It is 40 years since Hellas Verona completed the 1984-85 season in top spot, one of the most miraculous Scudetto victories in the history of Italian football.

It remains their only success in the top tier, when they finished four points ahead of Torino, and above some of the sport’s biggest names.

The campaign has become a cherished memory in the Venetian city, and writer Richard Hough has brought it back to life, telling tales of the unforgettable season from the mouths of some of its most important characters.

He spoke to Destination Calcio all about the book – Verona Campione: The Miracle of 85 – and the impact it had on the club, and the city.

Why did you write a book on Verona? 

I’ve been living in Verona since September 2011 and have been a season ticket holder for Hellas Verona since the 2012-13 season. Hellas has a certain well-earned reputation but there is also a more positive story to tell about a football club with a truly remarkable history.

Hellas already has something of a cult following thanks to the seminal book by Tim Parks, A Season With Verona, and, with the 40th anniversary of the historic Scudetto in mind, I thought it was the right moment to bring the amazing story of that remarkable season to a wider audience.

Why couldn’t Verona build on the success of 1985?

It’s a classic rise-and-fall story and there was almost a sense of inevitability when things began to unravel.

In fact, the Scudetto marked the culmination of a project that began with the appointment of Osvaldo Bagnoli in the summer of 1981. Bagnoli earned immediate promotion as champions of Serie B in his first season with Hellas. The following season they finished fourth in Serie A (a remarkable feat for a newly promoted club) and were beaten finalists in the Coppa Italia. In the 1983-84 season they finished sixth and were again beaten finalists in the Coppa and reached the last 16 in the UEFA Cup.

It was a remarkable golden age for a “provincial” club that just a few seasons before was struggling in Serie B. But Hellas simply couldn’t replicate the consistency that had been the hallmark of their championship season.

After finishing in 10th place in the 1985-86 season, they enjoyed a few more seasons in the upper echelons of Serie A as well as some memorable European nights, but nothing could replicate the success of 1985.

The sudden attention, the disruption of national team call-ups and spiraling wage demands made it an increasingly challenging group to manage. Some players looked for bigger stages, others simply couldn’t sustain the level of performance they achieved over the past three or four seasons.

It was also a golden age of Italian football. Some of the greatest players in the world had come to play here and the game was awash with money, not least in Milan where Silvio Berlusconi had just taken over. Napoli had constructed a team around Diego Maradona and the giants of Inter and Juventus were also investing heavily. It was an extremely competitive league and Verona just couldn’t compete.

Why did Verona struggle financially afterwards?

Hellas were much more dependent on gate receipts than the other clubs, but, with dwindling attendances and spiraling wage bills, that model inevitably plunged the club into financial crisis.

Bagnoli hung on at Verona until the relegation of 1990 but, by then, the club was in serious financial difficulty. On 23 February 1991, Hellas were declared bankrupt.

The club had been paying inflated wages and using Swiss companies to launder profits from rigged transfer deals. On 24 July 1992, Ferdinando Chiampan, the Canon entrepreneur who had bankrolled Verona’s success, was imprisoned for fraudulent bankruptcy. It was a shocking final chapter to the Bagnoli-inspired golden era.

Did Verona as a city change after the Scudetto?

I wouldn’t say the city changed. But none of the players or fans I’ve spoken to will ever forget that season. They know it can’t be repeated but they have yellow and blue memories from that season seared on their souls. In 1990 Verona was a host city for the World Cup. Sadly, lack of investment and years spent in the footballing wilderness followed. As one fan told me:

“Those who experienced it, the Scudetto will remain one of the most beautiful memories of our life, like the day of a wedding or the birth of a child.”

Who were the key players? 

Bagnoli always spoke about the importance of the spine of his team. The flamboyant and unconventional goalkeeper Claudio Garella. Elegant and refined captain and sweeper, Roberto Tricella, versatile and dependable defender/midfielder, Domenico Volpati, creative playmaker Antonio de Gennaro and diminutive striker Giuseppe Galderisi.

These players were at the heart of Verona’s golden age. Verona provided the context in which they thrived. Bagnoli brought out the best in them. Tricella, Galderisi and De Gennaro joined Italy’s 1986 World Cup squad.

At the beginning of the 1984-85 season Hans Peter Briegel and Preben Elkjaer Larsen arrived in Verona. They were the cherries on the cake. They brought international quality, experience, pace and power, as well as goals. The most memorable goal of the season was Elkjaer’s “shoeless goal” against Juve.

Any favourite bits about writing the book you could share?

Unquestionably the best bit about writing the book was meeting the players and sharing their incredible memories from that season. They remember each and every game like it was yesterday! I sometimes struggle to remember a game I saw last weekend!

Domenico Volpati was warm and generous. He remains the elegant voice of that the team. Having a coffee with Pierino Fanna was an absolute honour. One of a very special group of players to have won the Scudetto with three different clubs (Juventus, Inter and Verona), an outrageously gifted player, he says the most beautiful one was with Verona.  

Another highlight was visiting the former players’ association in the bowels of the Bentegodi – it’s a treasure trove of souvenirs, photos and memories from the club’s 120-year history and it was an honour to be shown around by the association’s president, Sergio Guidotti, who has first-hand memories of the championship season.

Verona Campione – The Miracle of 85 by Richard Hough, is available to buy from Pitch Publishing for £19.99