Series looking at the new Foreign player
signings in the Serie A in the 1980s and their impact.
In the summer of 1983, the
Italian Serie A was the attractive destination of the World’s best.
There were still vivid
memories of the 1982 World Cup and two of its best stars would join the growing
colony of Brazilians in the Serie A.
Serie A Champions AS Roma
offloaded the Austrian Herbert Prohaska to register the Brazilian midfield star
Antonio Carlos ‘Toninho Cerezo’ from Atletico Mineiro.
He joined his compatriot
Paulo Roberto Falcão, already the main star of Roma.
Former Flamengo star and
one of the greatest heroes of the 1982 adventure, Artur Antunes Coimbra
‘Zico’ also joined a Brazilian compatriot (Edinho) at Udinese.
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Artur Antunes Coimbra
‘Zico’) |
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Antonio Carlos ‘Toninho
Cerezo’) |
Both transfers were made
amidst much controversy as the Italian Federation initially blocked both moves
but were forced to accept after much protests, especially in Udine.
As far as the other
transfers, Ascoli signed Yugoslav midfielder Aleksandar
Trifunović from Partizan Belgrade.
Brazilian
midfielder Pedro Luís Vicençote ‘Pedrinho’,
one of the more unfancied and rarely used players in the glorious Brazil Team
of 1982, joined newly promoted side Catania from Vaso da Gama.
Catania also signed
another Brazilian midfielder, Luvanor Donizete Borges from Goias.
Another
Brazilian midfielder Francisco Chagas Eloia, Eloi
joined Genoa from Vasco Da Gama.
The sixth Brazilian to join the Serie A that season was João ‘Batista’ da Silva, victim of Maradona’s kick
in the 1982 World Cup. He joined newly-promoted side Lazio in Rome (from
Palmeiras).
Denmark
were starting to make an impression on the continent. One of their brightest
prospects Michael Laudrup, joined Batista at Lazio.
He was
actually on loan from Juventus, who were well covered with their foreign duo of
Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek. Laudrup was programmed to join the Turin
side in a number of years and he was at Lazio to gain experience.
Laudrup had
nearly joined Liverpool that summer until there was a dispute regarding the
terms of the contract.
Two of
Belgium’s most experienced players also joined the Serie A on the opposite
sides in Milan.
Belgium
Captain Eric Gerets left Standard Liege to join newly-promoted AC Milan.
Former
Anderlecht midfielder Ludo Coeck joined the Nerazzuri side and joined
Internazionale Milano.
AC Milan
also signed the English striker Luther Blisset from Watford.
The last
new foreign player was the young Ajax and Dutch striker Wim Kieft, who joined
Pisa.
(Note: the
following information regarding the Brazilin contingent, was mostly copied from
my blog article regarding the 1982 Generation of Brazilian players in the Serie
A: https://soccernostalgia.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-soccernostalgia-interview-part-65.html)
Photo From: 1983-84 Calciatori
Panini
|
(João ‘Batista’ da
Silva) |
The 25-year-old Pedrinho
would suffer relegation with Catania but would nevertheless stay one more
season with the club at Serie B before returning home.
The 28-year-old Toninho
Cerezo would spend nearly a decade in Italy. Following his spell in Rome, he
joined Sampdoria and had six glorious years, as the Vialli-Mancini inspired
side captured the Scudetto in 1991 with the 36-year-old Cerezo as one of its
driving forces. He also won the Coppa Italia in 1988, 1989 and the Cup Winners
Cup in 1990 with the Genoa side.
He
left Italy in 1992 following Sampdoria’s defeat in the 1992 Champions Cup Final
vs. Barcelona to join Tele Santana’s Sao Paulo side.
His
second season was a disappointing one. He missed much of it through injury and
then had to defend himself as he was accused of tax fraud by Italian
Authorities.
He left to rejoin Flamengo in the summer of 1985.
The 22-year-old Brazilian Luvanor, like Pedrinho, would be relegated with Catania but would remain with the club in the Serie B until 1986. He returned home in 1986 by joining Santos. He spent the remainder of his career with the likes of Flamengo, Goias and Bahia, amongst others, before retiring in 1993.
The
28-year-old Brazilian Eloi, like his compatriots Pedrinho and Luvanor, also
suffered relegation with his club Genoa. He remained with Genoa in Serie B for
one season and then returned home to Botafogo in 1985.
He returned
to Europe and had a spell at Portuguese Football with Porto, Boavista and
Louletano before returning home again in 1990.
His last
years included short spells for the likes of Fluminense and Fortaleza amongst
others before retiring in 1996.
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Luvanor Donizete
Borges) |
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Pedro Luís Vicençote
‘Pedrinho’) |
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Francisco Chagas Eloia, Eloi) |
The
29-year-old Aleksandar Trifunović remained
with Ascoli until 1987. He suffered relegation in 1985 but helped the side to
get promoted in 1985/86.
After his
spell with Ascoli, he returned home to Obilic before retiring.
Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Alexander Trifunovic) |
The
19-year-old Michael Laudrup would spend two seasons at Lazio. The second one
(1984/85) ended in relegation. He joined Juventus club in 1985 and helped them
win the Scudetto in 1986. He remained at Juventus until 1989.
After his
Italian adventure, he had a renaissance upon joining Johann Cruyff’s Barcelona
and would win four League titles as well as the Champions League in 1992.
After
Barcelona, he joined their arch-rivals Real Madrid in 1994 and won the League
title with them as well (1994/95).
After leaving
Madrid in 1996, he joined the Japanese League and joined Vissel Kobe.
He left Kobe
in 1997 and have one last season with Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam (1997/98)
before retiring.
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Michale Laudrup) |
The Belgian
duo of the 29-year-old Eric Gerets and 27-year-old Ludo Coeck would have a
disastrous time in Italy.
Midway
through his season with AC Milan, Eric Gerets’ role in the famous Standard
Liege-Waterschei bribery scandal was discovered. Milan sacked him and he was
suspended.
He made his
return during 1984/85 season with modest Dutch side MVV before joining top
Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 1985 and resurrecting his career in a very
successful spell with titles galore and the Champions Cup in 1988.
He retired
with PSV in 1992, and has had a relatively successful coaching career since.
Ludo Coeck
would have a disappointing season with Inter and was loaned to Ascoli for the
following season (1984/85). He made no appearances at Ascoli due to injury.
He was
tragically killed on October 9th, 1985, aged just 30, two days after
a traffic accident.
He was in
Belgium after signing for RWD Molenbeek.
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Eric Gerets) |
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Ludo Coeck) |
Gerets’ English
teammate at AC Milan, the 25-year-old Luther Blisset would also have a
disappointing season.
He just
scored a handful of goals and was soon offloaded for the following season back
home to Watford.
He spent the
rest of his career with a number of sides in the Lower Divisions such as Bury
and Bournemouth before retiring.
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Photo From: 1983-84
Calciatori Panini
|
(Luther Blisset) |
The
20-year-old Dutch striker Wim Kieft was the winner of the European Golden Boot
in 1982. His time at Pisa was difficult, he suffered relegation 1984, he
remained with the side and helped the side with Promotion in 1985. He was once
again relegated with Pisa in 1986.
For his last
season in the Serie A, he played for stable side Torino (1986/87). He returned
home in 1987 and joined PSV Eindhoven. He would have a successful spell,
winning League titles and the Champions Cup in 1988.
He had a
brief spell at French side Bordeaux (1990/91) before returning to PSV and
retire in 1994.
Photo From: 1983-84 Calciatori
Panini
|
(Wim Kieft) |
From this
group, the most successful due to his longevity was the Brazilian Cerezo. Zico
had a remarkable first season (1983/84) and one of the greatest seasons by any
foreigner, despite the disappointment of a second season.
Michale
Laudrup also had a good spell once he joined Juventus.
More
foreigners were on the way for the 1984/85 season, including the greatest one
of them all, a certain Diego Armando Maradona.
