There is a picture of an Italian international taken over a quarter of a
century ago that inspired my devoted interest in calcio Italia. It was an
action image of the former Azzurri and Juventus legend Roberto Bettega
scoring against England. Until then Juve were just another foreign club that
always seemed to beat English opposition. Bettega, in this particular
picture, is in headlong flight almost parallel to the ground with the ball
just a few yards from his forehead as it hurtles towards goal.

Being an England fan it was as welcome as Bernard Manning at a feminist’s
meeting, but as an appreciator of fine football it was a perfect
representation of the most beautiful game in the world. In the background a
bemused Emlyn Hughes and two other equally dumbstruck England defenders look
on helplessly. It came as the striker scored Italy’s second goal in the
qualifying rounds for the 1978 World Cup in Rome’s Olympic Stadium in
November 1976. It is an image that showed just one aspect of the legend he
became to Italian and Juventus fans alike.

The goal, like the first from Fiorentina’s Giancarlo Antognoni in the 2-0
defeat, was made purely in Turin by Juve players. The moustached Franco
Causio had escaped the attention of the England defenders and was hovering
over on the left flank. He passed to the overlapping Romeo Benetti. The
midfielder’s cross from the touchline was met by Roberto bursting through a
befuddled English defence at the speed of a silver bullet. He connected at
waist high with a full-length dive to place it beyond a despairing Ray
Clemence in goal.

Signor Bettega was a player of immense intelligence and became one of the
world’s most feared strikers. He was seen by many as the natural heir to
West Germany’s Gerd Muller in the 1978 World Cup. He scored an incredible
seven goals in the build-up to the semi-final defeat by Holland and along
with Antognoni and Torino’s Francesco Graziani formed a deadly attacking
trio. However, despite making his international debut at 25 it wasn’t until
he reached his late twenties that he gathered a full resolution for the game.

His Azzurri debut came in a 1-0 defeat of Finland in June 1975, in the
qualifying stages of the European Nations Cup of 1976. However, it wasn’t
until two years later that he really made his international mark. Playing
against Finland, this time in the qualifying rounds of the 1978 World Cup,
Roberto and Italy ripped the Scandinavians apart in October 1977. Running
them ragged Bettega scored the first, second, fourth and fifth in the 6-1
victory. It was all the more satisfying for Bettega as it was in front of his
home crowd in Turin’s Stadio Comunale.

Born in that same city, he grew up with Juventus as a youngster when he
joined their Primavera side in 1961. He was initially fielded by then Coach
Pedrale as a midfielder, but Pedrale’s successor Rabitti saw Bettega’s
scoring potential and moved him upfield. Like so many youngsters of today’s
generation in Serie A, the forward needed match experience. After sitting on
the bench in the 1968-69 campaign he was sent on loan to Varese in Serie B.
It was there, under former Milan legend Nils Liedholm, that Bettega hit 13
goals to help the side finish top and gain promotion to Serie A.

Starting his Juve career proper the following year, he made his top-flight
debut in the 1-0 defeat of Sicilian side Catania on August 27, 1970. It was
the start of a glorious 11-year career with the Old Lady that saw him pick up
seven League titles under three different Coaches. His first Scudetto came in
his second season playing under Cestmir Vycpalek. But not everything was
going as it should. In January 1972, Bettega scored his tenth goal in 14
games to see off Fiorentina but ended the day in hospital with breathing
difficulties. It was a problem that kept him away from the game for five
months. But Bettega proved strong enough to return, just as he did in the
early 1980s after rupturing knee ligaments in a European game against
Anderlecht.

He was back for the 1972-73 season in which Juventus President Giampiero
Boniperti said: "The best signing for this season will undoubtedly be Roberto
Bettega." The League title brought a smile back to Bobby-gol’s face even if
it turned sour in Europe when they were beaten by Ajax in the European Cup
Final.

Carlo Parola took over as the Bianconeri Coach and they went on to win their
third Scudetto of the 1970s with almost the exact side that had one the
previous two titles. But it wasn’t until Giovanni Trapattoni took over as
boss that Juve became the super side of the 1970s, providing nine of the side
that took Italy as far as the semi-finals in the Argentina World Cup. Bettega
played alongside some of the biggest world stars of that decade including
Dino Zoff, Antonio Cabrini, Marco Tardelli, Claudio Gentile, Paolo Rossi,
Gaetano Scirea, Beppe Furino and Pietro Anastasi. Yet for all their regular
appearances in Europe, Bettega’s Juve only won the UEFA Cup in 1977. They
were again beaten in the European Cup Final in 1983 by underdogs Hamburg in
Athens. That was Bettega’s last game for the Bianconeri before joining
Toronto Blizzard in Canada.

On the international scene, after Cagliari’s Gigi Riva was forced to retire
in the mid 1970s, Italy were searching for a left-sided forward after failing
to win for nine games in a row. They needed a newer version of the Cagliari
legend, an individual who could be relied upon to change a game. Enter
Bettega for the Finland victory. But even then Italy were still floundering
and it took three or four games for Roberto and the Azzurri to find their
feet before they started to click and were only stopped from reaching the
World Cup Final after the 2-1 defeat by Holland in the semi-finals.

There were few similarities between Bettega and Riva, possibly only the fact
that they were both left footed really linked them. Where Bettega was sleek
and willow-like, Riva was a barrel chested powerhouse. Where the Juve forward
delicately threaded his way through defences to tuck balls away neatly, Riva
just powered through and cannoned the ball taking the ‘keeper over the line
with it if he was foolish enough to try and stop it. Then there was Bettega’
s knack of bursting forward over the first few yards, like a world class 100
metre sprinter, a gift which distinguishes the great from the good. At times
he appeared to be simply coasting, that is until the ball came within playing
distance. He would then use his astonishing turn of pace, cut loose and zero
in on goal.

Italy and Juve always had alternatives with Bettega up front. They could play
it through to him or launch it over the top of the defence and Roberto’s
anticipation could be trusted to do the rest. In his first 12 appearances he
scored 13 for the Azzurri, going on to win 42 caps and notching 19 goals in
all. His penultimate game was in the 1982 World Cup qualifying match with
Yugoslavia in October 1981, where he scored the all important equaliser in
the 1-1 draw. His final game arrived a full two years later - after
recovering from his knee injury - in the 1-0 defeat away to Romania,
eventually being replaced by Alessandro Altobelli.

After retiring from Juventus he joined the managerial side eventually forming
a new group at the club in 1994 along with Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo,
nicknamed the Triad. They hired Marcello Lippi who helped the Old Lady return
to the glory days of Bettega’s footballing years to win their first League
title for nine years and the rest as they say like Bettega himself is
history.

STAR RATING 8/10 A vital and respected member of the all-conquering Juventus
team of the 1970s and 80s, Roberto Bettega deserves to be recognised as one
of the Bianconeri’s most impressive performers. At international level, his
scoring record was more than useful. An intelligent and gifted front-runner
who has enjoyed immeasurable success behind the scenes at Juve.

Roberto Bettega
Born: Turin 27/12/50
Position: Forward
Ht/Wt: 1.84m/78kg
Serie A debut: Catania 0-1 Juventus, 27/9/70
Clubs: Varese, Juventus
International debut: Finland 0-1 Italy (Olympiastadion), 5/6/75
Last cap: Romania 1-0 Italy (Stadionul), 16/4/83
International caps: 42
International goals: 19
Honours:
Lo Scudetto (1972, 73, 75, 77,78, 81, 82)
Coppa Italia (1979, 83)
UEFA Cup (1977)
--
FROM 166.111.35.70