Osvaldo Bagnoli dies aged 91, architect of Hellas Verona’s miracle Scudetto | OneFootball

Osvaldo Bagnoli, the coach behind Hellas Verona’s shock 1985 Scudetto and a former attacking midfielder, has died aged 91. According to L'Équipe, he passed away on Friday morning in a Verona hospital after a neurodegenerative illness.

In 1984-85 his side led the table from start to finish. A 1-1 draw at Atalanta on 12 May sealed the title, the only Scudetto for a non-regional capital city since Serie A began in 1928-1929.

The upset landed in a season that welcomed Diego Maradona, Socrates, Junior and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to Italy, with Michel Platini and Zico already in place alongside many of the 1982 world champions.

Verona played direct, vibrant football. The core was libero Roberto Tricella, Hans-Peter Briegel recast as a driving holding player, Preben Elkjaer-Larsen, and the gifted Antonio Di Gennaro, Pietro Fanna and Beppe Galderisi.

A classy playmaker, Bagnoli emerged at AC Milan, played with Juan Alberto Schiaffino and won the 1956-57 title. He later turned out for Verona, Udinese, Catanzaro, SPAL Ferrara and Verbania across Serie A, B and C.

He had not planned on management, working with youth teams before taking Como in early 1976 after Beppe Marchiorio’s dismissal. Rimini, Fano and Cesena led to Verona in 1981, where he took them back among the elite.

He left in 1990, impressed at Genoa, then joined Inter, finishing second in 1992-93 before being sacked in February 1994. He later chose a quieter life in Verona, focusing on family and charity matches with Hellas alumni.

Source: L'Équipe