There are football matches and moments that remain forever in history. Exactly forty years ago, a historic match was played for the red and whites: on 16 June 1984, at the “Bentegodi” stadium in Verona, the return leg of the Italian Cup semi-final between the Veronese team and Bolchi’s Bari took place. An impressive journey of the “cockerels”, who in that season trod the difficult fields of the C series, authors of memorable knockouts against teams of the highest level and protagonists, in the 1983-84 season, in Italy and in Europe such as Juventus (Champion of Italy and winner of the Cup Winners’ Cup) and Fiorentina (3rd place finish in Serie A).
The Bari fans, who had recently celebrated the red and whites’ return to Serie B, want to continue dreaming big and the dream is called the final. The undertaking, however, is anything but simple given that they are facing the Verona of Osvaldo Bagnoli, Galderisi and the former Maurizio Iorio (top scorer of Catuzzi’s “Bari dei Baresi” in 1981-82), who emerged victorious from the ‘of victory’ (2-1 with goals from Jordan and Iorio for the Veronese, and Galluzzo) in the first leg played three days earlier in the enthusiastic city of Bari. In the ranks of that Verona, which a year later, with great surprise, will win its only scudetto in its history, also plays the midfielder Antonio Di Gennaro, who a few years later will become captain and red and white idol. Twenty-five thousand spectators are present in Verona, many fewer than the sold-out event in Bari.
The match begins and the first half sees a Bari team determined to try to overturn the result of the first leg, and a Verona team that doesn’t want to risk much. In the 37th minute, the cold shower arrives for Bari: the former Iorio performs an acrobatic overhead kick, Conti rejects and Galderisi scores. The Barians push and, four minutes after Verona’s goal, Cuccovillo hits the post. In the second half Bari went unbalanced in search of an equalizer, but in the 58th minute they conceded the 2-0 with Volpati able to collect a cross, executed after a thirty meter gallop with the ball at his feet, by the unstoppable Iorio. The second yellow-blue goal, however, cuts off Bolchi’s Bari. Ten minutes later, in fact, Verona strikes for the third time: the wild “Nanu” Galderisi, after a phrasing with Iorio and Fontolan, sends the ball into the net. Bari reacts and scores two minutes later: Gigi De Rosa pushes towards the back and kicks for striker Lele Messina, who is able to put the ball in the net. But it’s too late. In the 90th minute Messina missed a penalty which, however, would not have changed the fortunes of the Bari team. It ends 3-1 for Verona, but the red and whites still accomplished an exceptional feat that will remain in history: a national record equaled only after 32 years. Before then, no Serie C team had reached the semi-final of the Italian Cup. The title was then won by Roma, who beat the Scala team in the final. The story of that incredible Bari season thus ends on the late evening of 16 June 1984.
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VERONA: Garella, Ferroni, Storgato (69′ Zmuda), Volpati (72′ Guidolin), Fontolan, Trivella (76′ Jordan), Guidetti, Bruni, Iorio, Di Gennaro, Galderisi. All. Bagnoli.
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BARI: Conti, Loseto I (72′ Baldini), Guastella, Cuccovillo, Acerbis (72′ De Rosa), De Trizio, De Tommasi, Sola, Messina, Lopez, Galluzzo (76′ De Martino). All. Bolchi.
GOALS: 37′ Galderisi, 58′ Volpati, 68′ Galderisi, 70′ Messina.
REFEREE: Reins.
