
(37th minute, Italy): Italy were awarded a penalty kick after Vialli
was fouled by Jocelyn Rico in the box. Vialli scored from the ensuing penalty
kick,
2:0
(40th minute, Italy): From the right side, Vialli’s shot was
parried by Dussuyer, Giannini backheeled the rebound for De Napoli to shoot in.
3:0
(71st minute, Italy): From the middle, Vialli was released through
by Giannini and he went around Dussuyer to score from a narrow angle.
Lineups:
Italy:
1-Walter
Zenga (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
3-Giuseppe Bergomi (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
7-Paolo
Maldini (Associazione Calcio Milan)
2-Franco
Baresi (Associazione Calcio Milan)
6-Riccardo
Ferri (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
9-Carlo
Ancelotti (Associazione Calcio Milan)
17-Roberto
Donadoni (Associazione Calcio Milan)
11-Fernando
De Napoli (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
21-GianlucaVialli
(Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
(19-Salvatore Schillaci (Juventus Football Club-Torino) 71)
13-Giuseppe
Giannini (Associazione Sportiva Roma)
16-Andrea
Carnevale (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
Coach:
Azeglio Vicini
Other Substitutes:
12-StefanoTacconi
(Juventus Football Club-Torino)
4-Luigi De Agostini (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
8-Pietro
Vierchowod (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
14-Giancarlo
Marocchi (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
15-Roberto
Baggio (Associazione Calcio Fiorentina-Firenze)
22-Gianluca
Pagliuca (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
5-Ciro
Ferrara (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
10-Nicola
Berti (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
18-Roberto
Mancini (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
20-Aldo
Serena (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
Team
Captain:Giuseppe Bergomi
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Diadora
Uniform
Colors: (Training kit): Half White , Half Blue Shirts, Blue Shorts, White Socks
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