Napoli v Juventus: ten unlikely heroes who made history in this rivalry | OneFootball

The clash between Napoli and Juventus is not just any match. For over seventy years, it has produced memorable episodes, unexpected protagonists, and destinies overturned in a flash. From the postwar period to today, ten men—sometimes celebrated, sometimes overwhelmed—have left an indelible mark on the Fuorigrotta encounters, reports Gazzetta.

Napoli-Juventus, ten unexpected heroes who wrote the history of the rivalry

Men who, in an instant, found themselves at the center of the stage with technical feats, coincidences, or mistakes destined to remain in collective memory.

1958 – Gino Bertucco and the impossible match

Napoli–Juventus 4-3 (April 20, 1958)

The match at the Stadio della Liberazione is considered one of the most incredible of the 1950s. Vittorio Cramer tells it in a resounding voice: “Half of Vomero is outside, the other half is on the stands.” With four minutes to go, at 3-3, Bertucco picks up a rebound and scores the decisive 4-3. Behind the goal, dozens of people erupt in a chaotic celebration, symbolizing a football that was still popular, chaotic, and visceral.

1970 – Gigi Pogliana, the full-back who surprises everyone

Napoli–Juventus 1-0 (November 8, 1970)

Pogliana was not a predicted protagonist. He was a modern, enterprising full-back, but not a frequent scorer. Against Juventus, that day, he decided everything. On Sormani’s cross, he slipped between the Bianconeri defenders and headed past Tancredi. Enrico Ameri described it on the radio as “an irresistible goal.” And he was right.

1977 – Peppe Massa and the day of chaos

Napoli–Juventus 0-2 by default (January 9, 1977)

The match degenerated in the final minutes. Massa scored, but the referee disallowed it for handball. The stands exploded: objects of all kinds were thrown, a bottle struck linesman Binzagi on the head. Menicucci blew the final whistle early. The Sports Judge awarded a 0-2 win to Juventus. A dark Sunday, which became a symbol of the darker side of passion.

1981 – Guidetti’s own goal and the shattered dream

Napoli–Juventus 0-1 (May 17, 1981)

Marchesi’s Napoli was in the running for the title. Against Juventus, however, came the sting: a shot by Verza deflected by Guidetti, a generous and quiet midfielder, turned into the own goal that broke San Paolo’s ambitions. From Gozzano—where he used to repair televisions as a boy—to the weight of an entire people on his shoulders: fate can be cruel.

1984 – Gianni De Rosa, the long-haired man who stopped Platini

Napoli–Juventus 1-1 (January 29, 1984)

Juventus took the lead with a Platini free kick that ended Castellini’s unbeaten streak. But De Rosa, a creative forward with an unmistakable look, brought Napoli level. That goal was worth more than a draw: it was a spark of pride in a complicated season. His life would end tragically in 2008, but that goal remains one of the most remembered.

1989 – Renato Buso, Juve’s April Fool

Napoli–Juventus 2-4 (April 1, 1989)

Buso, a precocious talent who never fully blossomed, had one of his perfect days in Naples: a brace, a win, and an indelible mark on the match. “On April Fool’s Day, I scored for real,” he would say years later. An episode that sums up his career: intermittent, but with sudden and dazzling highlights.

1991 – De Agostini breaks the deadlock

Napoli–Juventus 0-1 (October 20, 1991)

Two teams full of champions: on one side Careca, Zola, Padovano; on the other Baggio, Schillaci, Casiraghi. Yet the decider was Gigi De Agostini, a full-back with a surgical shot, who surprised Galli in first-half stoppage time. “I always score against Napoli,” he said with a smile at the end of the match. Indeed, the script repeated itself with relentless punctuality.

1997 – Taglialatela and Fonseca’s mocking curve

Napoli–Juventus 1-2 (November 9, 1997)

Three minutes to go. Fonseca, once a San Paolo idol now in black and white, struck a seemingly harmless left-footed shot. The ball bounced in front of Taglialatela, changed trajectory, and ended up in the net. The goalkeeper was despondent, the crowd furious, Napoli in free fall toward relegation. An episode that became a metaphor for the season.

2011 – Estigarribia, the man of the match no one expected

Napoli–Juventus 3-3 (November 29, 2011)

In the spectacular 3-3 at San Paolo, an unexpected name emerged: Marcelo Estigarribia, a Paraguayan winger who would score only one goal for Juventus. That night, however, he carved out a place for himself in a spectacular encounter. An unexpected protagonist in the first year of the Conte era.

2019 – Kevin Malcuit and the mistake that changed the match

Napoli–Juventus 1-2 (March 3, 2019)

A risky back pass, Cristiano Ronaldo intercepts, Meret forced into a foul and then sent off. Pjanic’s free kick completed the job. Malcuit, with his platinum blond hair, wished he could disappear. “It’s a costly mistake, but we’ll react,” Ancelotti reassured him, substituting him shortly after. Meanwhile, Juventus booked their eighth consecutive league title.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.