Richard Hough, author of Verona Campione, the Miracle of 1985, reflects on a well-earned point against La Signora and the history of the Hellas v Juventus rivalry.
In Verona, the arrival of Juventus at the Bentegodi is always the most hotly anticipated fixture of the season. It’s invariably a sell out as the local contingent of Juventus fans grasp the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their primedònne at close quarters.
For weeks preceding the game I’m fielding calls and messages asking for advice on how and where to get tickets. The club takes advantage of this surge in demand by whacking up ticket prices to as much as an eye-watering 90 euros in the west stand.
Full House at the Bentegodi
Invariably (I’m using that word a lot today) the Curva Nord (the area specifically designated for travelling fans) quickly sells out and a smattering of Juventus fans will inevitably find themselves amongst the home fans. The upper tier above the east stand is usually opened for the occasion, with a few conspicuous Juventus fans standing out like giraffes at a polar bears only party.
Segregation exists for a reason. There are idiots on both sides and things can very easily spill over. I’ve seen a few unsavoury incidents over the years as tempers have frayed and hostilities have escalated into violence. That’s why I always advise against travelling fans getting tickets amongst the home fans, unless there’s a gemellaggio or it’s a particularly low risk encounter.
I wouldn’t go to the home end at Napoli, Roma or Juventus wearing a Hellas Verona jersey and, if I did, I certainly wouldn’t celebrate wildly when my team scores (not always an issue with Verona on the road). I’m not quite sure why Juventus fans think it’s appropriate to do so when they come to Verona, but there’s always a few who do!
In the Poltrone Est, where I’ve had my season ticket for more than ten years, a sizeable group of what, for want of a better word, we might call Hellas Ultras now congregate. I know a few of them and they’re alright. But there are also some unsavoury characters amongst them, including a few who have been banned from the notorious Curva Sud, and they are increasingly joined by visitors from elsewhere, taking a close interest in events on and off the pitch. I certainly wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of them!
Flash Points
And so, inevitably, there are flash points during the game as a handful of Juventus fans in the upper tier can’t contain themselves when Francisco Conceição scores with a delightful solo effort with barely 20 minutes on the clock.
Hellas had started brightly enough and there were early indications that it might not be the walkover that the travelling Juve fans had expected, having won all three of their games so far in Serie A and poised just behind Napoli on goal difference.
Hellas on the other hand, were at the opposite end of the table having picked up just two points from the opening two encounters and with just a solitary goal coming in that 1-1 draw with Udinese on matchday 1.
Despite losing some momentum, Verona refused to rollover, as they did twice last season (losing 0-3 and 2-0), and continued to be fluid and direct in offence and resolute and abrasive in defence, creating a string of chances against a nervous-looking Juve defence, and giving something for Igor Tudor to complain about in his post match observations.
Just minutes before the interval, Hellas were awarded a penalty which, following an unseemly spat between Orban and Giovane over who should take the spot kick, Orban stepped up with some aplomb to secure the equaliser on the stroke of halftime. The home fans, sensing an upset might be on the cards, spent the half-time break reflecting on some memorable upsets in recent years – anything to avoid having to drink that half-time Budweiser!
A Last Minute Penalty
In the Juric era, a last minute Pazzini penalty gave Hellas a historic 2-1 victory. Kumbulla (remember him?) had opened the scoring with a header (ruled out for a marginal offside – somethings never change), before Ronaldo put La Signora ahead deep into the second half on his 35th birthday for his 20th goal in 20 Serie A games. Fabio Borini then pounced on a defensive error to equalize with barely 15 minutes left to play. Kumbulla then hit the crossbar but this time VAR had spotted a Juventus infringement resulting in a brave penalty decision for the home side with barely five minutes remaining on the clock.
Up stepped veteran striker Gianpaolo Pazzini for one of the most memorable goals of my entire time in Verona, he slotted home with his right foot before effortlessly vaulting the advertising hoarding to celebrate below the Curva Sud as an incredulous Juric relished the moment from the touchline. Verona would finish the season in an extremely credible 9th place – their best finish since the glory days of the mid-1980s.
Luca Toni Opens the Scoring
It was another veteran striker who provides the second memorable moment of nostalgia surrounding this fixture. It was 8 May 2016, the penultimate game of the season. I was in the Poltrone Est with my seven-year-old son to bid farewell to a colossus. The towering striker was just a few days short of his 39th birthday and this would be the final game of a momentous career. Tragically, Hellas Verona were already relegated after a disastrous season, but Luca Toni was not to be denied a famous send-off. Toni opened the scoring with a penalty late in the first half before Federico Viviani doubled the home side’s lead mid-way through the second. Dybala scored a late consolation penalty for Juve, as Toni returned to the field of play for an emotional farewell, bringing down the curtain on a remarkable career and an incredible swan song in Verona during which he scored 48 goals in 95 appearances. Despite the upset, Juventus finished top of the table, nine points clear of closest rivals Napoli. Verona, meanwhile, finished three points adrift at the bottom as Serie B beckoned.
The final match, of course, in this half-time reverie was the one that is still celebrated in the city to this day. This fixture came early in the 1984/85 season, on matchday 5. Although the Juventus team included the multiple Ballon d’Or winner Michel Platini, legendary World Cup winning defender Gaetano Scirea, Marco Tardelli, a five-time Italian champion and winner of all three major UEFA club competitions, and Pallon d’Or winning striker Paolo Rossi, it was Bagnoli’s team of misfits, rejects and journeyman who approached the game as favourites having started the season unbeaten.
Elkjaer’s Shoeless Goal
It was a game that lived up to its pre-match billing, with Hellas securing a famous two-goal victory. But it was Preben Elkjær Larsen’s 81st minute solo effort that has given the game its mythical status – a goal that he scored despite losing his boot in a desperate last ditch Stefano Pioli challenge.
While Gift Orban’s penalty to earn Hellas a point against Juve at the weekend doesn’t quite live up to the great fixtures of the past, it was, nonetheless, a well-earned and much needed point that will go some way to lifting Verona’s confidence as they strive for the ultimate objective of survival in Serie A this season. And maybe, after another sobering day at the Bentegodi, Juve fans will learn to stick to their own side of the stadium!
Richard Hough is the author of Verona Campione, the Miracle of 1985.