The previous season Milan had won the scudetto with two games to spare and with a final eight-point lead. They were impressive, they never lost a game, had the best defence and the best attack. The teams behind them – Juventus, Torino, Napoli and Roma – did not/could not really pose much of a threat.
There was a lot of movement in the summer transfer window. Milan signed Dejan Savicevic and Jean-Pierre Papin, Juventus got Gianluca Vialli (world record fee of approximately €20 million), David Platt and Andreas Moeller, Inter bought Ruben Sosa, Totò Schillaci, Matthias Sammer and Darko Pancev, Daniel Fonseca arrived in Naples, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Claudio Caniggia went to Roma and Faustino Asprillia to Parma. Lazio, with their new owner Sergio Cragnotti, signed Paul Gascoigne and Aron Winter. Even newly promoted Brescia signed a champion: Gheorghe Hagi from Real Madrid.
Sadly, Serie A would no longer see Diego Maradona who, after his 11 month ban for doping, went to play for Sevilla.
The miracle Foggia team disbanded: Roberto Rambaudi signed for Atalanta, Beppe Signori to Lazio, Igor Shalimov to Inter and Ciccio Baiano to Fiorentina.
Inter got a new manager: Osvaldo Bagnoli who had won the scudetto with Verona in the 80s. Roma too had changed and their new head coach was Vujadin Boskov who last year was at Sampdoria. The Blucerchiati now had Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Big signings for all teams, in the attempt to overcome the technical deficit with AC Milan who continued to be the favourite.
August & September
On August 30 Milan beat Parma for the Super Coppa 2-1.
In August there were also the first two rounds of Coppa Italia. Most of the major clubs qualified with the exception of Sampdoria and Atalanta eliminated by Cesena and Venezia.
In the first four games of the season the most important ones were the Inter win in Naples and the draw between Juventus and Roma. Sampdoria Milan was postponed due to the waterlogged pitch.
This season was the first with the new naming of the European Cup which was now called Champions League. In September there was the first round and Milan crushed Olimpija Ljubljana 7-0 on aggregate. In the first round of the Cup Winners Cup Parma eliminated Ujpest 2-1 on aggregate. In the UEFA Cup, Roma, Torino, Juventus and Napoli eliminated Wacker Innsbruck, IFK Norrkoping, Anorthosis Famagusta and Valencia.
Torino 6, Milan 6*, Fiorentina 5, Juventus 5, Inter 5, Sampdoria 5*, Napoli 4, Roma 4, Lazio 4, Parma 4, Genoa 4, Brescia 4, Atalanta 4, Pescara 3, Udinese 2, Cagliari 2, Foggia 2, Ancona 1
* one game in hand
October
Milan beat Fiorentina away 7-3 and Lazio at home 5-3. They had already taken a slight lead. Juventus won in Naples but were defeated by Inter who in turn lost to Roma.
In the first leg of the second round of the Champions League Milan won 1-0 away against Slovan Bratislava. In the Cup Winners Cup Parma drew at home vs Boavista and now risked elimination. In the UEFA Cup, Juventus won away to Panathinaikos, Roma 3-0 at home against Grasshopper but Napoli and Torino lost at home to Paris Saint-Germain and Dynamo Moscow.
The Round of 16 of the Coppa Italia took place in October. The qualified teams were Milan, Inter, Roma, Napoli, Torino, Lazio, Parma and Juventus.
Milan 12*, Torino 10, Fiorentina 9, Inter 9, Lazio 8, Juventus 8, Genoa 8, Sampdoria 8*, Brescia 7, Roma 6, Udinese 6, Napoli 6, Parma 6, Cagliari 6, Atalanta 5, Ancona 4, Pescara 3, Foggia 3
* one game in hand
November
In November Milan scored 5 against Napoli away (leading to a change in manager as Claudio Ranieri was sacked and replaced by Ottavio Bianchi), drew the derby and beat Juventus in Turin. The Bianconeri won their derby whereas the Rome clash saw Gascoigne’s first goal in Serie A as Lazio clinched a draw in the last possible second. The Rossoneri kept their slender lead while behind Ancona and Pescara were already losing touch.
In the second leg of the second round of the Champions League Milan beat Slovan Bratislava 3-0 qualifying for the group stage. Eight teams were divided into two groups, the winners of the groups would meet in the final in Munich in May. In the first game of the group, Milan beat Gothenburg 4-0 with four Marco van Basten goals.
In the Cup Winners Cup, Parma eliminated Boavista after having won 2-0 away. Roma and Juventus qualified for the third round of the UEFA Cup, Napoli and Torino were eliminated. In the first leg of the third round, Juventus won away to Sigma Olomouc and Roma beat Galatasaray at home 3-1.
Milan 18*, Inter 15, Juventus 14, Torino 13, Sampdoria 13*, Fiorentina 12, Parma 12, Cagliari 12, Atalanta 11, Lazio 10, Brescia 10, Genoa 10, Roma 9, Udinese 9, Foggia 9, Napoli 8, Ancona 6, Pescara 5
* one game in hand
December
Just a couple of games in December but Milan, after beating Sampdoria in the match that had been suspended, now had an 8 point lead. Lazio beat Inter 3-1. There were 14 teams in three points, everything could still happen, but Napoli had been sucked down. The change in manager had so far not worked.
In the Champions League Milan won away against PSV Eindhoven and led the group with 4 points ahead of Gothenburg on 2, Porto and Eindhoven on 1. Roma and Juventus qualified for the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup.
Milan 23, Fiorentina 15, Torino 15, Inter 15, Juventus 14, Lazio 14, Sampdoria 14, Cagliari 14, Atalanta 14, Parma 13, Genoa 13, Roma 12, Udinese 12, Brescia 12, Foggia 12, Napoli 8, Ancona 8, Pescara 6
January
The new year kicked off with five games. Milan won away to Roma, Lazio and Juventus drew in Rome. The Rossoneri confirmed their 8 point advantage over Inter, while the Biancocelesti rose to third place in the company of Juventus and a surprising Atalanta. Napoli had started to improve while, despite a lot of matches yet to play, we could already say that, without a major turnaround, the first two teams to be relegated would be Ancona and Pescara.
In the first leg of the Coppa Italia quarter finals there were three draws (Milan-Inter, Napoli-Roma and Lazio-Torino) and Juventus had beaten Parma 2-1. Everything was still possible.
Milan 32, Inter 24, Lazio 21, Juventus 21, Atalanta 21, Torino 19, Sampdoria 19, Parma 18, Cagliari 18, Fiorentina 17, Foggia 17, Roma 16, Brescia 16, Genoa 16, Udinese 15, Napoli 15, Ancona 10, Pescara 9
February
After February’s three games, Milan extended their lead to +10 over Inter with Lazio were solitary third. Napoli put the early false start behind them and began to climb the table. Roma beat Juventus at home.
Milan, Roma, Torino and Juventus qualified for the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. Milan crushed Inter 3-0.
Milan 37, Inter 27, Lazio 25, Torino 24, Atalanta 24, Juventus 23, Sampdoria 23, Cagliari 23, Roma 21, Parma 21, Udinese 19, Napoli 19, Fiorentina 18, Foggia 18, Brescia 16, Genoa 16, Ancona 13, Pescara 11
March
The biggest news was that Milan finally lost a match after 58 games when Parma won at San Siro. The Rossoneri slowed down a little, drawing in Rome against Lazio and away to Torino. But they still had an eight-point lead. Other significant matches were Juventus beating Napoli 4-3, Inter and Roma drew in Milan, but the Nerazzurri won away to Juve. Fiorentina needed to watch out as they were losing touch and now in the relegation zone.
Milan faced Porto in the Champions League and won both at home and away. They were now on 8 points, second were Gothenburg on 6. Parma eliminated Sparta Prague in the quarter finals of the Cup Winners Cup. Juventus qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup after beating Benfica 4-2 on aggregate. Roma instead were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund.
In the Coppa Italia semi-finals, Roma eliminated Milan 2-1 on aggregate. They will face Torino in the double final in June. The Granata drew with Juventus 1-1 and 2-2, qualifying on away goals.
Milan 41, Inter 33, Lazio 29, Torino 28, Sampdoria 28, Parma 28, Juventus 27, Atalanta 27, Roma 26, Cagliari 26, Napoli 24, Fiorentina 22, Udinese 22, Foggia 22, Genoa 21, Brescia 19, Ancona 15, Pescara 12
April
In the four April games, Milan continued to have difficulty as they drew three times, including Napoli and the derby, and lost at home to Juventus. The lead had been dramatically reduced but Inter missed an even greater possibility to reduce the gap. With eight minutes to the end of the derby they were 1-0 ahead but a Ruud Gullit goal allowed the Rossoneri to draw. In other matches of the month Juventus won the Turin derby, the Rome one finished in a goalless and eventless draw.
With five games to the end of the campionato, apart from the scudetto race, there was the battle for the UEFA Cup placings and two relegations. In the former, seeing that all three Italian teams were in the finals, a sixth place could also be available. With Ancona and Pescara practically in Serie B, the fight at the bottom was between Fiorentina, Genoa, Udinese and Brescia. But the Viola were free falling and not used to fighting tooth and nail.
Milan beat Gothenburg and clinched their place in the final of the Champions League. They would meet Olympique Marseille. Parma eliminated Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Cup Winners Cup and would now face Antwerp in the final to be played at Wembley in May. Juventus also qualified for a final. They would meet Borussia Dortmund in the final of the UEFA Cup after eliminating Paris Saint Germain 3-1 on aggregate.
Milan 44, Inter 40, Lazio 34, Juventus 34, Parma 34, Sampdoria 33, Torino 31, Atalanta 31, Cagliari 30, Roma 29, Napoli 29, Foggia 28, Fiorentina 25, Genoa 25, Udinese 24, Brescia 22, Ancona 17, Pescara 12
May
In the next three games Milan won one and drew two. So did Inter, failing to narrow the gap on their cousins. In the penultimate game Milan drew at home to Brescia, Inter lost at Parma so the Rossoneri won their 13th title and second in a row. Lazio secured a return to European competitions for the first time since 1977 after they beat Napoli 4-3 at home. Historic victory for Pescara in their last home game. Despite already being relegated they beat Juventus 5-1. The last two places for next year’s UEFA Cup will be battled out between Juventus, Sampdoria, Caligari and Torino.
The battle for relegation was more complicated. In the 30th game Fiorentina drew at home with Parma, Genoa at Napoli, Udinese at Cagliari and Brescia beat Atalanta. So Fiorentina and Genoa on 26 points, Udinese 25 and Brescia 24.
In the 31st game, Fiorentina lost at Bergamo and Genoa drew with Inter. Udinese and Brescia drew 2-2 so the table now read Genoa 27, Fiorentina and Udinese 26, Brescia 25. Even more drama was on the way.
In game 32, Fiorentina and Udinese drew 2-2, Brescia beat Lazio and Genoa drew with Parma. Genoa 28 points, Fiorentina, Udinese and Brescia 27. In the penultimate match, Fiorentina drew at Torino, Brescia in Milan while Genoa and Udinese both won. The last two now had an advantage coming into the last game of the season.
Milan lost the final of the Champions League in Munich. They were beaten 1-0 by Olympique Marseille. Parma won the Cup Winners Cup after beating Antwerp in the Wembley final. Juventus won the UEFA Cup. They won 3-1 away (with two Roberto Baggio goals) and 3-0 at home (with two Dino Baggio goals).
Milan 49, Inter 44, Parma 40, Lazio 38, Juventus 37, Sampdoria 36, Cagliari 35, Torino 35, Atalanta 34, Roma 32, Foggia 32, Napoli 31, Genoa 30, Udinese 29, Fiorentina 28, Brescia 28, Ancona 19, Pescara 17
June
Final game of the season. For the UEFA Cup qualifications. Juventus beat Lazio and secured their spot, Cagliari crushed Pescara 4-0 and overtook Sampdoria, reaching a UEFA Cup qualification for the first time in 20 years.
There was a lot of drama down the bottom. At the end of the first half Fiorentina were safe since they were leading 4-0 against Foggia while Brescia were drawing against Sampdoria, as were Udinese in Rome. But Brescia took the lead against Samp in the second half and the Bianconeri were losing 1-0. This meant that, if things stayed as they were, there would be a playoff between Fiorentina and Brescia. But then, first Roma missed an open goal opportunity with Andrea Carnevale (who would go to Udine in the summer) and then, pushed by the entire Stadio Olimpico, Udinese equalised with another former Roma player. Fiorentina in Serie B and a playoff between Udinese and Brescia since in the clashes between all three, Fiorentina had the least amount of points.
Big drama in Florence. Fiorentina at one point were second but when the presidency decided to sack manager Gigi Radice, despite the excellent position, the team collapsed. Apparently there were rumours that Radice’s son was having an affair with the president’s wife …
In the playoff Udinese beat Brescia 3-1 so the Rondinelle joined Fiorentina, Ancona and Pescara in Serie B.
In the first leg of the Coppa Italia final Torino crushed Roma 3-0. The Giallorossi won the return match 5-2 but it was not enough since the Granata had more away goals.
For next season, Milan would play the Champions League, Parma and Torino the Cup Winners Cup, Inter, Juventus, Lazio and Cagliari the UEFA Cup.
Top scorer was Beppe Signori with 26 goals.
Final table: Milan 50, Inter 46, Parma 41, Juventus 39, Lazio 38, Cagliari 37, Sampdoria 36, Atalanta 36, Torino 35, Roma 33, Napoli 32, Foggia 32, Genoa 31, Udinese 30, Brescia 30, Fiorentina 30, Ancona 19, Pescara 17
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