February 8, 1978
Italy 2-France 2
Friendly
Venue: Napoli (Naples)-Stadio San Paolo
Attendance:66,158
Referee: Angel Martinez (Spain)
Goalscorers: (Italy): Francesco Graziani 13pen,22
(France): Dominique Bathenay 50, Michel Platini 81
Lineups:
Italy:
1-Dino Zoff (Juventus Football Club-Torino) [62 / 0]
2-Claudio Gentile (Juventus Football Club-Torino) [15 / 1]
3-Aldo Maldera (Associazione Calcio Milan) [5 / 0]
4-Romeo Benetti (Juventus Football Club-Torino) [39 / 1]
5-Mauro Bellugi (Bologna Football Club) [32 / 0]
6-Gaetano Scirea (Juventus Football Club-Torino) [8 / 0]
7-Claudio Sala (Torino Calcio 1906) [15 / 0]
8-Marco Tardelli (Juventus Football Club-Torino) [18 / 1]
9-Francesco Graziani (Torino Calcio 1906)[21 / 12]
10-Giancarlo Antognoni Associazione Calcio Fiorentina-Firenze) [28 / 6] (15-Patrizio Sala (Torino Calcio 1906) [5 / 0] 72nd)
11-Roberto Bettega (Juventus Football Club-Torino) [15 / 14] (16-Paolino Pulici (Torino Calcio 1906) [18 / 5] 53rd)
Coach: Enzo Bearzot
Booked: Tardelli 63
Other Subs :
Paolo Conti (Associazione Sportiva Roma)
Antonello Cuccureddu (Juventus Football Club-Torino)
Lionela Manfredonia (Società Sportiva Lazio-Roma)
Paolo Rossi (Societa Sportiva Lanerossi-Vicenza)
Team Captain: Dino Zoff
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: ????
Uniform Colors: Blue Shirts, White Shorts, Blue Socks
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| Photo from : Mondial, May 1978 |
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Photo from : Onze, May 1978 (Top, left to right : Claudio gentile, Dino Zoff, Claudio Sala, Roberto Bettega, Mauro Belluggi, Romeo Benetti, Bottom, left to right :Giancarlo Antogoni, Francesco Graziani, Gaetano Scirea, Aldo Maldera, Marco Tardelli
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France:
1- André Rey (Football Club de Metz) [7 / 0]
2- Gérard Janvion (Association Sportive de Saint-Etienne Loire) [12 / 0]
4- Patrice Rio (Football Club de Nantes) [11 / 0] (13-Christian Lopez (Association Sportive de Saint-Etienne Loire) [8 / 0] 74th)
5- Marius Trésor (Olympique de Marseille)[35 / 2]
3- Maxime Bossis (Football Club de Nantes) [8 / 0]
6- Dominique Bathenay (Association Sportive de Saint-Etienne Loire) [10 / 3]
8- Jean-Marc Guillou (Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice) [16 / 3] (14-Henri Michel (Football Club de Nantes) [49 / 4] 46th)
10- Michel Platini (Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine) [13 / 7]
7- Christian Dalger (Association Sportive de Monaco) [4 / 1]
9- Bernard Lacombe (Olympique Lyonnais) [12 / 3]
11- Olivier Rouyer (Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine) [8 / 2] (15-Albert Gemmrich (Racing Club de Strasbourg Football) [1 / 0] 29th)
Coach: Michel Hidalgo
Booked : Michel 67, Dalger 69
Other Subs :
Jean Paul Bertrand-Demanes (Football Club de Nantes)
Patrick Battiston (Football Club de Metz)
Team Captain: Marius Trésor
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform Colors: White Shirts, Blue Shorts , Red Socks
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Photo from : Onze, February 1978 (Top, left to right : Maxime Bossis, Jean-Marc Guillou, Patrice Rio, Dominique Bathenay, Gerard Janvion, Andre Rey, Mariur Tresor, Bottom, left to right : Christian Dalger, Bernard Lacombe, Michel Platini, Olivier Rouyer) |
Notes:
-Match number 351 for Italy and number 378 for France
-This was the 25th meeting between the nations.
-France had not defetaed Italy since 1920.
-The teams were due to play one another in the upcoming World Cup in Argentina mere months away. Initially there were talks about cancelling the match because of that however it was decided to be maintained.
The french press thought Italians might take the opportunity to injure Platini before the World Cup.
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Photo from : Onze, February 1978 (Team Captains Marius Tresor and Dino Zoff) |
-The previous match between the nations was a friendly in Paris on March 19, 1966 that ended in a scoreless tie.
-The previous match between the nations, on Italian soil, was a friendly on May 5, 1962 in Florence that Italy won 2 to 1.
The French manager Michel Hidalgo took part in that match.
-The previous match between the nations in the same city was a Friendly played on December 4, 1938, that Italy won 1 to 0. The match was played at Napoli’s Stadio Partenopeo.
-The next match between the nations as well Italy’s next win, would be the World Cup Finals match played less than four months later in Mar del plata, Argentina, on June 2, 1978 that Italy won 2 to 1.
Italy players: Zoff, Belluggi, Gentile, Scirea, Antognoni, Benetti, Tardelli, Bettega Rossi, Conti, Maldera, Claudio Sala and Graziani and France Players: Bertrand-Demanes, Bossis, Janvion, Rio, Tresor, Guillou, Michel, Platini, Dalger, Lacombe, and Rouyer also took part in that match.
France scored after 36 seconds through Bernard Lacombe, the fastest goal of the 1978 World Cup.
Paolo Rossi and Renato Zaccarelli who did not take part in the February match (though Rossi was a non-playing substitute) scored Italy’s goals.
Tardelli was booked in both matches.
Italians Conti, Maldera, Claudio Sala and Graziani were non-playing substitutes for the World Cup match.
France’s Battiston was once again a non-playing substitute, along with Christian Lopez who did take part in the February match.
Prior to the match, the French players were contemplating to whiten the Adidas brand names on their boots. This was due to the fact that the sponsors wouldn’t double their fees.
-France’s next win over Italy, and actually its first since 1920, was a friendly, played in Paris, on February 23, 1982, that France won 2 to 0.
Italy players: Zoff, Gentile, Scirea, Tardelli and Graziani and France players: Janvion, Battiston, Lopez, Tresor, Lacombe and Platini also took part in that match.
Both Bearzot and Hidalgo still managed the respective teams.
Michel Platini scored in that match.
-Italy’s next win over France, and its first since 1978, was the World Cup Final in Berlin, Germany on July 9, 2006 that ended in a one to one tie and Italy won on a penalty kick shoot-out.
Italy’s next win in normal time would be during the UEFA European Championships on June 17, 2008 that they won 2 to 0.
-Italy was missing Juventus’ Franco Causio, Antonio Cabrini and Torino’s Renato Zaccarelli.
-Michel Hidalgo had decided against calling up usual wingers, Saint Etienne’s Dominique Rocheteau and RC Lens’ Didier Six, to try out Christian Dalger and Olivier Rouyer.
-Lionela Manfredonia suffered a heart attack while playing for AS Roma on December 30th, 1989 vs Bologna.
Manfredonia has played for both Roman sides of Lazio and AS Roma.
He was a teammate of France’s Platini and Italy’s Gaetano Scirea during his seasons at Juventus (1985/87).
He won the scudetto with Juventus in 1986.
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| Photo from : Onze, February 1978 |
-André Rey did not make the World Cup Finals squad for France as he broke his hand prior to the tournament.
As a result Jean Paul Bertrand-Demanes was established as France’s number one for the World Cup.
-Christian Dalger won the French League title that season with Monaco. Monaco achieved that feat as a newly promoted side.
He earned his 6th and final cap vs Italy few months later in the World Cup match.
-Italy dominated the first half and went up 2-0, with both goals from Graziani.
-France dominated the second and scored twice to tie up.
-Italy were awarded their penalty kick (scored by Graziani) in the 13th minute after Tardelli was fouled by Tresor in the box.
The decision seemed harsh as television replays clearly showed that Tresor had played the ball.
Bernard Lacombe was warned by the referee after protesting the decision.
Graziani scored Italy’s second off a header from a cross from club teammate Claudio Sala.
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Photo from : Onze, February 1978 (The panlaty incident involving Tresor and Tardelli and Graziani’s penalty kick) |
-France’s Dominique Bathenay scored France’s first goal off a header from a corner by substitute Albert Gemmrich.
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Photo from : Onze, February 1978 (Bathenay scoring France’s first with gentile looking on) |
-Michel Platini scored two free kicks in this match, though only one was validated.
Platini’s first free kick was disallowed in the 64th minute, because the referee had not signaled the kick to be taken.
Platini kicked, while the referee was occupied in getting the Italy wall set up and had not whistled. Platini’s disallowed goal was on Zoff’s right side.
In the 81st minute, he took and scored from a free kick to Zoff’s left side.
On both occasions Platini himself was fouled to earn the free kicks.
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Photo from : Le Livre d’or du Football 1978 (Platini scoring from free kick in the 81st minute) |
-France’s Albert Gemmrich replaced the injured Olivier Rouyer as early as 29th minute when France were already 2-0 down.
This was his First cap.
He earned his 4th and final cap later in that year vs Spain.
He Won the French League title with Strasbourg the following season.
-Dominique Bathenay joined Paris St Germain the following season.
A few days after this match he was injured in training with his club Saint Etienne and was out of action for many weeks.
-Jean-Marc Guillou earned his 19th and final cap vs Italy few months later in the World Cup match.
-Michel Platini scored vs Italy in 1982 and 1986 as well.
-Bernard Lacombe joined Saint Etienne the following seaosn.
-Claudio Sala earned his 18th and final cap later that year vs Czechoslovakia.
-Despite scoring twice vs France in this match, Francesco Graziani was displaced as Italy’s first choice by the time the World Cup began.
He was a substitute for the World Cup match, with Vicenza’s Paolo Rossi as first choice.
-Italy and Torino teammates Patrizio and Claudio Sala are NOT brothers.
-By the time the World Cup began, Aldo maldera had been displaced as first choice outside back by Juventus’ Antonio Cabrini.
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Photo From: France Football –February 14, 1978 (Future Juventus teammates, Tardelli and Platini) |
-Paolino Pulici earned his 19th and final cap later that year vs Turkey.
-Andre Rey and Patrick Battiston Battiston were teammates at Metz.
-Battiston later became teamamtes with Platini, Janvion and Lopez at Saint Etienne.
He also became teammates with Marius Trésor and Bernard Lacombe at Bordeaux.
-As posted in previous entries, Gaetano Scirea and Enzo Bearzot are both deceased.
-Olivier Rouyer scored a goal in the 23rd minute that was disallowed for offside.
-Mauro Belluggi scored an own goal in the 30th minute that was disallowed after Bossis was adjudged to have been offside.
-For the second half , Hidalgo repalced a disappointing Guillou with Henri Michel.
-There were many media reports around this time that Internazionale Milano were very interested in Platini. In fact they took an option on him by 1980. Though they did not exercise it and he joined Juevntus instead in 1982.
-Tardelli was booked after a foul on Bathenay, following Platini’s retaken first free kick in the 63rd minute.
-Michel Platini joined Juventus in 1982 and was teammates with Zoff, Gentile, Scirea, Tardelli, Bettega and Paolo Rossi.
-The Italian starting lineup contained 6 Juventus players, plus one non-playing substitute. In the World Cup they had up to 9 players.
The Juventus players won the Scudetto that season as well as the previous season.
-Dino Zoff, Michel Platini and Henri Michel all managed their respective National Teams.
Henri Michel led the French Olympic Team to triumph in 1984.
He also managed the French national team during the 1986 World Cup that included a 2 to 0 win over Italy.
-France had qualified for the World Cup Finals for the first time since 1966.
-Italy went on to finish fourth in the upcoming World Cup.
Zoff, Gentile, Scirea, Tardelli, Graziani , Antognoni and Paolo Rossi were members of the 1982 World Cup winning side also managed by Enzo Bearzot.
-Bossis, Platini, Lacombe and Battiston were members of France’s 1984 UEFA European Championship winning side.
-Future teamamtes Paolo Rossi (1982) and Michel Platini (1983,1984,1985) were winners of the Ballon d’Or.
-Paolo Rossi’s contract was jointly owned by Juventus and Vicenza.
-Dino Zoff was a former Napoli goalkeeper and was playing in his old stadium.
-Platini and Olivier Rouyer won the French Cup that season with Nancy.
Match Reports:
L’Integrale de L’Equipe de France de Football, La Nazionale Italiana (Supplement 1), Le Livre d’or du Football 1978, L’Annee du Football 1978, Onze-March 1978Match Video / Highlights:
