With the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo viewed an attempt for Juventus to improve their Champions League chances, another iconic figure in their last triumph, silver-haired Fabrizio Ravanelli, turned 50 on Tuesday.
However, the Italian’s iconic appearance was not the only thing that stood out from his teammates, with his energetic display also playing a huge part in acquiring the affectionate nickname of Penna Bianca (White Feather).
Alongside Gianluca Vialli and supported by Roberto Baggio, then later Alessandro Del Piero, Ravanelli formed a formidable attacking trio that helped return the Bianconeri to the pinnacle of European football.
Unlike those illustrious teammates though, the Perugia-born frontman was not the most technically gifted, but through his physicality, speed and clinical eye for goal was vital to the Old Lady.
Starting out with his hometown club, it was these attributes that brought Ravanelli local fame – netting 41 league goals in 90 appearances – and, after a brief spells with Avellino and Casertana, eventually joined Reggiana and continued his upward trajectory.
Determined to reach the top, Ravanelli admitted that Juventus’ interest was the driving factor behind his many star performances for the Teste quadre, as, despite being born some 567km away, grew up a Juventino.
Despite an eagerness to excel when arriving in 1992, the Italian originally struggled to break into the side, yet finished a debut season with a UEFA Cup winners medal – appearing as a late sub in the final second-leg.
However, Ravanelli was crucial as the Bianconeri swept aside all before them in Italy to win a domestic double in the 1994-95 season, wrestling the Serie A title from AC Milan’s clutches to take it back to Turin for the first time in nine years.
Towards the end of that season he made his Azzurri bow, scoring against Estonia, but it was a relatively short-lived spell on the international stage, appearing just 22 times over three years.
The Scudetto triumph became the first step in Juventus’ biggest achievement in recent history, as the Italian played a huge part in clinching the 1996 Champions League, scoring all five in a 5-1 group stage win over CSKA Sofia, while also netting in the final.
His strike at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome was a perfect example of the striker’s attributes, chasing down a hopeful lofted ball and out muscling the opposition, including goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, to slide home from an improbable angle.
Although Ajax equalised, Ravanelli had been substituted and ultimately saved his prematurely faded hair turning even whiter from the anguish of the penalty shootout that decided the destination of the trophy.
Sadly for Serie A fans, months later the 27-year-old would follow teammate Vialli during the first exodus of players towards the Premier League, joining Middlesbrough in a €8.5 million deal.
Despite announcing himself to English football with a hat-trick against Liverpool on the opening day of the season, it was a year of frustration and disappointment, as the club were relegated and lost both domestic cup finals.
“I never should have left,” admitted Ravanelli years later. “I was convinced I was good enough to leave Juventus though, and do even better.
“When you play for Juventus you have to think hundreds of times before leaving. I did not and I still regret that choice.”
After a two year spell with Marseille, where an impressive goal return was all he had to show from his time in France, Ravanelli was back in Serie A and collecting trophies, as Lazio won the double in 2000.
His contribution to the success was minimal and, possibly unsurprisingly, after claiming to have ‘loved’ his time at Middlesbrough, departed once more for England and Derby County.
Now clearly in the latter stages of his career, Ravanelli could not save them dropping through the Premier League trapdoor, but gained significantly more friends in the country than his first stint by sticking around and try to fire them back to the top-flight.
Five games for Dundee during the 2003-04 campaign, are often forgotten as the Italian once more returned to his homeland, and Perugia, in a romantic attempt to save his hometown side from demotion to Serie B.
Unlike in England, Ravanelli nearly achieved his aim, only for Perugia to lose a relegation playoff to Fiorentina and instead of his career ending on a high, faded away with the club struggling both on the pitch and financially.
