IV. 1989/90 season (Spring 1990)
Preparatory
Friendly match Number 14-Holland (February 21, 1990, Rotterdam)
Italy
went into final stretch of the preparation facing Holland on February 21st
at Rotterdam in another high profile friendly.
Injury
to Riccardo Ferri forced Vicini to recall Pietro Vierchowod for the first time
since 1986. He had been one of the notable early casualties of the Vicini
regime. However, his fine form for Sampdoria could not be ignored and was a
sound alternative in defense.
Baresi
was also missing against Holland and Ferrara earned a start as a result with
Bergomi shifting in center of defense.
Ancelotti
was back in the side for the first time since 1988 and in time just with the
World Cup on the horizon (Berti stayed on the bench). Giannini and De Napoli
retained their spots with Donadoni’s absence allowing Marocchi to start in the
middle. Gianluca Vialli’s injury forced Vicini to start with Carnevale and
Baggio upfront.
It
was yet another scoreless and un-inspiring draw. Luca Fusi was called up for
the last time and remained on the bench with his World Cup dream over.
Incidentally,
AC Milan’s Alessandro Costacurta was also called up for the first time ever
(given Ferri’s injury). He would have to wait the Arrigo Sacchi era to play for
the National Team.
Italy’s struggles in scoring
goals also made
AC Milan President Silvio Berlusconi to offer ‘suggestions’. At this point, AC
Milan were in impressive form and he said that his club should be selected ‘en
bloc’ for Italy.
Vicini
retorted that Presidents are in love with their players but a Manager must
choose objectively. He also singled out that AC Milan’s two most effective
players were the Dutch duo: Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten.
He also pointed out that in the beginning of that
season when both players were absent through injury, Milan was just an average
team.
Date:
February 21, 1990
Competition:
Friendly
Venue: Rotterdam-De
Kuip-Feyenoord Stadion
Attendance: 24,198
Holland
0-Italy 0
Italy: Walter
Zenga, Ciro Ferrara, Paolo Maldini, Giuseppe Bergomi (captain), Pietro Vierchowod, Carlo
Ancelotti, Giancarlo Marocchi, Fernando De Napoli, Andrea
Carnevale (Aldo Serena 82), Giuseppe Giannini (Luigi De Agostini 68), Roberto
Baggio (Roberto Mancini 72)
 |
Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 784
(Number 9), February 28-March 6, 1990
(February 21,
1990, Holland 0-Italy 0)
|
Preparatory
Friendly match Number 15-Switzerland (March 31, 1990, Basel)
Italy’s
last match before the publication of the Final 22 was in Basel vs. Switzerland
on March 31st. The match marked the introduction of Juventus’
Salvatore Schillaci upfront as Italy continued to struggle in scoring.
Schillaci
was the first native Sicilian in the national team since Anastasi.
He
would be partnered with Carnevale and do enough to be part of the Final 22.
For
this match, Vierchowod started once again ahead of the injured Ferri and win
his spot for the World Cup.
In
fact, Italy’s Final 22 was essentially settled at that match.
Paolo
Maldini was authorized to play only one half by his club AC Milan, so that he
would be rested for upcoming matches.
The
match was settled with a free kick by De Agostini, who scored Italy’s first
goal since their win over Algeria in the previous November.
Date:
March 31, 1990
Competition:
Friendly
Venue: Basel
-Saint Jakob Park
Attendance: 25,000
Switzerland
0-Italy 1 (Luigi De Agostini 68)
Italy: Walter Zenga, Giuseppe Bergomi (captain) (Ciro Ferrara 58), Paolo
Maldini
(Luigi De Agostini 46), Franco Baresi, Pietro Vierchowod, Giancarlo
Marocchi, Roberto Donadoni, Fernando De Napoli, Andrea Carnevale (Aldo Serena
58), Giuseppe Giannini, Salvatore Schillaci
Note:
1-In Bold, new caps.
 |
Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 789 (Number 14), April 4-10, 1990
(March
31, 1990, Switzerland 0-Italy 1)
|
 |
Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 789 (Number 14), April 4-10, 1990
(March
31, 1990, Switzerland 0-Italy 1)
|
Preparatory
Friendly match Number 16-Greece (May 30, 1990, Perugia) (Unofficial)
Azeglio
Vicini released his list for his Final 22 on April 30th, way ahead
of the deadline date.
Goalkeepers:
1-Walter
Zenga (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
12-StefanoTacconi
(Juventus Football Club-Torino)
22-Gianluca
Pagliuca (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
Defenders:
2-Franco
Baresi (Associazione Calcio Milan)
3-Giuseppe Bergomi (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
4-Luigi De Agostini (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
5-Ciro
Ferrara (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
6-Riccardo
Ferri (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
7-Paolo
Maldini (Associazione Calcio Milan)
8-Pietro
Vierchowod (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
Midfielders :
9-Carlo
Ancelotti (Associazione Calcio Milan)
10-Nicola
Berti (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
11-Fernando
De Napoli (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
13-Giuseppe
Giannini (Associazione Sportiva Roma)
14-Giancarlo
Marocchi (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
15-Roberto
Baggio (Associazione Calcio Fiorentina-Firenze)
17-Roberto
Donadoni (Associazione Calcio Milan)
Strikers:
16-Andrea
Carnevale (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli)
18-Roberto
Mancini (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
19-Salvatore
Schillaci (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
20-Aldo
Serena (Internazionale Football Club- Milano)
21-GianlucaVialli
(Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova)
 |
Photo From: Guerin Sportivo,
Issue 798 (Number 23), June 6-12, 1990
(Italy
Final 1990 World Cup squad with participants’ kit)
|
There
was not much of a surprise in his Final list, besides the inclusion of
Schillaci.
He
had rarely experimented and maintained as settled a squad as possible, very
similar to his predecessor Enzo Bearzot. In defense
Zenga-Bergomi-Baresi-Ferri-Maldini had been his choice throughout the previous
years and remained so.
Tacconi
was the experienced deputy for Zenga and Pagliuca as the third goalkeeper was
the hope for the future.
Ciro
Ferrara, Luigi De Agostini and Pietro Vierchowod were able deputies if called
upon.
In
midfield, De Napoli, Donadoni and Giannini (as playmaker) were always his
choices. Only the absence of Ancelotti had been a problem but Berti had filled
the role. Ancelotti would predictably be injured in the World Cup, except for
the Tournament his replacement would come in the form of Luigi De Agostini, who
until then was seen as the deputy and alternative for Maldini at left back.
Marocchi
made up the numbers in the middle with Baggio’s use as enigmatic as ever.
At
the top Vialli was expected to start with Carnevale, Serena, Mancini and
Schillaci as potential partners.
In the meantime, on May 18, 1990, Roberto Baggio was
transferred from Fiorentina to Juventus for 13 Million Dollars (a new World
Record). The Fiorentina fans protested at National Team Headquarters at
Coverciano with the Juventus contingent as their primary targets.
The
first pre-World Cup friendly vs. Greece on May 30th was considered Unofficial (for Italy); the
Italian kit was in fact their training kit. It was yet another scoreless draw,
the last match was a friendly vs. French club side AS Cannes. Italy at least
scored goals but Vialli was slightly injured which would affect his World Cup
(Incidentally a certain Zinedine Zidane came on a substitute for Cannes).
Italy’s
adventure in the World Cup would be another matter. Italy started the World Cup
with Vicini’s standard formation of Zenga-Bergomi, Baresi, Ferri,
Maldini-Donadoni, Giannini, Ancelotti, De Napoli-Vialli, Carnevalle.
Two
years ago Vicini’s ideal lineup was the same with the exception of Mancini
instead of Carnevale.
By
the following month and the end of the World Cup, Vicini’s lineup had changed
due to injury and form to the following: Zenga-Bergomi, Baresi, Ferri,
Maldini-Donadoni, Giannini, De Agostini, De Napoli-Baggio, Schillaci.
Italy
would be eliminated in the semifinals by Argentina and settle with a Third
place finish.
When the preparations started in the Fall of 1988, no one could have foreseen the emergence of one Salvatore Schillaci but that’s another story.
When the preparations started in the Fall of 1988, no one could have foreseen the emergence of one Salvatore Schillaci but that’s another story.
Date:
May 30, 1990
Competition:
Friendly (Unofficial for Italy, Official for Greece)
Venue: Perugia
-Stadio Renato Curi
Attendance: 35,000
Italy
0-Greece 0
Italy: Walter
Zenga (StefanoTacconi 46), Giuseppe Bergomi (captain), Luigi De Agostini, Pietro Vierchowod, Riccardo Ferri, Giancarlo Marocchi, Roberto
Donadoni, Fernando De Napoli, GianlucaVialli, Giuseppe Giannini, Salvatore
Schillaci (Roberto Baggio 70)
 |
Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 798
(Number 23), June 6-12, 1990
(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)
Venue: Arezzo
Attendance: -
Italy
3-AS Cannes (France) 0 (GianlucaVialli 37 pen, 71, Fernnado De Napoli 40)
Italy: Walter
Zenga, Giuseppe Bergomi (captain), Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Riccardo
Ferri, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Donadoni, Fernando De Napoli, GianlucaVialli
(Salvatore Schillaci 71), Giuseppe Giannini, Andrea Carnevale
 |
Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, Issue 798
(Number 23), June 6-12, 1990
(June
2, 1990, Italy 3-AS Cannes (France) 0)
|
References:
Soccer International, Volume 1, Issue 2, February
1990
World Soccer, November 1989
World Soccer, February 1990
Guerin Sportivo, Issue 798 (Number 23), June 6-12,
1990
Guerin Sportivo, Issue 789 (Number 14), April 4-10,
1990
Guerin Sportivo, Issue 784 (Number 9), February
28-March 6, 1990
Guerin Sportivo, Issue 771 (Number 47), November
22-28, 1989
Guerin Sportivo, Issue 766 (Number 42), October 18-24, 1989
France Football, Issue 2242, March 28, 1989
France Football, Issue 2229, December 27, 1988
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