Catenaccio is perhaps the most misunderstood and misused term in the tactical lexicon.
First coming to prominence in Italian football in the 1940s, catenaccio is founded on the core principles of a deep-lying formation and aggressive man-marking. In the decades that followed, it became the dominant strategy within the Italian coaching fraternity. Over time, the bolt across the door became a byword for any defensive style.
However, this convenient shorthand neglects the essential counterpart to a robust defence. After all, you can’t win matches with clean sheets alone.
Helenio Herrara’s Grande Inter perfected the art of devastating counter-attacking football. This was embodied by goalscoring full-back Giacinto Facchetti, whose marauding play was intrinsic to Inter sealing back-to-back European Cups in the 1960s.
Understandably, rivals clamoured to mimic this approach that was yielding such success.
However, those emulating Herrara’s style did not have access to the calibre of player required to execute the offensive part of his prescription. Frequently, these shoestring imitations led to highly tactical, uninspiring and low-scoring encounters.
And few campaigns capture the spirit of low-budget catenaccio more than Empoli’s 1986/87 season.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Tuscans emerged from the shadow of their illustrious neighbours, Fiorentina, when they won promotion to Serie A for the first time in their history in summer 1986. Coach Gaetano Salvemini set about forming an ensemble capable of surviving in the top tier. With modest resources at his disposal, the emphasis was necessarily on youth.
He signed promising young left-back Amedeo Carboni (21) from Arezzo and swooped for exciting forward Johnny Ekstrom (21), who he had just helped IFK Gothenburg to the European Cup Semi-Final. Then came the loan captures of Francesco Baiano (18, Napoli), Massimo Brambati and Marco Osio (both 21 from Torino).
Salvemini and his fearless young charges enjoyed a dream start to the season, albeit in unfamiliar surroundings. On-going work at Empoli’s stadium meant the opening day clash with Inter was hosted down the road in Florence. Marco Osio rose to the occasion, scoring the only goal of the game as upstarts Empoli sprung a surprise on Trapattoni’s Inter.
They followed that up with another one-goal victory at Ascoli…before reality set in. A sequence of six consecutive defeats, during which Empoli managed only one goal, definitively marked the end of the honeymoon period.
As autumn leaves began to fall, further defeats to superior opponents were interlaced by efficient 1-0 victories over Verona and Fiorentina. At the halfway mark in the season, with just 6 goals scored and 19 conceded, they were doing just about enough to keep their noses above the waterline.
A defensive mindset was written into Salvemini’s DNA. He had learnt his trade as a young player at Milan under Nereo Rocco, often regarded as the godfather of catenaccio. Years later, he was a fringe player at Inter just as Alfredo Foni was appointed to build on Herrara’s legacy.
Empoli’s scantness in front of goal was not entirely surprising. During Salvemini’s previous coaching assignments at Casertana and Ternana, he’d averaged 0.69 goals per game. Even during his promotion campaign with Empoli, they’d managed just 32 in 38 matches. However, an uncharacteristically porous defence was likely to prove their undoing if it was not remedied in the second half of the season.
A series of draws – more often than not, goalless draws – through the winter kept Empoli’s points tally rising. In February, Empoli accomplished something that would happen just once throughout the season; they scored twice in a match when putting Torino to the sword.
Empoli found themselves in the bottom three at Easter, but priceless draws against Maradona’s Napoli, neighbours Fiorentina and relegation rivals Brescia kept them in the hunt. Empoli went into the final match of the season second from bottom but with feint hopes of survival still alive.
The game against Como was always going to be a tight affair. The Lariani had goalscoring problems of their own, having registered just 16 goals all season. Unlike Empoli, they resided comfortably in mid-table, testament to a muscular rearguard that was compromised only 19 times all season.
If there was a sense going into the match that one goal might be enough, then so it proved to be. Empoli rode their luck early on as Como had two goals disallowed by the linesman’s flag. Then, just as he had done on the opening day, Marco Osio put Empoli in the driving seat. Yet their survival still hinged on results elsewhere.
An eerie quiet hung over the away sector until an array of transistor radios, pressed hard to the ears of Empoli tifosi, brought news of late goals in Florence and Turin. Those goals ultimately consigned Empoli’s relegation rivals, Brescia and Atalanta, to defeat.
The sound of the final whistle in Como confirmed the Tuscan’s unlikely salvation, unleashing a wave of euphoric relief.
Empoli had defied the odds to survive in Serie A with the incomprehensible record of having scored just 13 goals in their 30 matches. What they lacked in entertainment, they made up for in brutal efficiency. Their record of seven 1-0 victories and six 0-0 draws proved fundamental to their accomplishment.
They may not have scored often, but when they did, they made them count.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, check out the story of David Platt’s season in Serie A with Bari
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