Before I get into the final ratings of the best and worst players of 1991-92, Guerin Sportivo graded the European club final between Sampdoria-Barcelona:
Final reflections of the 1991-92 season. Top players that confirmed their reputation: Van Basten, Rijkaard, Maldini and Baresi, were considered truly outstanding, obtaining the top marks of an 8 out of 10 for their performances. Enzo Scifo, Kohler, Francescoli, Batistuta, Sosa, Fonseca, Lentini, Hässler, Platt, Zenga, Signori, Riedle, Caniggia, etc, all validated their fame as top stars in the game. Zola, one of the standout stars of the campaign, filling proudly the void that Maradona had left, ranked in the top positions throughout most of the season. Careca, although below his standards of the late 1980s, was viewed as “resurrecting” himself with 15 goals, which was in the same ballpark as in his previous seasons. The Russian, Shalimov, produced one of the outstanding surprises for underdog Foggia. Roberto Baggio, despite not ranking high and producing mixed reviews throughout the season, ratified his fame as one of the top talents in the world, with a final mark from GS of a 7. On the flipside, the players that didn’t live up to the expectations were Martin Vasquez, Stojkovic, Matthäus, Klinsmann, Brehme, Völler, Giannini, Schillachi, Casiraghi, Reuter, Serena, Skuhravy, Radicioiu... Will get to the winner of the Guerin d’Or soon...
They are maybe/probably/certainly more generous towards their own players. The final ratings are higher (next to other players in the same position or line) as the average rating. For example, at the time of winning the title (later becoming an unbeaten season) the Three Tulips had all a higher grade than the rest of their team mates (in the last few rounds Baresi, Maldini etc. get some stronger grades and MvB poorer ones despite scoring a brace and such). Kohler only a 7 in the final review is another notable one (a few of their own defenders/defensive players an 8 or 7.5), while the average grade when the business was done doesn't suggest so.. (0.11 gap with the next best defender, but of course over 34 rounds this isn't an enormous difference per se and can be swayed by a caution more or less) Remains strange that Italy didn't qualify for euro 1992, given the high level of talent they had (for their own standards, too).
The case of Baggio is the one that stands out the most. Most of the first half and end to the season is lackluster at best, according to the grades. He doesn’t make any top 5 finishes in any offensive positions and probably falls border line into the average of a 6 across 30 plus league games, but is elevated to a 7 mark by the end of the campaign. Inclusively he was mentioned in a possible trade with Savicevic taking his place during the first half of the season.
So GS handed out the winner of the Guerin d’Or, which for the first time ever 2 players shared the honor with identical 6,60 points at the conclusion of the campaign. Rijkaard and Shalimov were the 1991-92 winners, with all the final grades of each position below:
It must be noted that most sources online only have Rijkaard listed as the winner for Guerin d’Or in 1992, but in reality it was a joint-award shared with Shalimov. It is strange that was omitted. Another point to mention, since the awards’ inception in 1976, only 4 other foreigners had won it (Krol, Platini, Maradona, Brehme).
So the top 3 rated foreigners of 1991-92 were: 1. Rijkaard 6,60 Shalimov 6,60 3. Gullit 6,52 Ruud Gullit, despite finishing high, went kind of under the radar for several reasons: he missed 8 league matches and only completed 13 full games. While he ranked by a hair higher in the same category than Zola and Scifo by the end of the season, the reality is that throughout most of the campaign the other key figures carried most of the weight of their teams and featured in more games and completed almost every 90 minutes of action. https://www.transfermarkt.es/ruud-g...45/plus/0/saison/1991/wettbewerb/IT1/verein/5 https://www.transfermarkt.es/enzo-s.../plus/0/saison/1991/wettbewerb/IT1/verein/416 https://www.transfermarkt.es/gianfr...r/3177/saison/1991/wettbewerb/IT1/verein/6195
Before I move onto the 1992-93 season, I must point out that the second half for that campaign I’m missing; if I find the rest I will post it once I reach that point. Meanwhile, a look back at the top Italian scorers and foreigners since 1980-81:
Before we get into the 92/93 season, there was new acquisitions and shifting around all teams. Some notable new signings to the league are: B. Laudrup, Gascoigne, Hagi, Asprilla, Ruggeri, Effenberg, Dobrovolski, Sammer, Möller, Winter, Savecivic, Papin, Walker, Mihajlovic, Thern... The notable players that have departed Italian football, either through retirement or transfer, are: Matthäus, Brehme, Blanc, Stromberg, Völler, Reuter. A case study of Laurent Blanc must be mentioned. For Napoli he was seen as the major signing for the 91/92 season, but failed to make a positive impression. Italian journalists rated him relatively low and his stint at the club ended after only one season. Coming up: more on the new signings and their qualities soon, as well as a preview of every team and their forecasted chances to compete for either the Scudetto or enter the UEFA zone. In addition, every starting player will be given a star rating of 1 to 5 based on their strengths (five being the absolute top). Very few of those five’s will be given though, due to extremely high standards from Italian journalists. Stay tuned...
GS and their assessment of the qualities of some new signings in Serie A: B. Laudrup, Winter, Ruggeri, L. Rodriguez, Zárate, Hagi...
In alphabetical order, all Serie A teams were evaluated. We start off with newly promoted Ancona. They received a good grade of a 6,5 and their aim was to survive the relegation zone. Their star player is Detari, with a very good 4 out of 5 stars. They also acquired several Argentinians, most notably defender Ruggeri, who received a good 3/5 stars. The strength seemed to be their midfield, packed with various players of 3/5 stars and Detari, the lone 4/5 star player.
The review of Atalanta: a retooled side, with a good grade of a 6,5, with two players graded 4 out of 5 stars. Their aim was to finish around the mid-table. Their strength lied mostly in defense, with a top rated goalkeeper, as well as a solid attack, bolstered by their new acquisitions. In addition, a notable new manager in Lippi.
Brescia: newly promoted to Serie A, aided by a Romanian trio, and a Romanian manager, the team got a respectable grade of 6,5 and their aim was to survive the relegation zone, which is what is surely expected. Their strength undeniably lies in the midfield, with their main creator being 4 star Gheorghe Hagi. There is some experience in goal, with Landucci, but his 2 star rating suggests he no longer is the highly valued keeper of the 1980s. Will Hagi and the rest be enough ?
Cagliari: A respectable 6,5 grade with an aim to survive the relegation zone. Their star player is Francescoli, with a 4 star grade. They have an experienced manager, plus already survived the hardships of Serie A the previous season. Their strength seems distributed evenly between their midfield, plus the experience of their manager and the previous season, but the departure of Fonseca, the Uruguayan forward, can be an issue, since he was their main scorer.
Fiorentina received a solid grade of a 7, with the aspirations of competing for a UEFA spot (virtually meaning a top 3-5 finish in the league). They have quality all around but their strength lies mostly in the final third, with a potent midfield and attack that consists of four 4 star calibre players (B. Laudrup, Baiano, Effenberg and Batistuta). In addition, an experienced coach in Radice.
Foggia: after a surprisingly good previous season, the club is now rated with a modest grade of a 5. They no longer have Shalimov and have lost various of their quality players from the previous season. Their aim is to survive the relegation zone and their strength lies mostly in attack where there are various 3 star quality players. Not much is expected from them as they are considered one of the weakest sides in ‘the most difficult league in the world’.
Genoa: graded with a solid 7, the club’s aim is to finish at around the mid-table. It is considered a quality side with balance across all lines. It has acquired the services of an ‘iconic’ goalkeeper in 4 star Tacconi. It has a top rated 4 star sweeper in Signorini and several other 4 star calibre players. In addition, several dangerous Eastern European attackers and a new experienced coach that seeks to redeem himself from past downfalls.
Inter Milan: with a very good grade of an 8, Inter Milano are a contender for the Scudetto. It is a revamped side, no longer do they have Klinsmann, Matthäus, Brehme, but have acquired Shalimov, Sosa, Pancev, Schillachi and Sammer. They have the first 5 star rated player in legendary goalkeeper Zenga. It is a strong side in all lines, with an experienced coach in Bagnoli. The pressure is on for Inter to win and anything less is a failure for such an illustrious side.
Juventus: with an excellent grade of a 9 and with 5 star Roberto Baggio expected to drive them to glory, anything other than the Scudetto title would be considered a failure. The squad boasts world-class talent all over and with the experienced Trapattoni at the helm, a great season is expected from them.
Lazio: with a very good 7,5 grade and expected to reach the UEFA zone, the Roman side boast some of the best players in the world with 4 star rated Gascoigne, Winter, Riedle, Cravero, Doll and Signori. Their strength lies inevitably in midfield and attack. Dino Zoff as manager continues at the helm and many expect a solid campaign.
AC Milan: with a perfect grade of a 10 nothing short of winning the Scudetto would be accepted. The club boast a ‘dream team’ that is considered by many the best in the world. It has four 5 star rated players, with former Ballon d’Or winners and podium finishers all over. If there is a weakness it may be the goalkeeper, but virtually every player is of the highest order. Fabio Capello at the helm is expected to cement his legacy as one of the most successful managers of all-time.
Napoli: with an excellent 8,5 grade, the southern side was expected to at least finish in the UEFA zone and have an outside shot at the Scudetto. Their 5 star player is Zola, who has admirably filled the void of Maradona. They have experience and have added strength up front with 4 star Fonseca. Their strength lies in the midfield, which is arguably viewed as the strongest of all Serie A squads, bolstered with the addition of Thern. Ranieri remains at the helm, but questions about his tactics and the team’s defense remain an enigma.
Parma: with a very good grade of an 8, the club is one of the most intriguing of Serie A. It boasts world-class talent with first rate NT players from different countries of Brazil, Sweden, Colombia and Belgium. Their aim is to reach the UEFA zone and their strength is their manager and defense, one of the most difficult to break down with varios 4 star calibre players. Although talent up front is undeniable, with Melli, Brolin and the new South American revelation of Asprilla, doubts remain if this is Parma’s weakest point: their offense struggled the previous season and now with Asprilla much is expected to improve.
Pescara: with a decent grade of a 6, the newly promoted Serie B club’s best hope is to survive the relegation zone. Their strength lies mostly in their attack, but questions about their midfield and defense remain a concern. Their manager Galeone likes to have his teams constantly initiating attacks, with an entertaining style of play, but at the cost of conceding many goals.