In 1989-90 the Italians won all the Cups: will they succeed this year? – Corriere.it

Italy dreams big with five teams – Milan, Inter, Juventus, Roma and Fiorentina – in the semi-finals of the three European cups, in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference. We can hope for a sensational hat-trick, as happened in 1989-90, a good 33 years ago, even if, it should be specified, the Conference League is a different competition from the Cup Winners’ Cup. However, that was the only precedent for our football, when Milan won the fourth European Cup in their history (the second in a row) by beating Benfica 1-0 in Vienna, with goals from Rijkaard. And Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli’s Sampdoria triumphed in the Cup Winners’ Cup beating Anderlecht in the last act, played in Gothenburg, with a 2-0 in extra time, thanks to Vialli’s brace. And in the UEFA Cup? Success for Juventus in the all-Italian final against Fiorentina: 3-1 in Turin and 0-0 in Florence. And now we will try to match that historic year.

One between Milan and Inter will certainly be in the Champions League final on 10 June in Istanbul against the winner of the double-header between Real Madrid and Manchester City. Instead, in the Europa League there may even be an all-Italian final: Juve must beat Sevilla and Roma against Bayer Leverkusen. Finally, in the Conference Fiorentina will challenge Basel with the aim of facing one between Az Alkmaar and West Ham.

But many other times in the past our Serie A went close to the hat-trick. In 1989, the year before the magical ’90, Milan won the Champions Cup against Steaua Bucharest, the Naples the UEFA Cup against Stuttgart, while Sampdoria was defeated in the Cup Winners’ Cup final by Barcelona. A feat that came close two more times: in 1993 Parma won the Cup Winners’ Cup against Antwerp; Juventus won the UEFA Cup against Borussia Dortmund, but Milan lost the top European competition in the final in Munich with Marseille. Finally, in 1993-94 the Rossoneri returned to the top of Europe with the 4-0 defeat of Barcelona in Athens, while Inter won the UEFA Cup in the double final with Salzburg. And in the Cup Winners’ Cup? Parma ko in the final against Arsenal. Now Italy is trying the feat again to match that of 33 years ago. In a kind of rebirth of our clubs.