The Twins from Genoa – Mancini and Vialli

Written by Abhinav Maitra on February 5, 2019

Italian football dawned its brightest and majestic colours in the last two decades of the 20th century like it was a renaissance all over again. Spearheaded by the likes of Arrigo Sacchi, Marcelo Lippi, Diego Maradona, Marco Van Basten, Roberto Baggio. The Calcio captivated world audience with an array of enigmatic characters and its fluent, orgasmic and often bombastic version of the game. From its labyrinth of enthralling tales Goalden Times brings to you the story of two childhood friends who dreamed of the heavens and dared to reach it.

One Last Game together

Ronald Koeman had such an audacious brilliant right foot back in his play days it would have made you think he had it tailor-made. His eye for the back of the net that came handy on many occasions during his playing career, some being very momentous such as the May 21, 1992. Wembley, the cathedral of football as it is often called, was hosting the European Cup final between Cruyff’s marauding Barcelona and the charming Italians representing the blucerchiati (U.C Sampdoria) from the magnificent port city of Genoa. Straight from the kick-off the game had the potential to fire up any time but for all their attacking talents on show Barcelona were finding it difficult to break down a resolute Sampdoria side who surprisingly had the better chances. The game would roll onto extra time. It was at the 111th minute that tired legs and weary looking faces made up a Samp wall hoping to stop a freekick which was handed very childishly outside their penalty area. Hristo Stoichkov and Jose Bakero combined to place the ball for the marauding Koeman who unleashed a belter rocketing into the roof of the net. Gianluca Pagliuca, one of the great Italian keepers of his generation, reached out in vain to stop it. As Cruyff’s dream team celebrated their maiden European win, the blucerchiati faithfuls had tears in their eyes not only for the loss but a sense of sorrow had taken over. It was as if they were seeing their beloved heroes play together for the last time. Unfortunately, it was Indeed for the last time the world saw the lethal duo of Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli play together.

The Boy who lived

Roberto Mancini grew up in the mountainous town of Roccadaspide. He was pronounced dead due to a blocked windpipe immediately after his birth. But young Roberto had life in him and woke from his slumber upon receiving a slap on his face by the doctor. The boy would live.

Raised as a catholic child by his parents, young Robertino’s life very much revolved around the local parish and the beautiful game. His initial days were spent with the church team where he honed his skills and developed a colourful personality – blustering and fiery on the pitch and calm and self-retiring off it. Even back then when football was supposed to be for fun alone, Mancini took it very seriously and his father was very keen about giving him a proper platform to flourish. At the age of 13, he was snapped up by Bologna much to his father’s delight who had used some of his contacts to get hold of that opportunity. Initial years were very tough for young Robertino, staying away from his home for the first time and at the displeasure of his mother who was very much against the decision. But there was no looking back from there. At Bologna a pompous attitude started to take hold of Mancini, first glimpses of a clamorous leader he would grow up to become. On September 13, 1981 at the age of 16, he would make his Serie A debut under coach Tarcisio Burgnich who literally had to fight with Tomasso Fabbretti, the club president to keep Mancini at the club. Mancini was set to go out on loan, but on Burgnich’s raucous persistence Fabbretti couldn’t let him go. As Burgnich recalls even at such a young age Mancini was an asset “Despite being the youngest guy in the team he was already a leader” ^[1]. For Mancini, his debut was one of the most beautiful emotional experiences of his life ^[2]. Roberto couldn’t do much against Cagliari in his debut match but as Bologna pushed for survival, Mancini would go on to feature regularly for the team scoring in some crucial encounters against Roma, Udinese & Inter. Mancini was a vivacious character often acting like a prima donna. He wanted to be everywhere from taking free-kicks, penalties to giving halftime team talks as if the club wouldn’t exist without him. Bologna were relegated that season with one of their lowest ever point tally. As for Roberto, he would finish the season as the club’s highest scorer with nine goals. He had announced himself to the Calcio.

Born into Loyalty

Associazione Sportiva Pizzighettone a small amateur football club from the township of Pizzighettone in the affluent province of Cremona were the first to notice the talents of a nine-year-old. The child prodigy who went by the name of Gianluca Vialli was born into wealth and had a footballing brain to marvel at. Blessed with quick feet and the maturity of a professional player Vialli wriggled past amateur football like it was child’s play and headed for bigger things.

Cremonese signed Vialli up when he had just turned 10. The Lombardy based club may have been a provincial minnow, but it was laden with rich history of winning the Serie C on three occasions and participating in the inaugural Serie A Season. It gave Vialli the perfect platform to launch himself as a professional player. Vialli’s father, a self-made millionaire, had instilled a laborious work ethic in him which made sure that he didn’t take things for granted. It not only helped Vialli in his professional environment but also helped him develop as a person as he rose through the ranks in Cremonese with relative ease but with an elegant swagger which was in cohesion with his aristocratic background. Vialli was handed a first team debut at the age of 16 in the Serie C. Vialli proved to be instrumental in the Grigiorossi’s success stretching back his debut season in Serie C. In his first full season with Cremo, who by then had climbed to the Serie B, Vialli would score 5 goals in 31 games. He was only 17 then. His first season also included a crucial missed penalty which would have guaranteed Cremo an automatic promotion to the top flight. Vialli however would seldom let such minor setbacks haunt him. Cremonese were promoted at the end the 82-83 season for the first time since 1929-30. Debuting in the Serie A ,the young centre forward would score 10 goals for Cremo as they went down again with just 15 points on the board.  The agony of relegation was compounded as Sampdoria would snatch their 19-year-old jewel. Vialli would always have a special place in his heart for Cremo and for Mondonico his first mentor as he moved on to the bigger stage.

The oil baron, the prankster & the goal twins

In 1979, the world was gripped by the Islamic revolution. People watched in awe and horror as radicals took over the American embassy in Tehran plunging the world into yet another political and energy crisis. For oil barons around the world the revolution would however present itself as a boon to make a fortune. Paolo Mantovani was one such man. Along with his partners, his oil company Pontoil would make huge profits around this time; huge enough to buy a considerable stake In Unione Calcio Sampdoria. In Genoa, football rivalry goes deep, hovering somewhere between hysteria and acrimony. A once mighty trading empire on the brink of the Liguria Sea, the city harbours a vibrant culture in the midst of which stands the frenzied derby della lanterna with its raging banners, obnoxious chants and a rivalry that transcends bragging rights. Sampdoria, the younger and the less successful of the local rivals, were looked down upon from the other side for years and were often treated as imposters. But that was going to change under Mantovani’s chairmanship. Paolo’s love for Genoese football went a long back and it would be under his stewardship that the blucerchiati would have their most successful spell in history. He would bring in changes in the squad and club management which would ultimately pay dividends in Sampdoria’s long run to the scudetto and beyond.

In 1982, Mantovani would play €2 million for a young Roberto Mancini then 17 who had a very successful debut season with Bologna, indication of the club’s desire to invest long term in youth. It was with the deftest of touches and an exceptional eye for a pass that Mancini effortlessly glided into the first team. In the subsequent seasons, Sampdoria would go on to finish seventh in the league twice with Mancini scoring 4 and 8 goals in each season and becoming the playmaker Uno of the team. Mantovani buoyed by the improvement splashed the cash again. It would see a whole host of changes including young talents like Gianluca Pagliuca, Fausto Pari, Gianluca Vialli, a legend from the northwest of England, Graeme Souness and a new manager in Eugenio Bersellini. The changes were positive and the results were almost magical. Having already bonded with each other as part of the Italian U-21 team Mancini and Vialli would play on the field as if they had known each other for years. The chemistry between them was striking. While Mancini as the no. 10 was obsessed with crafting the perfect move, Vialli was the unrelenting goal scoring machine. The Duo scoring and creating for each other would land Sampdoria their first major title in 1985, the Copa Italia with each scoring in the second leg of the final against Milan. Young, dashing with a pinch of Italian finesse and a zeal to leave their mark the duo complemented each other perfectly. However it was not before the 1987 season when the duo really started to show their devilish colours.

Vujadin Boskov always had this witty nature about him which somehow defied his degree in history and geography. Hardly an academic, the former Dorian man and ex Real Madrid manager would be called upon by Mantovani when the latter decided to let go of the rigid Bersellini and bring in some one more ambitious and methodical – someone who would also add a pinch of the much-needed humour to the dressing room. The departures of Trevor Francis and Souness depleted the side but already having a readymade replacement in Vialli and with Mancini becoming the unofficial captain of the team Boskov felt the players only needed a push. Encouraged by a father like figure in Mantovani, the duo’s (Mancini & Vialli) incorrigible urge to lead from the front coupled with the suave Boskov and his acute tactical understanding meant Sampdoria had a recipe for success which only needed to be served. They would win the Copa Italia in the 1987-88 season beating Torino by 3-2 in a two-legged final. The first leg of the final would feature a goal from Vialli. The Samp would also play in the final of the erstwhile Winners’ Cup only to be beaten by Barcelona. The subsequent season of 1988-89 would be the duo’s most successful yet both in terms of individual statistics and in terms of trophies. The Duo would feature heavily in the Blucerchiati’s defense of the Copa. In the quarter-final first leg, Mancini and Vialli would score in both half as Sampdoria blew Fiorentina away by 3-0. Scoring goals were getting relatively easy for the duo and in the semi-final Atlanta would feel their Wrath. Vialli would score two goals in the first leg as Samp emerged winners by a score line of 3-2. The Second leg at the Luigi Ferraris would witness Mancini scoring twice, one being a sumptuous volley from inside the penalty area on the end of a cross provided by Vialli. The final was against Napoli. It was touted to be a tough affair but it looked like Napoli had run out of winners in the first leg courtesy of an Alessandro Renica goal. The second leg however turned out to be quite a surprise. Vialli would open the scoring in the 32nd minute with a thumping header from almost 12 yards out. The move was started by Mancini. 37th minute on the clock Mancini again on the ball would deliver an inswinging cross towards the far side of the Napoli goal. Toninho Cerezo Il Doria’s big Brazilian midfielder only had the simple task of directing the ball into the net and that he did in a bullish manner brushing away the Napoli defender in the process. Napoli did create some chances but they were getting completely overrun by the dorian midfield, who led by Mancini were playing some dazzling football. Two minutes into the second half and Mancini was in the mix again, this time with a sublime back-heel to set up Pietro Vierchowod who then added a poacher’s finish, taking the scoreline to 3-0. Mancini was to provide the icing on the cake. At the 59th minute, he calmly dispatched a penalty awarded for a foul on him to complete the routing. Mancini and Vialli aided the Blucerchiati in defeating a Napoli side that had Diego Maradona. It was one of the greatest matches the Luigi Ferraris ever witnessed, the tale of which was going to be told and retold for generations to come. Vialli ended as the top scorer in the Copa that year with 13 goals while Mancini scored 5. Progress was very evident and the following season Sampdoria would reach the final of the Winners’ Cup to face RSC Anderlecht. The Belgian giants were no pushovers and the scoreline after 90 minutes was still 0-0. At the start of extra-time, Sampdoria seemed to conjure up an extra ounce of energy probably from their inner self belief and started to hold back the Belgian side in their own half. 105th on the clock Fausto Salsano struck a shot from just inside the penalty box, the ball bounced off the post and on to the Anderlecht goalkeeper, Filip De Wilde. But De Wilde was clumsy and Vialli was onto it in a flash. 1-0 to Sampdoria. Two minutes after restart Mancini marauded down the right flank and provided a pinpoint cross for Vialli who headed in from close range for his and Sampdoria’s second goal. After their maiden European title there was a feeling around the Luigi Ferraris that the duo and Sampdoria were on the crux of something big.

When Mantovani started out his ambitious project, he wanted Sampdoria to be called Italy’s best team and the Scudetto was still his ultimate dream. After a forgettable ‘Italia 90’ for the duo, they would return to Genoa hoping to start where they left off. The game in Italy by the beginning of 1990 had completely changed and had the world audience glued to it. Napoli the defending champions had the indomitable hero of Naples ‘El Diego’ in their ranks still raging for a fight. AC Milan were European champions with the likes of Franco Baresi, Ruud Gullit, Paolo Maldini, Marco Van Basten all plying their trade at the San Siro and not to mention the mythical Arrigo Sacchi at the helm. Then there was Internazionale with their German trio of World Cup winners Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthäus, Jürgen Klinsmann and Juventus with their charismatic world record signing Roberto Baggio. Even standing up to these colossal giants was considered blasphemy let alone competing with them. The season started off in usual manner with Milan claiming the top spot for the first 5 game weeks. The turmoil began when Milan were defeated at the San Siro by a solitary Toninho Cerezo goal. What then followed was an unprecedented run of games. Sampdoria and the Milan twins were locked in a ferocious battle for the numero Uno spot. People were perplexed by Sampdoria’s sudden rise. This was mostly down to Mantovani and Boskov being methodical in their recruitment and club management and the duo of Mancini and Vialli acting as their voices on the field. During the season the duo not only upped their own individual games but they also made sure the rest of the team followed suit. Beppe Dossena, Pietro Vierchowod, Giovanni Invernizzi, Pagliuca, Attilio Lombardo all came to the party as the Samp started blowing opponents away. Napoli were thrashed both at home and away by the same scoreline 4-1 heavily featuring Mancini and Vialli. Then there were the doubles against the Milan clubs particularly the victory against Inter at the San Siro in May which almost sealed the tile for Il Doria. For most part of the game Inter would dominate but after two red cards for Mancini and Giuseppe Bergomi, the game went haywire. When the dust settled Samp would emerge victorious with goals from Dossena and Vialli and with Pagliuca making an astounding number of 14 saves^[6] including a penalty from Matthaus also surviving a barrage of missiles from the Milanese fans in the process. The last game of the season would see Vialli thump in a third goal for Samp as they romped pass Lecce 3-0 to claim their first ever scudetto. The Duo would finish the season with 31 goals between them, Il Doria’s ultras named them ‘the twins of the goal’.

Boskov had instilled a robust counter attacking system with Pagliuca, Cerezo and Vierchowod dominantly protecting the rear guard allowing attacking players up front to roam around with imaginative freedom. At the centre of this system stood an impassioned Mancini like a painter who can devour an onlooker’s gaze with elegant brushstrokes and inspiring combination of colours on his canvas. For Mancini, the pitch was his canvas and he would do the same to his opponents with his passes and movements. His hold up play, off the ball movements, ability to spray killer passes always garnered the attention of the opposition defenders more than his teammates. It gave the license and freedom to players like Branca, Lombardo and especially Vialli who then used it to lethal effect. Vialli ended as the top scorer with Branca and Lombardo chipping in with crucial goals, while Mancini himself conjured up countless assists.

More than talent and tactics, the Scudetto win however displayed a humane side of Sampdoria as Mancini would say in an interview “That team played football without worries. We were free. Maybe we weren’t the most talented bunch, but Vujadin reminded us every day that we were nothing without the work of the group.” ^[7]. Mancini and Vialli made their way into Genoese folklore.

Sampdoria’s defence of title in 1991 started off in the worst way possible losing to Cagliari away. Although they tried making up for the shaky start with wins against Inter and Verona, it looked like they had lost their way and Boskov started focussing more on the European Cup. Back then the European cup featured knockout matches in the first two rounds followed by a group stage at the last stage. Sampdoria would easily make their way into the group stages beating Rosenberg by 7-1 aggregate and Budapest Honvéd by 4-3. The group was tricky as it had defending champions Red Star Belgrade in it and Belgian side Anderlecht. Sampdoria began brightly with a 2-0 win over the Yugoslav champions. But a draw against Panathonaikos and a loss against Anderlecht put a dent in their hopes of making a first European Cup final. Heading into the third round of matches Sampdoria had five points on the board while Red Star were on six, they faced off in Sofia at the Balgarska Armia. Belgrade took the early lead via Siniša Mihajlović goal on the 19th minute. A win for Belgrade would have almost secured them the spot on the finals but Sampdoria was not bowing down that easily. They restored parity with Srečko Katanec, before taking the lead via an own goal from Serbian defender Goran Vasilijević just before the half. The second half was a stalemate till the 75th minute when the duo displayed their magic. Mancini drove forward with the ball from midfield brushing aside two Belgrade players and passed it onto Vialli on the edge of the opposition box. Even though being pressurized by two Belgrade defenders, Vialli with the deftest of touches lofted the ball towards Mancini who applied the final touch from a few yards away. It ended 3-1 in favour of the Genoese club on the night. A draw in the last game against Panathonaikos was good enough to secure their spot in the European Cup final for the first time in their history. Vialli by then had scored six times in the tournament while Mancini got on the act four times.

Mancini and Vialli would play their last game together for Sampdoria on a humid English evening in May 1992. As Vialli squandered glorious chances against Barcelona in the Champions League final, Sampdoria from the brink of being called Europe’s best became just another fluke team. A disappointing seventh finish in the league coupled with departures of Vialli and Boskov in the subsequent season and death of club chairman Mantovani meant the club had to start from scratch again. But they never recovered. Neither the club management nor the great Mancini on brink of 30 had it in them to revive the club’s fortunes. Mancini himself would leave by the beginning of the 1997 season.

A brief Romance with the Azzurri

While they duo excelled in their club careers they would have a very different experience with the Italy National Team. Macnini and Vialli were part of the Italy U-21 team for both the 1984 and 1986 European championship squads. While Mancini was involved only scarcely Vialli turned out to be quite pivotal for the u21’s. He would represent the azzurrini 20 times scoring 11 times helping them finish third in 1984 and second in 1986. While Mancini made his senior debut under Enzo Bearzot in 198,4 he was overlooked as Bearzot picked up many of his trusted players for the 1986 World Cup. Vialli’s goal scoring feat however was too good to go unnoticed and he would fly with the national team to Mexico to defend their World Cup crown. The centre forward would only feature from the bench four times and would fail to score as Italy would crash out in the Round of 16. That inglorious end also saw the departure of Bearzot and much of the aging squad. Azeglio Vicini was bought in to infuse some zeal back in to the team with a mix of young and experienced players, Mancini and Vialli were first on his radar. Vialli would be instrumental in the Euro qualifiers scoring a crucial goal against Malta, his first for the national team and Mancini would also find himself featuring in a couple of games. In 1988 the duo were picked for the European Championships, Mancini’s first and Vialli’s second major tournament with the national team. Italy were paired up against hosts West Germany, Spain and Denmark. Rheinstadion in Düsseldorf was host to the first game between West Germany and Italy. The Germans at home with the likes of Rudi Voller, Matthaus, Klinsmann looked formidable, but the Azzurri were certainly no pushovers. While the first half ended in stalemate, in the second one Italy started asserting themselves more on the game.  In the 51^st minute Germany were caught dilly dallying on the ball near the penalty area and Mancini and Roberto Donadoni made a nuisance of themselves. Donadoni fired in a low cross towards the penalty spot, Mancini unleashed a low drive scathing the grass into the bottom left corner, 1-0. The celebration from Mancini was passionate and true to his character. The joy however was short-lived as Breheme equalised only few minutes later ending the match in a draw. The second game of the tournament would see Vialli get into the act against Spain. on the 16th minute after a sublime layoff from captain Alessandro Altobelli Vialli wshiked pass spanish defenders and fired the ball into far bottom corner of the net, the game ended 1-0 to the Azzurri. The duo however would not make any major impact after the first two games and Italy would get knocked out in the semi-finals against the Soviets.

Playing for the national team presented a new dynamic for the duo. While claiming to be a centre forward, Mancini always fashioned himself as more of a trequartista than an out and out striker. Sampdoria played to the duo’s advantages and kept this positional clash at bay, but the situation was not the same with the national team. Vicini always deployed Mancini and Vialli in similar positions as pure central strikers and in such situations the prolific goal scorer was always the clear winner while the other only got to warm the bench. The situation was evident during Italia 90 when Vialli made seven appearances with four from the bench while Mancini never made it on to the pitch. The Italy squad did have players like Baggio and Salvatore Schillaci, so competition for places was fierce and Mancini for most of the time was overlooked. Things didn’t pan out well for Vialli either. Italia 90 was supposed to be his stage to shine, but he failed to grasp the opportunity. After missing a crucial penalty against the United States in the second group game, he was dropped for the rest of the group matches till the quarter-finals. Even after being recalled in the semi-final, he impacted little and was subbed off. His only credible contributions in the whole tournament were the two assists he provided for Toto Schillaci, who went on to win the golden boot.

The duo’s time with the national team after 1990 became somewhat of a stalemate. While they went on to feature in friendlies and European qualifiers, a major tournament eluded them. The Azzurri’s failure to qualify for the Euro 92 and new coach Arrigo Sacchi’s constant displeasure with the two severed their international careers for good. Vialli got 59 caps for the Azzurri scoring 16 times while Mancini made 39 appearances scoring only four times. It’s a shame the world never got to see Mancini and Vialli at their majestic best at the international stage.

A bond that went beyond football

If one tries to define the bond between Mancini and Vialli, an ‘artist’ and his ‘inspiration’ might come close. This would truly be evident beyond their years in Genoa. Juventus would make Vialli a world record signing in a bid for league and cup glory while Mancini would move to Lazio under new mentor cum friend Sven-Goran Eriksson hoping to have a last hurrah. While Vialli continued his goal scoring feat with the Turin club under Lippi, Mancini would struggle. Even though Roberto played regularly for Lazio goals became a rarity for him. Why? Mancini was technically one of the most gifted Italian players of his generation but he needed someone in front of him to fully complement his gifts.  In his quest for perfection Mancini required someone who could effortlessly get on the end of his creative moves apply the finishing touches. Vialli the baby-faced assassin was the perfect partner, as he could virtually score from anywhere inside the box given his acrobatic poaching abilities. Vialli was Mancini’s inspiration to craft the perfect pass, the perfect move and also excel in his own game in the process. He would not form such a bonding with anyone else in his playing days. Just a few months apart in age, their career trajectories had followed a very similar path despite hailing from two very different backgrounds. Probably because of which Mancini had very little disagreements with Vialli, which was unlike the friction he had with his other striking partners. Not only did they form a friendship which went beyond the telepathic connection they shared on the field but as Mancini would say “We were very young and used to go out socially together. We were good friends off the field and that helped on the field as well.” ^[8]. Mancini never liked being second fiddle to anybody and after he realized his influence was slowly waning on the pitch he decided to hang up his boots and head into management under Eriksson. This was however not before winning his second scudetto with Lazio who by then had a new talisman, a certain   from Chile. Vialli would lead Juventus to league glory and also help them win the Champions League earning praise from club owner Gianni Agnelli who compared Vialli to the legendary Luigi Riva. Heading to England to be part of Ruud Gullit’s Chelsea, Vialli would struggle. Age was finally catching up to the enigmatic talisman and he would partially hang up his boots and become player manager at Chelsea after Gullit’s unceremonious departure.

The Italian game has a huge share of myths and legends revolving around the beautiful game. But any ardent follower of the Calcio would tell you among those colossal giants, the twins have their own special place. The years at Il Doria under the tutelage of the humorous Boskov and the elegant Paolo Mantovani, the duo displayed exceptional craft and wizardry, likes of which the Genoese people had never seen before. Tales of their heroics are told to this day, and the stadio Luigi Ferraris still reverberates on the mention of the ‘Gemelli del Gol’.

References

1. The Guardian
2. FC Inter 1908
3. Gentleman Ultra
4. Gentleman Ultra
5. rsssf.com
6. The Guardian
7. By far the greatest team
8. The Telegraph
9. Tutto Juve

• Feature Image – Calciomio

About Abhinav Maitra

A football enthusiast and an ardent Manchester united fan, keen on writing about human behaviors and the power of the beautiful game to bring in subtle changes and happiness in people’s lives

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