February
24, 1979
Italy
3-Holland 0
Friendly
Venue: Milano -Stadio Comunale San
Siro
Attendance: 70,000
Referee: Nicolae Rainea (Romania)
Goalscorers: (Italy): Roberto Bettega 10, Paolo Rossi 18 pen, Marco Tardelli 43
(Holland): None
Lineups:
Italy:
1-Dino
Zoff (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
[74/0] (12-Paolo Conti (Associazione Sportiva Roma) [5 / 0] 46th)
2-Claudio
Gentile (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
[28 / 1]
3-Antonio
Cabrini (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
[12 / 1] (13-Aldo Maldera
(Associazione Calcio Milan) [8 / 0] 70th)
4-Gabriele
Oriali (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
[2 / 0]
5-Fulvio
Collovati (Associazione Calcio Milan)
[1 / 0]
6-Gaetano
Scirea (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
[21 / 0]
7-Franco
Causio (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
[45 / 3]
8-Marco
Tardelli (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
[30 / 2] (15-Renato Zaccarelli (Torino Calcio 1906) [20 / 2] 74th)
9-Paolo
Rossi (Societa Sportiva Lanerossi-Vicenza) [12 / 5]
10-Giancarlo
Antognoni (Associazione
Calcio Fiorentina-Firenze) [37 / 6]
11-Roberto
Bettega (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
[26 / 17]
Coach:
Enzo Bearzot
Booked:
Claudio Gentile
Other Substitutes:
Romeo
Benetti (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
Francesco
Graziani (Torino Calcio 1906)
Bruno
Giordano (Società Sportiva Lazio-Roma)
Team
Captain: Dino Zoff (Note : Franco Causio assumed Captaincy in the
second half after Dino Zoff was substituted)
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform
Colors: Blue Shirts, White Shorts, Blue Socks
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Italy
squad, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: La Nazionale Italiana, Supplement 2
(Italy
squad, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
Holland:
1-Pieter
‘Piet’ Schrijvers
(Amsterdamse Football Club
Ajax-Amsterdam) [24 / 0]
2-Jan
Poortvilet (Philips
Sports Vereniging Eindhoven) [11 / 0]
5-Pieter
‘Piet’ Wildschut (Philips
Sports Vereniging Eindhoven) [8 / 1]
6-Wilhelmus Marinus Antonius ‘Wim’ Jansen (Feyenoord
Rotterdam) [60 / 1]
3-Ernestus
Wilhelmus Johannes ‘Ernie’ Brandts (Philips Sports Vereniging Eindhoven) [`10 / 4] (13-Hubertus Jozef Margaretha ‘Huub’ Stevens (Philips Sports Vereniging Eindhoven) [1 / 0] 46th)
4-Adrianus
Ambrosius ‘Adri’ van Kraay (Philips Sports Vereniging Eindhoven)
[17 / 0]
7-Nicolaas
‘Johnny’ Rep (Sporting
Etoile Club de Bastia / France)
[32 / 11]
8-Johannes
Wilhelmus ‘Jan’ Peters (AZ (Alkmaar Zaanstreek) '67 -Alkmaar) [17 / 2]
10-Cornelis
'Kees' Kist (AZ
(Alkmaar Zaanstreek) '67 -Alkmaar) [9 /
0]
9-Wilhelmus
Antonius ‘Willy’ van de Kerkhof (Philips Sports Vereniging
Eindhoven) [29 / 3] (12-Johannes Antonius Bernardus ‘John’ Metgod (AZ (Alkmaar Zaanstreek) '67
-Alkmaar) [3 / 0] 70th)
11-Reinier
Lambertus ‘René’ van de Kerkhof (Philips Sports Vereniging Eindhoven) [29 / 4]
Coach:
Jan Zwartkruis
Booked:
Pieter ‘Piet’ Wildschut 53
Other Substitutes:
Willem
Petrus ‘Pim’ Doesburg (Sparta Rotterdam)
Michiel
‘Michel’ Valke (Sparta Rotterdam)
Adri Koster (Roda JC (Juliana Combinatie) Kerkrade)
Team
Captain: Wim Jansen
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform
Colors: Orange Shirts, Orange Shorts, Orange Socks
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Holland
squad, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Het Nederlands Elftal, De Histoire van Oranje, 1905-1989
(Holland
squad, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
Notes:
-Match
number 364 for Italy and number 379 for Holland.
-This
was the 8th meeting between the nations.
-The
previous match between the nations, as well as the previous match on neutral
soil and Holland’s previous victory, was during the 1978 World Cup just a few
months prior on June 21, 1978 that Holland won (2-1) at Buenos Aires.
Italy
players: Dino Zoff, Antonio Cabrini, Claudio Gentile, Gaetano Scirea, Romeo Benetti,
Francesco Graziani, Marco Tardelli, Renato Zaccarelli, Franco Causio, Roberto Bettega, Paolo
Rossi, Paolo Conti, Aldo Maldera and Giancarlo Antognoni and Holland players:
Schrijvers, Poortvilet, Jansen, René van de Kerkhof, Willy van
de Kerkhof, Rep, van Kraay, Brandts and Wildschut were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes
bench).
Enzo
Bearzot was still at his post at Italy Manager.
Dino
Zoff captained Italy for that match as well.
Holland’s
Ernie Brants scored an own goal for Italy, as well a goal for Holland.
Italy’s
Benetti, Cabrini, Tardelli, as well as Holland’s Rep were booked in that match.
-The
previous match between the nations on Dutch soil was a UEFA European
Championship qualifier on November 20, 1974 that Holand won (3-1) at Rotterdam.
Italy
players: Dino Zoff, Franco Causio and Giancarlo Antognoni and Holland players:
Schrijvers, Willy van de Kerkhof, Rep and Peters were present that day
(on the field and/or the substitutes bench).
Dino
Zoff captained Italy for that match as well.
This
match also marked Giancarlo Antognoni’s debut for Italy.
 |
Photo
From: La Nazionale Italiana, Supplement 2
(Tactical
Formations, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holand 0)
|
-The
previous match between the nations, as well as the previous match on Italian
soil and Italy’s previous victory, was a UEFA European Championship qualifier
on November 22, 1975 that Italy won (1-0) at Rome.
Italy
players: Dino Zoff, Claudio Gentile, Romeo Benetti, Franco Causio, Renato Zaccarelli, Roberto Bettega and Giancarlo Antognoni and Holland players: Schrijvers, Jansen, van
Kraay, Willy van de Kerkhof, René’ van de Kerkhof and Peters were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes
bench).
Enzo
Bearzot was Italy’s Manager with Fulvio Bernardini as Technical Director.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 640 (Number 18), April 29-May 5, 1987
(Jan
Peters and Gabriele Oriali, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Mondial, old series, issue 31, June 1979
(Johnny
Rep and Marco Tardelli, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-The
next match between the nations, as well as the next match on Neutral soil, was
during the Mundialito on January 6, 1981 at Montevideo in Uruguay that ended in
a (1-1) tie.
Italy
players: Claudio Gentile, Gaetano Scirea, Francesco Graziani, Gabriele Oriali,
Renato Zaccarelli and Giancarlo Antognoni and Holland players: Doesburg, Metgod, Peters,
Valke, René van de Kerkhof, Willy van de Kerkhof, and
Brandts were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).
Both
Managers were still at their post.
Giancarlo
Antognoni and Jan Peters captained their respective nations.
Holland’s
Jan Peters scored in this match.
-The
next match between the nations, on Italian soil as well as Italy’s next
victory, was a friendly on November 16, 1988 at Rome that Italy won (1-0).
-The
next match between the nations, on Dutch soil, was a friendly on February 21,
1990 at Rotterdam that ended in a scoreless tie.
 |
Photo
From: Don Balon, Issue 189, May 22, 1979
(Kees
Kist and Fulvio Colovatti, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Wim
Jansen and Roberto Bettega, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-The
next match between the nations, and the next Dutch victory, was a UEFA European
Championship Finals match on June 9, 2008 that the Dutch won (3-0) at Bern,
Switzerland.
-The
Italians were to host the next edition of the UEFA European Championship Finals
and for two years were restricted to friendly matches for preparation.
-Italy
and most notably its Manager Enzo Bearzot were under some pressure as Italy had
been struggling since the 1978 World Cup and did not seem to be building upon
its success. The Italians had lost at Prague vs. Czechoslovakia in a friendly
on November 8, 1978 (0-3) to increase pressure on Bearzot.
The
media were pressuring him to select new players oand not rely upon solely on
the Juventus old guard.
Captain
and goalkeeper Dino Zoff had come under special scrutiny due to his advancing
age (four days away from his 37th Birthday).
Many
had blamed him for giving up long-range efforts in the World Cup, most notably
two against Holland in the previous World Cup.
 |
Photo
From: Mondial, old series, issue 38, January 1980
(Marco
Tardelli and Ernie Brandts, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Marco
Tardelli and Ernie Brandts, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-Coaching
Great Nereo Rocco had passed away just days prior on February 20th,
1979. The Italian players wore black armbands in his honor and the match was
preceded a minute of silence.
-The
Dutch had to contend with many absences. Anderlecht would release Robbie
Rensenbrink, Ruud Geels, Arie Haan and Johnny Dusbaba. Barcelona did not
release Johann Neeskens and Ruud Krol was out injured.
It
was essentially an experimental ‘B’ Dutch side.
In addition,
the Dutch were lacking match practice as their League Programme had been
postponed due to heavy snow.
There
had been opposition for this match in Holland; the KNVB had wanted it to be a
trial match for up and coming players rather than a full international, but the
Italians refused this request.
-Bearzot
chose to experiment as well and try new fresh blood.
Mauro
Bellugi, Antonello Cuccureddu, Claudio Sala and Patrizio Sala were now
seemingly out of International reckoning.
In
addition veterans such as Francesco Graziani and Romeo Benetti did not start.
Bearzot
chose to start with Gabriel Oriali (earning only his second cap) in place of
Benetti.
AC
Milan defender Fulvio Collovatti was given his International debut in the
center of defense partnering Scirea. He would become the long-term replacement
of Belluggi.
-Italy
opened the scoring in the 10th minute. On the right side, Paolo
Rossi gave the ball to Gaetano Scirea who lobbed a cross into the box for
Betterga.
He
took one touch and shot past Schrijvers.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Sequence
1 of Bettega’s goal, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Sequence
2 of Bettega’s goal, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Roberto
Bettega scoring, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: La Nazionale Italiana, Supplement 2
(Roberto
Bettega opening the scoring, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-In
the 18th minute, Italy were awarded a penalty kick after Marco
Tardelli was fouled by Ernie Brandts in the box.
Paolo
Rossi scored from the spot.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Brandts’
foul on Tardelli for the penalty kick, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Paolo Rossi’ penalty kick, February 24, 1979,
Italy 3-Holland 0) |
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Paolo
Rossi celebrating, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Paolo Rossi scoring from the penalty spot,
February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0) |
-In
the 43rd minute, on the left side Scirea had the ball, he let
Antonio Cabrini take it.
Cabrini
advanced and crossed from the left side into the box, Bettega dummied it, and
it reached Tarcelli who scored with a volley from edge of the box.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Sequence
1 of Tardelli’s goal, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Sequence 2 of Tardelli’s goal, February 24,
1979, Italy 3-Holland 0) |
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Diagrams
of Bettega and Tardelli’s goals, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Marco
Tardelli celebrating, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-The
pace of the match slowed down in the second half as both managers made
substitutions.
-Holland’s
Huub Stevens made his International debut after coming on for Brandts in the
second half.
-
Claudio Gentile was booked after a reaction foul on Willy van der Kerkhof in
the first half.
Piet
Wildschut was booked in the second half after a foul on Tardelli.
-
After the win Enzo Bearzot warned of overconfidence against a weakened Dutch
side.
Enzo
Bearzot admitted, “This was not the real Holland”.
Some
Dutch players complained of their harsh treatment by Italian defenders.
Dutch
Manager Jan Zwartkruis felt the penalty decision was a ‘gift’ from the referee.
He
also said “our defeat was half because of Italy’s good form and half because of
our lack of match fitness. My players looked like wooden puppets in the first
half because they are so short on condition”.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Dino
Zoff making a save, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-Both
Managers Enzo Bearzot (September 26, 1927-December 21, 2010) and Jan Zwartkruis
(February 18, 1926-March 7, 2013) have since passed on.
-Italian
defender Aldo Maldera (October 14, 1953-August 1, 2012) has also passed away.
He died at the age of 58. He earned his last of his 10 caps in 1979.
Italy’s
Gaetano Scirea (May 25, 1953-September 3, 1989) was killed in a car accident
aged just 36.
He
was on a supervising mission for Juventus in Poland.
-AC
Milan’s Aldo Maldera and Fulvio Collovatti won the Scudetto that season.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Fulvio
Collovatti, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-Maldera,
Collovatti and Inter’s Gabriele Oriali were playing in their home stadium in
this match.
Collovatti
is one of the rare players to have lined up for both Milan sides. He joined
Inter in 1982.
-Aldo
Maldera has won the scudetto with two different teams. AC Milan in 1979 and AS
Roma in 1983. Swedish Manager Nils Liedholm managed both sides.
-The
Juventus contingent: Zoff, Gentile, Scirea, Cabrini, Tardelli, Causio Bettega
and Benetti had won the Italian Serie A in 1977 and 1978.
They
would also win the Coppa Italia at the end of that season.
 |
Photo
From: Panini, Europa 80
(Franco
Causio, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Antonio
Cabrini and Willy van der Kerkhof, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-Ajax
goalkeeper Schrijvers won the Dutch League title that season with his club.
-The
PSV Eindhoven contingent: Jan Poortvilet, Piet Wildschut, Ernie Brandts, Huub Stevens, Adri van Kraay and the
van der Kerkhof twins had won the UEFA Cup and the Dutch League title the
previous season.
Johnny
Rep had been their opponent in the UEFA Cup final with French club Bastia.
-Johnny
Rep was the only foreign-based player on either team that day. He would join
Saint Etienne at the end of the season.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Johnny
Rep surrounded by Renato Zaccarelli, Aldo Maldera and Gaetano Scirea, February
24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-Along
with Rep, Jan Poortvilet (Nimes and Cannes) and Kees Kist (Paris St. Germain)
would also represent French clubs in their career.
Poortvilet
joined Nimes in 1984 and Kist joined PSG in 1982.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Jan
Poortvilet and Gaetano Scirea, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-In
addition to the van der Kerkhofs, Aldo Maldera and John Metgod also had
brothers involved in the game.
Maldera’s
brothers Luigi and Attilio were professionals, as was Metgod’s brother Edward,
who was a goalkeeper.
-Holland’s
AZ’67 contingent: Jan Peters, Kees Kist and John Metgod won the Dutch league
title in 1981 with their club.
A
rarity since the winner was neither Ajax, PSV Eindhoven nor Feyenoord.
-Jan
Peters joined Italian club Genoa in 1982 and stayed until 1985. He then joined
Serie A’s Atalanta (1985/86).
-Torino’s
Renato Zaccarelli had won the Scudetto with Torino in 1976.
-Gabriele
Oriali had been part of Internazionale Milano’s 1971 title winning team as a
teenager. He would also win the Scudetto with them the following season
(1979/80).
Oriali
would replace Benetti as the defensive midfield lynchpin of Italy in the coming
years.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Gabriele
Oriali and Jan Peters, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Gabriele Oriali and Rene van der Kerkhof,
February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0) |
-The
Italians would finish fourth in their own Euros in 1980 while the Dutch would
be eliminated in the first round.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Italian
substitute goalkeeper Paolo Conti, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Mondial, New series, issue 8, November 1980
(Giancarlo
Antognoni, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-Dino
Zoff managed the Italian National Team (1998/2000). In his penultimate match as
Manager on June 29th, 2000, Italy defeated Holland in a penalty kick
shoot-out in the semifinals of the 2000 UEFA European Championships after a
scoreless tie at Amsterdam.
He
managed the Italian Olympic Team at the end of his playing career, as well as
Juventus and Lazio. He also served as President of Lazio.
He
is one of the only three goalkeepers to have captained a World Cup winning side
(1982).
-Willy
van der Kerkhof would remain in the Dutch National Team set up until the end of
1985, while Antonio Cabrini would stay with Italy until the Fall of 1987.
-For
the Dutch: Wim Jansen, Johnny Rep, Pieter Schrijvers, Rene van der Kerkhof and Willy
van der Kerkhof were members of the Holland 1974 World Cup squad that reached
the Final.
-For
the Dutch: Wim Jansen, Johnny Rep, Jan Poortvilet, Adri van Kraay, Pieter Wildschut, Pim
Doesburg, Pieter Schrijvers, Ernie Brandts, Rene van der Kerkhof and Willy
van der Kerkhof were members of the Holland 1978 World Cup squad that reached
the Final.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Piet
Wildschut and Renato Zaccarelli and Aldo Maldera, February 24, 1979, Italy
3-Holland 0)
|
-For
the Italians: Dino
Zoff, Antonio Cabrini, Claudio Gentile, Aldo Maldera, Gaetano Scirea, Giancarlo
Antognoni, Romeo Benetti, Paolo Conti, Marco Tardelli,
Renato Zaccarelli, Franco Causio, Roberto Bettega, Francesco Graziani and Paolo
Rossi (as was Manager Enzo Bearzot) were members of the Italy 1978 World Cup squad that
finished Fourth.
-For
the Italians: Dino
Zoff, Antonio Cabrini, Claudio Gentile, Gabriele Oriali, Fulvio Collovati,
Gaetano Scirea, Giancarlo Antognoni, Marco Tardelli, Franco
Causio, Francesco Graziani and Paolo Rossi (as was Manager Enzo Bearzot) were members of the Italy
1982 World Cup squad that won the World Cup.
If
not for a serious injury in the Fall of 1981, Roberto
Bettega would surely have been part of the group.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Marco
Tardelli, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
-Paolo
Rossi was the top goalscorer of that World Cup with six goals. He would be
awarded the Ballon d’Or that year.
He
had made a comeback that year after being banned from the game in 1980 in the
famous ‘Totonero’ match fixing scandal.
He
joined Perugia on loan at the end of the season and stayed one season
(1979/80).
-Italian
substitute Bruno Giordano would also be one of the banned players along with
Rossi involved in the ‘Totonero’ match fixing scandal.
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Gabriel Oriali and Jan Peters, February 24, 1979,
Italy 3-Holland 0) |
-During
the same week two Italian squads also played matches.
The
Under-21 squad (managed by Azeglio Vicini) faced the main USSR squad including
Oleg Blokhin.
The
Italians lost (0-1, Blokhin scoring the winner in the seventh minute) (February
22, 1979, Italy (U-21) 0-USSR 1).
For
the Italians the Baresi brothers (Franco and Giuseppe) started together.
In
another match, essentially an Italian ‘B’ squad refereed as ‘Sperimentale’ also
faced the main USSR squad and lost (February 23, 1979, Italy (Experimental)
1-USSR 3).
Oleg
Blokin once again opned the scoring (18th minute). The other Soviet
scorers were Makovikov (27th minute) and Gazzayev (74th
minute).
Some
of the Italian players selected included the likes of Roberto Pruzzo,
Alessandro Altobelli (scored Italy’s goal in the 72nd minute), Agostino
di Bartolomei, Lionela Manfredonia, Ruben Buriani and Walter Novellino.
Azeglio
Vicini once again managed the Italian squad.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Marco
Tardelli celebrating, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 226 (Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1979
(Paolo
Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Roberto Bettega after the match, February 24, 1979,
Italy 3-Holland 0)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 40, April 1979
(Italian
players celebrating, February 24, 1979, Italy 3-Holand 0)
|
Match Reports:
Italy kit supplier is ADIDAS
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