Fabrizio Ravanelli’s best games

Italy 4 Estonia 1

March 25, 1995 European Championship qualifier

“Every footballer who works hard wants to wear the national shirt. I scored on my debut against Estonia, which was really important for me – when you play for your country, it’s a huge responsibility and I didn’t want to lose my chance. Arrigo Sacchi was one of the finest managers I ever had. He always tried to help, showing me good movements to help the midfield and defence. He demanded so much from forwards – if you wouldn’t run, it was impossible to play for him. Sacchi wanted you to pressure teams, and that was one of my greatest qualities. He loved that about me.”

Juventus 4 Parma 0

May 21, 1995 Serie A

“Juventus hadn’t won the Serie A title since 1985- 86. Four days before the Parma game, we’d lost the UEFA Cup final to them. There was a lot of disappointment, but now we could win the league. Thankfully, I scored twice and we won 4- 0. It was a fantastic day for me, because it was the first trophy I’d won as a key player – I scored 30 goals that season. When I joined Juve, I was young and had been playing in Serie B. I worked so hard every day, and there was a lot of competition in training just to earn your place. When my moment finally arrived, I was ready.”

Ajax 1 Juventus 1 ( 2- 4 pens)

May 22, 1996 Champions League final

“The best moment in my career. Juve had only won the European Cup once before, but many lives were lost at Heysel that day [ in 1985] so it felt like it didn’t count. There was pressure on us, but we all wanted to win – Alex Ferguson said the team had tiger eyes because our mentality was very strong. In 1996, Ajax were Europe’s best team: they’d beaten Milan to win the final a year earlier. They ran and ran under Louis van Gaal, but in our hearts we were ready. Scoring in that game was a dream; you feel like the king in that moment. I put every ounce of energy into lifting the cup [ left] and it was the greatest souvenir of my life.”

Middlesbrough 3 Liverpool 3

August 17, 1996 Premier League

“Before Euro 96, I didn’t know too much about English football – but after one or two matches, I understood that it was a fantastic place to play. The fans created a great atmosphere and wanted to help the players. I prepared well for my first game against Liverpool – at the time, I was one of Europe’s best forwards and people were interested to see how I’d do abroad with a smaller team like Middlesbrough. I got a hat- trick! After the first goal, a penalty, I was emotional – my heart was beating so fast because I really didn’t want to miss it. My father was in Perugia, getting updates in his swimming pool, and cried when he realised I’d scored three goals. When I watched the game back on television, I saw the Boro fans put their shirts over their heads just like me!”