Parma captures UEFA Cup
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from May 1995.
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The Parmesan team held Juventus to a 1-1 draw in their second-leg final at Milan's San Siro stadium and clinched the European trophy on a 2-1 aggregate score thanks to a 1-0 home victory in the first leg.
Dino Baggio, the less famous and less celebrated of the two Baggios on the field, was the decisive player for Parma in both games.
The Italian midfielder, who scored the game winner in the first final, headed in the 54th minute goal which evened GianLuca Vialli's opener in the 33rd.
Dino Baggio's diving header, from two meters on a perfect cross by substitute defender Roberto Mussi, definitely disheartened the Turin team which at that point would have needed to score two goals to reverse the re[sult]. sult and win the Cup. Roberto Baggio, Juventus inspirational starforward, made some good moves and fed good balls to teammates Vialli, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Moreno Torricelli, who squandered at least four clear scoring chances.
Vialli, Juventus leading scorer in the league with 15 goals, had the best opportunity in the 16th minute, on a perfect pass from Roberto Baggio, but failed to kick the ball in from 2 meters. However Vialli silenced critics when he put Juventus in front with a masterpiece, on a long pass from defender Torricelli.
Parma's goalie Luca Bucci could hardly see Vialli's cannon ball which gave Juventus a 1-0 first-half lead.
Parma's equalizer came on a quick counterattack led by Mussi, fielded as substitute of Antonio Benarrivo in the 46th. It was the first UEFA Cup victory for Parma, which added to the Cup Winners Cup trophy won by the Italian team in 1993. It also was the sixth triumph by an Italian team in the last seven editions of the UEFA Cup.
The game was tense and hard-fought. Belgian referee Frans Van Den Wijngaert was busy in cautioning players - two of Juventus and four of Parma, including Colombian Faustino Asprilla and Portuguese Fernando Couto.
"My team played a perfect game, and deserved this Cup," said Parma's coach Nevio Scala. "This trophy repays us for the league disappointments."
Parma has been Juventus toughest rival in the current league campaign but trails the Turin team by seven points, with only three rounds left.
La Juve can clinch its 23rd league title Sunday by scoring a draw or a win, again against Parma.
It will not be the last duel between the two teams, which are also set to clash in the Italian Cup finals in June.
"We can regret the good scoring chances missed. We commanded play. We were punished by the result," said Juventus coach Marcello Lippi.
Roberto Baggio, no relation to Dino Baggio, said Parma proved the better team over 180 minutes of play (two games).
"It was not the strongest team, but it converted its scoring opportunities, while we didn't. We will try to console ourselves by clinching the scudetto (title) on Sunday," Roberto Baggio said. About 80,000 fans, most of them La Juve supporters, watched the final in the Milan arena, picked by Juventus as alternative home field following a controversy with owners of Turin's Stadium of the Alps.
Juventus played in Milan also its UEFA Cup semifinal against Borussia Dortmund.
Lineups: Juventus-Angelo Peruzzi, Ciro Ferrara, Robert Jarni, Moreno Torricelli, Sergio Porrini, Paulo Sousa, Angelo Di Livio (Massimo Carrera, 80th), Giancarlo Marocchi (Alessandro Del Piero, 74th), Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Baggio, Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Parma - Luca Bucci, Antonio Benarrivo (Roberto Mussi, 46th), Alberto Di Chiara (Marcello Castellini, 78th), Lorenzo Minotti, Massimo Susic, Fernando Couto, Stefano Fiore, Dino Baggio, Massimo Crippa, Gianfranco Zola, Faustino Asprilla.
Referee: Frans Van Den Wijngaert, Belgium Attendance: 80,000.
