Serie A mirrored second division somewhat – one outsider, 9 teams practically struggling to avoid relegation. Six teams comfortably above, but only 2 involved in the title race. More or less, only 2 surprising performances. The usual abundance of ties – only 4 teams ended with tell than 10 and Napoli had the most, tying half of its total games – 15. Low scoring – 8 teams finished with less than a goal-per-game average. Only 2 teams reached the 40 goals mark after 30 matches played. Even the champions were far bellow 2-goals-per-game average. And one note referring to the vote for the European player of the year: Paolo Rossi played a grand total of 3 matches this season! How come he was voted best?
Como, the hopeless outsider. Last with 17 points. The only noticeable player was the Austrian defender Dieter Mirnegg, who came from MSV Duisburg (West Germany) for this season and left immediately after the season ended. Could be said that his move to Como was a big mistake, for he was never called to the national team after leaving MSV Duisburg, but, on the other hand, Mirnegg had remarkably long career – he debuted in 1973 and retired in 1995. Anyhow, he did not save Como.
Bologna finished 15th with 23 points. Certainly a season everybody there wanted to erase from memory. Bologna was not doing well for some time, but to be relegated? It was too much.
But the fate of Bologna was nothing compared to the third relegated team: Milan just returned from second division and it was expected to be at least a mid-table team. Still wounded by the Tottonero scandal, Milan had no great team, but was Milan, a mega-name! And the squad was not so weak, if compared to more than half the league. This was the true disgrace – the first relegation was administrative, but now… 24 points and second weakest attack. Quite a surprise.
Genoa survived with 25 points – 13th.
Cagliari was 12th on better goal-difference than Genoa’s.
With 26 points, Udinese finished 11th.
Standing from left: Genzano, Mei, Recchi, Verza, Schachner, Oddi.
First row: Filippi, Ceccarelli, Piraccini, Garlini, Lucchi.
Cesena – 10th with 27 points. Two more teams had 27 points as well, but better goal-difference – Torino, 9th.
And Avellino – 8th.
Catanzaro was 7th with 28 points – on top of the group preoccupied with survival. Not a single team of this big group had a positive goal-difference. Not a single team won 10 matches. 5 points divided the 7th from the 15th – it was a close race without a single minute of relaxation.
Ascoli enjoyed a wonderful season – they were the pleasant surprise this year. Usually, a prime candidate for relegation, but this time they soared to 6th place with 32 points. They were not a title contenders – far from it – and most likely a one-time wonder, but this was perhaps one of the finest seasons in their history. May be the best.
Inter was 5th with 35 points. Nothing much, really. Inter somehow was unable to restore its leading position, remaining rather shaky and inconsistent.
Napoli, with freshly recruited Ruud Krol, had a very strong season – may be even exceptionally strong – but still, coming out of the blue, more or less, they were unable to push really far. 4th place with 35 points, beating Inter on goal-difference. The trouble was, there was hardly anybody similar in class to Krol for something more and for continuity too.
Roma continued its ascent – 3rd this year with 38 points. Not ready yet for real run for the title, but coming close to its peak. Perhaps if they got rid of the old-fashioned by now pants the guy in the middle is wearing… Small details were still needed, a little refining.
The battle between Juventus and Fiorentina went head to head to the last. Fiorentina lost by a single point.
Fiorentina had of its best season since the 1960s and it was too bad they lost the title – it was wonderful squad and perhaps the only match to Juventus: Antognoni, Bertoni (Argentina), Graziani, Cuccureddu, Galli, Vierchovod, Massaro. A combination of experience and new talent, the right blend, the right number of stars… That was the time to win and the team did its best, but missed.
Standing from left: Scirea, Bettega, Brio, Zoff, Gentile.
First row: Marocchino, Cabrini, Prandelli, Fanna, Liam Brady, Furino.
Not the easiest victory of Juventus and not very convincing one either, but… predictable, expected, same old, same old. Juventus was the dominant Italian team for a long time now, very consistent, having the most versatile squad, making the right adjustments and not losing ground. Names, well known for 10 years now. Coached by Giovanni Trapattoni – may be at this time he was recognized as a great coach, becoming not a promising young coach, but a famous one, a leading coach on world scale. He used 13 players regularly – a very small number by today’s measures, but the right one at the time – a great team meant the same players on the field. Frequent changes suggested trouble. No trouble here – so far, the squad was adjusted and readjusted carefully and there was no reason to think that it will be different in the future: some old players clearly were going to exit – Furino, Bettega, Zoff. But Scirea, Gentile, and Cabrini were the solid backbone for the next seasons. The Irish great Liam Brady achieved something well beyond his reach in England – he became a champion. He was just the right addition, but also unlikely to stay, for even Italy was increasing the number of foreigners to two, Juventus wanted Platini and, as it turned out, Boniek, and there was simply no place for Brady. Paolo Rossi played only 3 matches this year – contributing nothing, really – but was expected to be a regular the next season. Prandelli, who is on the photo, was not among the regulars at all – he played just 8 times. Juventus had the team to continue winning. And the coach. Juventus had everything.