Pisa-Cagliari for Ranieri is the challenge with which his rossoblù obtained Serie A in 1990
Thirty-two years ago it finished 2-2 and Valentini and Provitali were decisive: on Monday under the eyes of Ranieri, at the Arena Garibaldi Anconetani, the memories of that glorious day will also come back
Claudio Ranieri, coach of Cagliari (Archive)
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The challenge is repeated, even at the Arena Garibaldi. The first leg ended in a draw (1-1, with Morutan's goal Lapadula replied) at the Domus, but Pisa-Cagliari is above all the great match of 20 May 1990. For those who were there, it was a real invasion of the Tuscan city: around ten thousand rossoblù fans gathered under the Tower to push Claudio Ranieri's team towards the unexpected and unexpected promotion to Serie A coinciding with the World Cup, those of the Magic Nights and Caniggia's goal which , at the San Paolo, cost the elimination in the seminal Italy landlady.
Pisa-Cagliari, we said. Let's talk about Ranieri's second triumph in rossoblù and in his career. It was certainly the apotheosis of a magical two-year period, which allowed the club – which started from C – to regain its noble place in football that counts. And, with the miraculous salvation of the following season, to stay there. In those championships Cagliari also brought the public back to Sant'Elia, regenerating, more generally, the cheer even outside the island, given the copious presences especially in the fields of the central north. Pisa was no exception, in the decisive match of that fantastic 20 May: Neri scored in the 3rd minute, Valentini equalized in the 20th minute, the Nerazzurri took the lead again in the 58th minute thanks to a penalty from Incocciati, but in the 68th minute he thought about it Try them to put things right. It finished 2-2 : on the bench - at the triple whistle of the referee Cornieti - the emotion of a still very young Sir Claudio and the irrepressible joy of the very president Tonino Orrù and the vice president Ninnino Orrù. Without forgetting the tears of Carmine Longo, historic sports director and deus ex machina of that miracle.
The following year, in Serie A, again with Ranieri on the bench, Cagliari lost 1-0 due to an own goal by Ivo Pulga. Since then the two teams have never met again in the stadium which, in the meantime, has taken the name of the volcanic president of Pisa Romeo Anconetani. Right at the Domus in the first leg and, in 2021, in the Italian Cup (3-1 for Cagliari) But the memory of that epic match thirty-two years ago and the rossoblù invasion of Pisa remains. Under the eyes of Claudio Ranieri, as he enters the field on Easter Monday, these images of a glorious past will also scroll , in the hope that the present holds the same joys.
