We hold these truths to be self-evident: the Serie A of the 1990’s was the greatest league in the history of football.
Many have celebrated some of the most iconic and famous superstars of this era, including our very own Emmet Gates here. However, the world class quality that spread right the way down the league table means that many beautiful goals have been forgotten. Our writers have each picked a goal below to bring these glimpses of Italian football mastery back into the public imagination.
Links to the goals contained as hyperlinks in the titles.
Sandro Melli (Parma) 1990 (02:00)
It was a goal which announced both player and club on the Serie A stage. The boys from the Ennio Tardini exploded into Calcio’s consciousness in their first ever top flight season. Leading the line for Nevio Scala’s men was the boy-next-door bomber, Alessandro Melli.
A seemingly hopeful ball lumped forward by Enzo Gambaro was all he needed to pounce. He chested it up in the air, swivelled 360 degrees underneath it and struck a volley which put Fiorentina goalkeeper Marco Landucci on his knees. The mix of instinct, technique and ambition left the Artemio Franchi awe-struck.
It was a signature goal for a team which would upset the natural order of Italian football. Melli helped them win the Coppa Italia, Cup Winners’ Cup and European Super Cup and also got a couple of Italy caps. But this would be his pinnacle season of Serie A scoring, crowned by a wonder-strike in Florence.
Rudi Völler (Roma) 1990 (00:25)
Two months after his West Germany side won the World Cup at the Stadio Olimpico, Rudi Völler got Roma’s 1990/91 season off and running with a sumptuous strike.
With 17 minutes on the clock against visitors Fiorentina, Völler – who had arrived in Rome from Werder Bremen in 1987 – allowed Stefano Desideri’s clipped pass to drop over his right shoulder before he lashed an unstoppable volley into the net. With Italia 90’s Notti Magiche fresh in the memory, Völler’s strike brought to mind David Platt’s stunning winning goal for England against Belgium in the last 16.
Völler, often remembered for his trademark perm and moustache, added a further 20 goals to his opening day strike as he finished the campaign as Roma’s top scorer for the third consecutive year.
Enzo Francescoli (Cagliari). 1991 (00:59)
Moreno Mannnini was an excellent right back for Sampdoria who picked up several domestic and European honours for the Genovese side.
On the first day of the 1991/92 season, he was part of the Sampdoria XI who arrived in Sardinia as reigning champions to face a Cagliari team with a distinctly Uruguayan feel. With Sampdoria 2-1 up following a glorious strike from Roberto Mancini, La Celeste superstar Enzo Francescoli picked up the ball on the left flank and Mannini’s day was about to get a lot worse.
The Uruguayan nutmegged the legendary Samp right back like he was a youth team player making his debut. Francescoli then scampered towards the edge of the penalty area before launching an exquisite right footed curler into the top corner of Gianluca Pagliuca’s net.
Anyone wondering why Zinedine Zidane referred to Francescoli as ‘like a god’ should head to this goal as soon as possible to see why.
By Henry Bell
Francesco Baiano (Foggia) 1992 (01:17)
The diminutive and technically outstanding forward is fondly remembered not only in Italy, but in the UK thanks to his two-season spell with Derby County between 1997 and 1999.
Despite prolific goal-scoring spells with Empoli, Parma and Fiorentina it’s Baiano’s time with Zdenek Zeman’s Foggia that lives long in the memory, in particular his strike against Fabio Capello’s legendary AC Milan side on the last matchday of the 1991-92 season.
Baiano controlled the ball from a Mauro Picasso pass to get in front of defender Mauro Tassotti and managed to lob Milan goalkeeper Sebastiano Rossi to send Foggia 2-1 up against arguably the greatest team of all-time in front of an absolutely packed Stadio Pino Zaccheria.
Ruud Gullit quickly equalised thereafter and AC Milan went on to win 8-2. However it was Baiano’s goal that showed, even if only for a few minutes, it costs nothing to dream.
By Frank Risorto
Michelangelo Rampulla (Cremonese). 1992 (01:23)
In 1984-85, Serie B club Cesena were going through a penalty crisis. With five players already having missed from the spot, they turned to 22-year-old goalkeeping bombscare Michelangelo Rampulla to break the spell. He missed, ostensibly bringing a premature end to his would-be goalscoring career.
But as every football fan of a certain vintage knows, the Sunday-afternoon haze of northern Italian football grounds gathers fairy dust, prompting illuminated split-second decisions from the Serie A’s great and good.
And, so as Cremonese’s Alviero Chiorri lined up a 92nd minute free kick, Rampulla found himself steaming into the six-yard box to head past his flapping opposite number Fabrizio Ferron for the equaliser.
In doing so, Rampulla became the first goalkeeper ever to score from open play in Serie A, setting a trend that would soon be followed by Alberto Brignoli and, of course, his fellow Sicilian Massimo Taibi.
Ruud Gullit (Sampdoria) 1993. (01:02)
Cast aside at Milan after winning two European Cups and three Serie A titles Ruud Gullit faced his former team-mates for the first time at a sodden Marassi. All the pre-match chatter centred on retribution but the dreadlocked Dutchman was helpless as reigning champions Milan dampened the mood of the near capacity crowd with two first half goals.
Gullit sought to avoid a horror defeat as the rain pelted down on a wet Halloween afternoon. His wonderful cross was converted by Srecko Katanec and Roberto Mancini restored parity from the penalty spot.
Then he moved forcefully onto centre stage with a decisive final act. Mancini lofted the ball to Gullit on the right flank and he controlled and lashed an unstoppable low drive into the net.
The Dutch forward threw his fists in the air as if beating away mouthy detractors. It was not so much revenge rather confirmation that Gullit was far from finished yet.
Roberto Onorati (Genoa). 1994 (00:13)
Transpose Marco Van Basten’s iconic volley onto the other side of the pitch and the result is Roberto Onorati’s stunner for Genoa against Reggiana in 1994 – a truly audacious bottom half of the league wondergoal.
It all began in midfield with Mauro Bortolazzi’s long-ball switch. With the pass destined for the corner flag, the eagle-eyed Onorati was supposed to take a touch and send in a cross. Luckily for us, he watches the ball onto his left boot to lash in a twenty-yard screamer from a ridiculously tight angle.
Genoa that day would run out 3-1 winners over a Reggiana side that contained Fernando De Napoli, Luigi De Agostino and Sunday Oliseh.
Onorati’s goal may have lacked the hype of Van Basten’s of the 1988 Euros Final but it demonstrated that vintage 90s Serie A could also produce magic through its perpetual production line of untapped talent.
Faustino Asprilla (Parma) 1995. (00:00)
By the time Asprilla produced this rocket of a goal against Gazza’s Lazio in February 1995, he’d already formed a dynamic attacking partnership with Gianfranco Zola. Asprilla was speed and power; Zola, technique and vision.
Chasing Juventus in the title race, Parma needed to keep within sight of Juve as Lazio came to town. The game was in its early stages when Zola passed the ball from a right-hand position into the feet of Asprilla who had his back to goal.
Asprilla was running in the opposite direction to where Zola placed the ball; he stopped mid-run, controlling the ball with his right foot but it spun upwards. Improvising, Asprilla controlled the high-ball with his right knee before swivelling and connecting with the most beautiful of left-footed volleys. The ball flew into the top corner of the Lazio goal so fast the cameraman couldn’t keep pace.
Gazza, out injured with a broken leg, would’ve no doubt approved.
Ruben Sosa (Inter) 1995. (00:06)
It was a glorious sunny day in San Siro in the 94/95 season and Inter were hosting Genoa.
Many thought this was a formality surely, as the Grifone were in poor form, they would end up being relegated in this campaign. Inter were soon 1-0 thanks to Marco Delvecchio, the game would end 2-0 but there is one moment that has disappeared into history, a goal by Ruben Sosa.
Perhaps one of Inter’s most forgotten men, his white strapped boots, long black hair ironically made him stand out, and so did this strike. A ball in from the right fell to Sosa on the left hand corner of the box, Sosa received it, marked by two men. His crafty brain and quick feet saw him dance through them before he performed a jink past another on coming two before chipping the keeper from close range.
It was the work of a master craftsman.
By Richard Hall
Oliver Bierhoff (Udinese) 1997. (00:12)
The 1997/98 season was a memorable one for Udinese as they finished third in Serie A. Alberto Zaccheroni’s famed 3-4-3 formation meant that Oliver Bierhoff, Marcio Amoroso and Paolo Poggi terrorised defences across Italy with 42 goals and 9 assists in all competitions.
In November of that season, they travelled to Stadio Rigamoti to face Brescia.
After a goalless first half the visitors went in front through striker Oliver Bierhoff. The German forward, probably better remembered for his aerial prowess, scored a stunning opener.
Gilberto Ignazio Pulpito assisted as he flicked a loose ball into the path of Bierhoff 25-yards from goal. The ball arrived at the striker around waist height, and he controlled it with his right foot as defenders closed in. Bierhoff let the ball bounce once before unleashing a dipping right foot shot into the top corner.
Bierhoff was capocannoniere that year with 27 goals, this one will live long in his memory.
By Mark Gordon
Fabian O’Neill (Cagliari) 1999. (00:58)
Uruguayan maverick Fabian O’Neil was once described by Zinedine Zidane as one of the most skilful footballers that he had ever played with. O’Neill also had a spark of cheekiness about him, too.
His role in one of the great matches of the 90s that saw Cagliari and Roma play out a crazy 4-3 victory to the Rossoblu, cannot be understated.
His genius quick thinking on the cusp of half time saw him stealth onto a risky backward pass from Damiano Tomassi and sneak around the keeper, before rolling the ball into the net. O’Neill cupped his ear in celebration to mock Roma forward Marco Delvecchio, who had done the same celebration minutes prior when scoring for the visitors.
Sadly we lost O’Neill at the age of just 49 on Christmas Day last year as he succumbed to illness formed from years of alcohol abuse.