Amarcord: Bologna vs Napoli some years ago – 3nd February

Maifredi’s farewell in the match with the Italian Champion Napoli

On Sunday, 22^nd April 1990, the Bologna and the Napoli played at the Dall’Ara stadium in Bologna.

All seats were sold out. The new gate record had been evaluated over 1,370,000,000 Italian liras between the paying and subscribers fans!It was the last but one championship match in which the Napoli was on the top of the table and the Bologna just qualified for the UEFA Cup 1990-1991.

About 20,000 Napoli’s fans went to support their team and San Luca curve was blue coloured. As for the host Bologna, the Red-blue fans gathered to farewell their  Gigi Maifredi’s coach who the following season would be in the Juventus’ coach box.

Short summary of the mach

After whistling the match, start from the referee Longhi, the Napoli commanded the actions and just 3′ led. The action was played on the Napoli’s right side attack: Corradini passed to Crippa who fast crossed to Careca marked slowly by Iliev. So, he did a scissor-kick and kicked hard by his right foot in the high corner at Cusin’s left and scored. The Bologna didn’t have the time to carry out a counteroffensive as the Napoli doubled.

At 8′ Maradona received the ball from a throw-in, he ran for 10 metres before finding an opening for a level shot which became deadly in the rained wet grass and sent the ball into the net at the blameless Nello Cusin’s shoulders.

Just after 3′, the referee Longhi liked being a protagonist and denied an evident penalty to the Bologna. Iliev was blocked down by Ferrara and Corradini in a strong sandwich.  At 15′ the Napoli trebled. Francini passed the ball to Carrera who passed it to him again by a fab heel. The defender Francini was good at defending the return from a defender and scored Cusin.

Just 15′, the Bologna was really astonished after tre goals. Just 27′, it was able  to become dangerous  towards the Giuliani’s guarded goal. Yet, the German Waas’ kick just got a corner.

The Napoli granted the Bologna  the predominance of the field, leaving all the responsabilities to defend the obtained result to its own goalkeeper Giuliani. He was really fantastic to return a Bonini’s  half scissor-kick and a header, the following Bonetti’s kick cross (37′) and then, De Marchi freed to kick over the defence and ended at 38′.

Just a minute before the end of the first time, Maradona played as defender and blocked Bonetti down inside two metres ground. Penalty that the referee Longhi changed it for the Napoli as he  declared Bonetti to play-act.

At the second time, Giuliani, by Giordano’s penalty level shot, wasn’t able to catch the slippery ball.  De Marchi was fast to throw himself onto no blocked ball and scored 3-1 at 48′. Yet, it was just a flash in the pan for the Bologna as the Napoli commanded the actions again. Then, Cusin had  two or three strong shudders due to the Crippa’s, Alemao’s and Maradona’s kicks.

At 88′, a Maradona’s vertical throw arrived to Alemao who was at the edge of the Red-blue’s penalty zone. The Brazilian Alemao defended Villa’s return, jumped Cusin and scored.

While the Napoli’s fans welcomed the championship thanks to the result Verona vs Milan 2-1, Iliev scored in the general indifference the net 2-4. At the end of the match, we saw the coach Maifredi, really moved to tears due to the warm greetings of the Red-blue fans..On the other hand, the chairman Corioni was really enraged about the referee’s match running and said: “ Longhi has denied us two evident penalties. An “incident” to be added those of the last weeks and for this reason it’s really more nasty. Why does the Bologna always have some referees not Ok? There was Lanese vs Milan the last week and we had Paieretto vs Lecce. Both of them not Ok! It’s better to end it!”

 Written by Lamberto Bertozzi                Translated by Sabrina Montebugnoli

The match score-sheet

Bologna vs Napoli 2-4

Goals: Careca 3′, Maradona 8′, Francini 15′, De Marchi 47′, Alemao 83′, Iliev 89′

Bologna: Cusin, Luppi, Villa, Stringara (Geovani 83′), Iliev, Cabrini (Marronaro 68′), De Marchi, Bonini, Waas, Bonetti, Giordano – Coach Maifredi

Napoli: Giuliani, Ferrara, Francini, Crippa, Alemao, Baroni, Corradini, De Napoli, Careca (Zola 89′), Maradona, Carnevale – Coach Bigon

Referee: Longhi from Rome

Legend photos

Opening: The Bologna team 1989-1990

On the side: The coach Gigi Maifredi

Continua a leggere le notizie di 1000 Cuori Rossoblu e segui la nostra pagina Facebook