Andrea Salvarezza, Author at The Cult of Calcio

Throwback Thursday: When Inter Pushed Milan To Serie B

October 18, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza AC Milan, Inter Milan, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

When they met for their second Derby di Milano in the 1981-82 season, Inter and Milan were facing two opposite situations. With 10 games left, the Nerazzurri were only four points behind the leading duo Fiorentina-Juventus. Milan, on the other hand, lied in the penultimate spot of the league table, and were desperately struggling to avoid relegation.

Throwback Thursday: Quando lo Scudetto si decise allo spareggio

August 30, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza Bologna, Inter Milan, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

In the long history of the Serie A league championship, there was one single occasion where a playoff was necessary to determine the Scudetto winner. It happened at the end of the 1963-64 season, when Fulvio Bernardini’s Bologna found themselves at top of the league with 54 points, together with the title holder – Helenio Herrera’s legendary Inter squad.

Throwback Thursday: When A Play-off Decided Serie A

August 30, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza Bologna, Inter Milan, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: Così il Cholo Simeone stese la Juve

August 22, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza Juventus, Lazio, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

On April 1st, 2000, the Delle Alpi Stadium in Turin hosted a match that could determine the Scudetto winner, between capolista Juventus and pursuer Lazio. Both clubs lined up an impressive collection of star players, including Zinedine Zidane and Alex Del Piero on the part of Juve, Diego Simeone and Pavel Nedved for Lazio, and the Inzaghi brothers on different sides.

Throwback Thursday: Il Bentegodi, dove esordiscono i Grandi

August 15, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza Hellas Verona, Napoli, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

If the Roma-Juventus feud characterized the first half of the ‘80s in Italian football, there is no doubt about Milan-Napoli being the most exciting duel towards the end of the decade. The match that set the beginning of this rivalry took place on January 3, 1988, when Ruud Gullit – who had just been awarded the Ballon d’Or for the year 1987 – drove the Partenopei nuts, and inflicted them their first seasonal defeat.

Throwback Thursday: The Day That Inter Became “of Records”

March 8, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza Inter Milan, Napoli, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

Between coach Giovanni Trapattoni’s unstoppable Inter of the 1988-89 season, and their 13th Scudetto, there is just one obstacle left: The home match against direct rivals Napoli, scheduled for May 28, 1989. With just five rounds to go, the only side that can still reach the leading Nerazzurri are Diego Maradona’s Napoli, who are seven points behind. A free kick by Lothar Matthäus will solve the problem for the "Inter of Records."

Throwback Thursday: Ganz Guile That Kept Milan Hope Alive

February 16, 2018 Andrea Salvarezza AC Milan, Sampdoria, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

If you ask any Milan supporter which was the key moment in their victorious 1998-99 season, they will probably mention that goal propitiated by Maurizio Ganz in the 95th minute of a home match against Sampdoria. On May 2, 1999, Milan received the Blucerchiati on the path of their desperate chase to Serie A leader Lazio - which had a one-point margin over the Rossoneri, with four matches left to play.

Throwback Thursday: How the Fatal Verona Was Born

December 16, 2017 Andrea Salvarezza AC Milan, Hellas Verona, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

May 20, 1973: Final round of Serie A. Milan, coached by Nereo Rocco, are leading the standing with one point over Juventus and surprising newly-promoted Lazio. Only four days earlier, the Rossoneri have won the Cup Winners Cup, but the final with Leeds United took a heavy toll on their forces. The team is so battered that coach Rocco vainly asks for the last match against Hellas Verona to be postponed.

Throwback Thursday: When Ronaldo Crashed Into Iuliano

December 7, 2017 Andrea Salvarezza Inter Milan, Juventus, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

The history of Juventus-Inter is filled with matches played on a razor’s edge, and invariably followed by harsh controversies. Among all, one of the most famous occurrences happened on April 26, 1998. Juventus is topping the rank at 66, but Inter is just one point behind, and the Nerazzurri can feature the "Fenomeno" Ronaldo. The match takes place at the old Stadio Delle Alpi in Turin, and the referee is Piero Ceccarini.

Throwback Thursday: Maradona’s Impossible Free Kick

November 30, 2017 Andrea Salvarezza Juventus, Napoli, Serie A, Throwback Thursday

On November 3, 1985, Napoli received capolista Juventus and their perfect record - eight wins out of their first eight games. That Juventus, featuring players like Michel Platini or Michael Laudrup, and trained by Giovanni Trapattoni, was a true dreadnought. Still, there was much optimism among the Napoli ranks. The Partenopei’s hopes responded to a specific name: Diego Armando Maradona.

When Odds Are Beat: Two Historical Lazio-Roma Derby

November 18, 2017 Andrea Salvarezza Lazio, Roma, Serie A

The Derby della Capitale between Lazio and Roma is arguably the most hotly contested in Italian football. The fierce rivalry between the two banks of the Tiber river calls for no quarter, and the outcome of such a game is never an easy one to determine. In preparation for tonight’s match, The Cult of Calcio relives two famous editions of the stracittadina (“inter-city match”) when odds were beat, and the underdog unexpectedly came out as winner.

Author: Andrea Salvarezza