Great forgotten goals from Serie A’s glory days in the 1990s
Serie A boasted an embarrassment of goalscoring riches in the 1990s. The great strikers of the era – Marco van Basten, Roberto Baggio, Ronaldo, George Weah, Jürgen Klinsmann, Alessandro del Piero, Andriy Shevchenko and many, many more – flocked to Italy. With so many world class players on show, the quality spread right down the league table. Some of their beautiful goals have been forgotten in the last 25 years. It’s time to remember them.
Sandro Melli (Fiorentina 2-3 PARMA, 1990)
This goal announced both player and club on the Serie A stage. Parma exploded into the public’s consciousness in their first ever top flight season.
A seemingly hopeful ball lumped forward by Enzo Gambaro was all Alessandro Melli needed. He chested it up in the air, swivelled 360 degrees and struck a volley that put Fiorentina goalkeeper Marco Landucci on his knees. The mix of instinct, technique and ambition left the Artemio Franchi awestruck. Giancarlo Rinaldi
Rudi Völler (ROMA 4-0 Fiorentina, 1990)
Two months after he had won the World Cup with West Germany at the Stadio Olimpico, Rudi Völler got Roma’s 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 lashing an unstoppable volley into the net.
With Italia 90 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, scored 25 goals that season, finishing the campaign as Roma’s top scorer for the third consecutive year. Martin Dunlop
Voller was a big hit in Italy – for his club and country. Photograph: Icon Sport/Getty Images
Enzo Francescoli (CAGLIARI 3-2 Sampdoria, 1991)
On the first day of the 1991-92 season, Sampdoria 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, the Cagliari superstar Enzo Francescoli picked up the ball on the left flank. Samp right-back Moreno Mannini’s day was about to go downhill.
The Uruguayan nutmegged the defender like he was a youth team player making his debut. Francescoli 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 said Francescoli was “like a god” should watch this goal. José Herrera hit the winner for Cagliari 15 minutes later to give them a famous victory over the champions. Henry Bell
Francesco Baiano (FOGGIA 2-8 Milan, 1992)
The diminutive and technically outstanding forward is fondly remembered not only in Italy, but in England thanks to his two seasons with Derby in the late 1990s. Baiano’s best goal for Foggia came against Fabio Capello’s legendary Milan side on the last day of the 1991-92 season.
Mauro Picasso sent Baiano through on goal and he controlled the ball with his shoulder and knee to beat defender Mauro Tassotti. He held off the defender and managed to lob Milan goalkeeper Sebastiano Rossi, giving Foggia an unexpected 2-1 lead against one of the greatest teams of all time in front of an absolutely packed Stadio Pino Zaccheria. Unfortunately for Foggia, Milan went on to win 8-2. However, Baiano’s goal showed that, even if only for a few minutes, it costs nothing to dream. Frank Risorto
Michelangelo Rampulla (Atalanta 1-1 CREMONESE, 1992)
Serie B club Cesena were going through a penalty crisis in the 1984-85 season. Five players had already missed from the spot when they turned to their goalkeeper, the 22-year-old Michelangelo Rampulla, to break the spell. He missed, seemingly passing up the best chance of his career to score a goal.
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Years later, with Rampulla now at Cremonese and the club battling to stay in the top flight, another chance presented itself. It’s late February 1992 and Cremonese are 1-0 down at Atalanta in the 92nd minute. They are awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Atalanta box. Alviero Chiorri swings the ball into the area and the goalkeeper finds himself steaming into the six-yard box to head past his flapping opposite number, Fabrizio Ferron.
Cremonese still went down at the end of the season but Rampulla became the first goalkeeper 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. Andy Wallace
Ruud Gullit (SAMPDORIA 3-2 Milan, 1993)
Cast aside at Milan after winning two European Cups and three Serie A titles, Ruud Gullit faced his former teammates for the first time at a sodden Marassi. With Samp trailing 2-0, Gullit sought to avoid a horror defeat as the rain pelted down on a wet afternoon. His wonderful cross was converted by Srecko Katanec before Roberto Mancini equalised from the penalty spot. Then Gullit took centre stage for the decisive final act.
Mancini lofted the ball to Gullit on the right flank. He controlled it with his knee, took a quick touch to steady himself 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. Stephen Kasiewicz
Roberto Onorati, (GENOA 3-1 Reggiana, 1994)
Transpose Marco Van Basten’s iconic volley on to the other side of the pitch and the result is Roberto Onorati’s stunner for Genoa against Reggiana in 1994 – a truly audacious goal.
Genoa worked the ball through midfield before Mauro Bortolazzi played a long-ball switch. With the pass destined for the corner flag, it looked as if Onorati had no option but to take a touch and send in a cross. Luckily for us, he watched the ball on to his left boot and lashed in a 20-yard screamer from a ridiculously tight angle. Onorati’s goal was not as high profile as Van Basten’s in the final of Euro 1988, but it is another reminder that Serie A was full of talent in the 1990s. David Ferrini
Faustino Asprilla (PARMA 2-0 Lazio, 1995)
Parma were chasing Juventus in the title race when Lazio came to town in February 1995. The game was in its early stages when Gianfranco Zola passed the ball to Asprilla, who had his back to goal.
Asprilla was running in the opposite direction so he had to stop and control the ball with his right foot, but it spun upwards. Improvising, Asprilla nudged 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 TV camera could not keep pace. Gazza, out injured with a broken leg, would’ve no doubt approved. Emmet Gates
Tino Asprilla playing for Parma. Photograph: PA
Oliver Bierhoff (UDINESE v Brescia, 1997)
The German forward is probably best remembered for his aerial prowess, but he scored one the best goals of the season against Brescia with his right foot.
Gilberto D’Ignazio Pulpito set up the goal, flicking a loose ball into Bierhoff’s path 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 shot into the top corner. Bierhoff was the top scorer in the league that year with 27 goals. On his day, he could do anything. Mark Gordon
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