Juventus hosted Napoli on November 9th,
1986, in a match that would have profound repercussions in the title race and
would also signal a change in the balance of power.
This was an early season match (Matchday 9) and
there was still more than 2/3 of the season left.
After the eighth round of matches, the two teams
were joint leaders of the Serie A with 12 points.
Juventus were defending Serie A Champions in their
first post-Trapattoni season (now managing Inter). The new man in charge was
Rino Marchesi. He had the difficult task of following in Trap’s footsteps and
managing a side that was showing signs of age.
French star Michel Platini was still there,
complemented by the younger Danish star Michael Laudrup.
However, Platini was a player in decline, after
nearly five years in the high-pressured atmosphere of the Serie A. Similarly, team
captain Gaetano Scirea, Antonio Cabrini, Sergio Brio and Massimo Bonini among
others were fading forces.
In addition to Laudrup, the younger players
included Massimo Mauro and Aldo Serena.
In contrast, Napoli were starting to become a
power. Argentine Superstar Diego Maradona had transformed Napoli’s fortunes in
couple of seasons. The team had finished third the previous season, in the back
of many transfers possible after the arrival of Maradona.
Maradona had just led Argentina to win the World
Cup, just a couple of months before, and was the undisputed king of Football.
In fact, most of the comparisons made were the
contrasting fortunes of the declining Platini compared to the growing stature
and success of Maradona.
Napoli were managed by Ottavio Bianchi, a former
player with the club in the 60s and 70s. He had managed mostly lower level and
mid-table Serie A teams before his appointment in 1985.
Napoli had been active once more in the transfer
market to build a team worthy of Maradona’s talents.
Italian International midfielder Fernando De
Napoli had arrived from Avellino, while future International striker Andrea
Carnevalle arrived from Udinese.
The team already
consisted of former Verona goalkeeper Claudio Garella, veteran defender
Giuseppe Bruscolotti, veteran International
midfielder Salvatore Bagni and former International and Lazio striker Bruno Giordano.
The team also included a young defender that would go on to be
one of the best in Italy into the next decade (and in fact for Juventus as well),
his name Ciro Ferrara. He would be rewarded with his first cap for his Nation
at the end of the season.
Despite Napoli’s growing strength, at this point,
chances are most observers were still not tipping them to win their first
elusive Scudetto.
Photo From: France
Football, Issue 2118, November 11, 1986
For this match, playing at home, Juventus had a
chance to build a distance between themselves and Napoli.
For the Bianconeri, Scirea was out injured, and
Nicola Caricola started in his place.
After a scoreless first half, Juventus took the
lead through Michael Laudrup in the 49th minute. He knocked in a
rebound after Garella had parried Cabrini’s cross from the left.
In the past, this would have signaled the
opening of the floodgates, but this Napoli had other ideas.
They would pressure to get back into the game
and the tiring Juventus side would give way. It must be remembered that just
days before, Juventus had been involved in a Champions Cup against Real Madrid
that had gone into overtime.
Napoli tied the match in the 72nd
minute. Francesco Romano’s corner from the left was headed across and struck in
by Moreno Ferrario.
Just couple of minutes later Napoli would take
the lead. Diego Maradona’s corner from the right, was headed across by Renica to
the far post for Giordano to knock in.
Juventus
could not get into the match with every passing minute and just at the end,
Napoli dealt the final blow.
Andrea Carnevalle
advanced and was knocked down at the edge of the box and Giuseppe Volpecina
curled in the loose ball from just inside the box on the right side.
This was
Napoli’s first win at Turin in 29 years (last win had been in 1957).
This had
been a bad week for Juventus following the elimination in the Champions Cup vs.
Real Madrid.
These two
losses conditioned Juventus’ season and despite ending as runners-up in the
end, they hardly challenged for the title (Inter being Napoli’s most credible
challenger for most of the season).
In
retrospect, this loss marked the start of the near decade long decline of
Juventus.
Platini
would retire at the end of the season. Italy’s premier club was now not only
being overtaken by Napoli, but soon by Berlusconi’s AC Milan and Inter, for the
coming years.
Photo From: Guerin
Sportivo, No 46 (618), November 12-18, 1986
(November 9, 1986, Juventus
1-Napoli 3)
Perhaps, in
terms of spectacle, this match was not a classic, nor a title decider given the
stage of the season, but was memorable in terms the history of the Serie A.
For the
first time, Napoli as well as the Press and the Public believed they
could win the title.
This change in psyche was
critical as Napoli held on to the lead for the rest of the season.
Maradona cemented his
place further in history, by following a World Cup win, by leading one of the
unfashionable sides to the Serie A title.
They would build upon
this title with another Scudetto in 1990 and the UEFA Cup in 1989. They would
become one of the major players in the Serie A for the following few years and
it all started with this match vs. Juventus.
2- Como, Internazionale Milano, AC Milan,
Roma, Verona 10 points
League
Standings after the match after the 9th Matchday on November 9th,
1986:
1-Napoli 14 points
2- Internazionale Milano, Juventus, Roma 12 points
3- Como 11 points
Photo From: Guerin
Sportivo, No 46 (618), November 12-18, 1986
(November 9, 1986, Juventus
1-Napoli 3)
Photo From: Guerin
Sportivo, No 46 (618), November 12-18, 1986
(November 9, 1986, Juventus
1-Napoli 3)
Date: Sunday, November
9, 1986
Competition: Italian Serie A, 1986/87
Season-Matchday 9
Result:Juventus
Football Club-Torino 1- Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli 3
Venue:Turin (Torino)-Stadio Communale
Attendance:37,433
Referee:Luigi
Agnolin (from Bassano)
Linesmen: -
Kick-off time: -
Goalscorers:
(Juventus): Michael
Laudrup 49
(Napoli): Moreno Ferrario 72, Bruno Giordano 74, Giuseppe Volpecina 90
Summary of goals:
1:0 (49th minute, Juventus): Cabrini’s cross from the left side was parried by
Garella, Laudrup knocked in the rebound.
1:1 (72nd minute, Napoli): Romano’s corner from the left side was headed across and
shot in by Ferrario.
1:2 (74th minute, Napoli): Maradona’s corner from the right side, was headed across
by Renica to the far post and struck in by Giordano.
1:3 (90th minute, Napoli): Carnevalle advanced and was knocked down at the edge of
the box, Volpecina curled in the loose ball from just inside the box on the
right side.
The World
Cup is nearly here with Denmark facing France in the First Round. This willbe the fifth time the sides will have met in a World Cup
setting.
In anticipation, or this Blog
Presentation with an interview, I look back at the past
encounters between the Nations.
The
Interview will be as a video link companion, while the Blog will be a
presentation of the events.
The Interviewee is:
Mr. Mr.
Davide Eskelund Rota
Mr. Davide Eskelund Rotais an Italian, former freelance journalist in Biella (Italy), living in Odense (Denmark)
from 2013, working as a languages teacher.
He is the author
of “Danmark (1908-2018)” chronicling the history of the Danish National Team.
Mr. Rota has
appeared before on the podcast discussing the matches of the Denmark National
team and also participated in written interviews about the matches of the
Italian national team under Vittorio Pozzo.
The first matches between the nations were during the 1908
Olympics in London. In fact, for Denmark, these were their very first
International matches in their history.
Denmark faced both France B and A sides in space of three days.
The first match between Denmark and France ‘B’ side was on October 19, 1908,
with Denmark winning (9-0). On October 22, 1908, Denmark inflicted an even
heavier defeat to the main French side (17-1). This is France’s record heavy
defeat. Denmark’s Sophus Nielsen scored 10 of the goals.
This was a record that stood for nearly a century.
Photo From: IFFHS, Danmark (1908-1940),
Sverige (1908-10940)
(Denmark squad 1908 Olympics)
1970s
The sides did not face one another for more
than six decades. A span that included two World Wars. They faced off in two
friendlies in the 1970s.
On November 21, 1973, at Paris, France defeated the Danes (3-0). This
was France’s first win over Denmark and first match on French soil.
On September
1, 1976. at Copenhagen, the sides played to a (1-1) tie. This was the first
tied match in the series.
Michel Platini scoring the tying goal near the end. Platini
would score against the Danes in 1983 and 1984 as well and manage France
against them in 1992.
Morten Olsen playing in both of these matches in the decade vs.
France as well in 1984. He later managed Denmark in the matches vs. France
(2001 to 2015).
Photo From: Capitaines des bleus depuis 1904,
Author Vincent Duluc
(November 21, 1973, France
3-Denmark 0)
1980s
It was during this decade that both sides became
powers at World Football. On September 7, 1983, at Copenhagen, Denmark defeated
France (3-1). This was Denmark’s first win on home soil in the series.
Michael Laudrup scored twice and he would also score
during the 1998 World Cup against France.
A few months later, on June 12, 1984, at Paris the
sides faced off at the 1984 Euros hosted in France. France won (1-0) with a
goal by Platini deflected by Soren Busk’s head. This was the first competitive
match between the Nations. They would face each other in 1992, 2000 Euros and
1998, 2002 and 2018 World Cups.
Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue
43, October1983
(September 7, 1983,
Denmark 3-France 1)
Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue
43, October1983
(September 7, 1983,
Denmark 3-France 1)
Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue
43, October1983
(September 7, 1983,
Denmark 3-France 1)
Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 52, July 1984
(June 12, 1984, UEFA European Championship, France 1-Denmark 0)
Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 52, July 1984
(June 12, 1984, UEFA European Championship, France 1-Denmark 0)
Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 52, July 1984
(June 12, 1984, UEFA European Championship, France 1-Denmark 0)
Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 52, July 1984
(June 12, 1984, UEFA European Championship, France 1-Denmark 0)
Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 52, July 1984
(June 12, 1984, UEFA European Championship, France 1-Denmark 0)
1990s
The sides faced each other three times in
the decade in mostly competitive matches.
On June 17, 1992, at Malmö in Sweden, during
the 1992 Euros, Denmark defeated France (2-1) to advance and eliminate France
from the Group stage. This was Michel Platini’s last match as France National
Team Manager.
On November 9, 1996, at Copenhagen,
Denmark defeated France (1-0) in a friendly. This was France Manager Aime
Jacquet’s first loss since taking over in 1994.
During the 1998 World Cup, hosted by France,
the sides met in a Group stage match in Lyon on June 24, 1998. France, already
qualified to the next round, gave a run out to some of its reserves and won
(2-1).
Photo From: France
Football, Issue 2411, June 24, 1992
(June 17, 1992, UEFA
European Championship, Denmark 2-France 1)
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 98, March 1997
(November
9, 1996, Denmark 1-France 0)
Photo From: France Football, Issue 2724bis, June 26, 1998
(June 24,
1998, World Cup, France 2-Denmark 1)
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 114, July 1998
(June 24,
1998, World Cup, France 2-Denmark 1)
2000s
The sides met four times during this
decade. On June 11, 2000, at Brugge in Belgium, France defeated Denmark (3-0)
in a Euro 2000 Group phase match.
This
was the Third time the sides had met in the Euros.
In the following year, at Nantes, the
sides met in a friendly on August 15, 2001. France won (1-0) through a Robert
Pires goal.
During the 2002 World Cup, on June 11,
2002, at Incheon, South Korea, Denmark defeated France (2-0) and eliminated the
defending World Cup Champions.
On May 31, 2006, at Lens, France defeated
Denmark (2-0) in a preparatory friendly ahead of World Cup 2006.
Photo From: L’Equipe, L’Equipe de France de
Football, la Belle Histoire
(June 11,
2000, UEFA
European Championship, France 3-Denmark 0)
Photo From: France Football, Issue
2888bis, August 17, 2001
(August 15, 2001, France
1-Denmark 0)
Photo From: Onze-Mondial,
Issue 162, July 2002
(June 11, 2002,
World Cup, Denmark 2-France 0)
Photo From: France Football, Issue 3138bis, June 2, 2006
(May 31,
2006, France 2-Denmark 0)
2010s
The sides faced off three
times in this decade. On March 29, 2015, in a friendly at Saint-Etienne, France
defeated Denmark (2-0).
A few months later, on
October 11, 2015, at Copenhagen, France won (2-1) through a double by Olivier
Giroud (he also scored in the match in March).
This was France’s first
ever win on Danish soil.
The sides met at Moscow, during the 2018 World Cup in
Russia on June 26, 2018. The match ended in a scoreless tie. This was the Third
time the sides had met in a World Cup.
Photo From:
L’Equipe, Year 69, No 22169, Monday March 30, 2015
(March 29, 2015,
France 2-Denmark 0)
Photo From:
L’Equipe, Year 73, No 23346, Wednesday June 27, 2018
(June 26, 2018, World Cup, France 0-Denmark 0)
2020s
The sides faced one
another twice as part of the UEFA Nations League. On June 3, 2022, at Saint
Denis, Denmark defeated France (2-1) through a double strike by Andreas
Cornelius. This was Denmark’s first ever win over France on French soil.
A few months, for the
return fixture at Copenhagen, on September
25, 2022, Denmark once again were victorious (2-0).
Photo From: L’Equipe, Year 77, No 24766, Saturday June 4, 2022
(June 3, 2022, UEFA Nations League,
France 1- Denmark 2)
Photo From: L’Equipe, Year 77, No 24880, Monday September 26,
2022
(September 25, 2022,
UEFA Nations League, Denmark 2- France 0)
Photo From: L’Equipe, Year 77, No 24880, Monday September 26,
2022
(September 25, 2022,
UEFA Nations League, Denmark 2- France 0)
Conclusion
On balance, the sides
appear to be equal with eight wins for each side in 18 matches.
The goal difference is
better for Denmark because of the (17-1) win in 1908.
The sides seldom met
until the 1970s, but in the last four decades the frequency of the meetings
have increased.
The sides have met one
another on multiple occasions in the Finals of major Tournaments.
France has somewhat the
edge in terms of winning International Tournaments during this period.
In terms of importance,
the 1984 Euros opener and the 2002 World Cup match that eliminated France stand
out for historical reasons.
The meeting in the
upcoming 2002 World Cup will be the fourth time, the sides will have met in a
World Cup Group stage (1998, 2002, 2018 previously).
Note:
1-Please refer to the
video link at the top of this blog upload for the interview.
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