1978–79 AC Perugia season

Associazione Calcio Perugia

1978-79 season
Chairman	Franco D'Attoma
Manager	Ilario Castagner
Stadium	Renato Curi
Serie A	2nd (in UEFA Cup)
Coppa Italia	Quarterfinals
Top goalscorer	League: Speggiorin (9) All: Speggiorin (11)
Average home league attendance	20 984[1]
Home colours Away colours Third colours
← 1977–78 1979–80 →

During the 1978–79 season A.C. Perugia competed in Serie A and Coppa Italia. They completed the season unbeaten, but did not win the league title.

A.C. Perugia was the first team during the round-robin era to go through the season undefeated, although due to their 19 drawn matches, they finished second in the league.

The campaign is best recalled as Perugia and the undefeated season of miracles. The Grifoni, displaying the prowess of the gryphon – the legendary beast their nickname is derived from – produced a feat never before achieved at the highest level of Italian football: going a season undefeated.

'Never loses, but does not win' is an ill-thought barb often stabbed at this particular Perugia team's fate, and like so many such disparaging comments, although there is an element of truth in it, there also a substantial amount of bitterness from the tifosi of the more established powers in the game that their team did not achieve such a record.^[2]

With just six games of the season remaining, the unlikely title challengers sat just two points behind leaders Milan and still had to host the Rossoneri after gaining a 1–1 draw away earlier in the campaign. A win could have ensured that Perugia put themselves in pole position in the run-in. However, despite being cheered on by an immensely intimidating atmosphere, the game finished 1–1, with Gianfranco Casarsa's spot kick cancelling out Stefano Chiodi's penalty for Milan minutes earlier. This result meant that the title was Milan's to lose.

Despite disappointing draws away to Catanzaro and Hellas Verona in the weeks that followed, Perugia were still in with a chance of final day success providing that Milan lost and Perugia picked up the win away to Bologna.

Although Salvatore Bagni's brace put the visitors ahead and had their fans dreaming once more, Bologna rallied and fought to a 2–2 draw. This result brought an end to the fairytale, but still meant that against the odds, Perugia had mustered a title challenge and ended the season without once tasting defeat.^[3]

^[4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ITA Marcello Grassi — GK  ITA Nello Malizia — GK  ITA Franco Mancini — DF  ITA Antonio Ceccarini — DF  ITA Paolo Dall'Oro — DF  ITA Mauro Della Martira — DF  ITA Pierluigi Frosio (Captain) — DF  ITA Michele Nappi — DF  ITA Daniele Tacconi — DF  ITA Luciano Zecchini

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ITA Salvatore Bagni — MF  ITA Cesare Butti — MF  ITA Paolo Dal Fiume — MF  ITA Mario Goretti — MF  ITA Giorgio Redeghieri — MF  ITA Franco Vannini — FW  ITA Marco Cacciatori — FW  ITA Gianfranco Casarsa — FW  ITA Walter Speggiorin

^[5][6]

Perugia v Lanerossi

1 October 1978 1	Perugia	2-0	Lanerossi	Perugia
	Bagni 14' Dal Fiume 88'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Attendance: 16,000 Referee: Longhi

Inter Milan v Perugia

8 October 1978 2	Inter Milan	1-1	Perugia	Milan
	Pasinato 31'	Report	87' Cacciatori	Stadium: San Siro Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Lattanzi

Perugia v Fiorentina

15 October 1978 3	Perugia	1-0	Fiorentina	Perugia
	Casarsa 57' (pen)	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Attendance: 35000 Referee: Michelotti

Juventus v Perugia

22 October 1978 4	Juventus	1-2	Perugia	Torino
	Cuccureddu 65'	Report	16' Speggiorin 77' Vannini	Stadium: Comunale Attendance: 38,000 Referee: Barbaresco

Atalanta B.C. v Perugia

5 November 1978 6	Atalanta B.C.	0-2	Perugia	Bergamo
		Report	2', 6' Speggiorin	Stadium: Comunale Referee: Agnolin

Perugia v Ascoli

12 November 1978 7	Perugia	2-0	Ascoli	Perugia
	Speggiorin 5' Dal Fiume 60'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Referee: Ciulli

Milan v Perugia

3 December 1978 10	Milan	1-1	Perugia	Milan
	Antonelli 62'	[dead link]	3' Vannini	Stadium: San Siro Attendance: 45 000 Referee: Longhi

Napoli v Perugia

10 December 1978 11	Napoli	1-1	Perugia	Napoli
	Majo 55'	Report	62' Speggiorin	Stadium: San Paolo Attendance: 60 000 Referee: Lattanzi

Perugia v Catanzaro

17 December 1978 12	Perugia	1-0	Catanzaro	Perugia
	Speggiorin 61'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Referee: Lops

Perugia v Hellas Verona

7 January 1979 13	Perugia	1-1	Hellas Verona	Perugia
	Frosio 54'	Report	88' Bergamaschi	Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Attendance: 15 000 Referee: Lanese

Perugia v Bologna

21 January 1979 15	Perugia	3-1	Bologna	Perugia
	Casarsa 25', 68' Speggiorin 58'	Report	76' (pen) Bordon	Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Attendance: 12 000 Referee: Lo Bello

Lanerossi v Perugia

28 January 1979 16	Lanerossi	1-1	Perugia	Vicenza
	Rossi 14'	Report	25' Bagni	Stadium: Stadio Romeo Menti Referee: Benedetti

Perugia v Inter Milan

4 February 1979 17	Perugia	2-2	Inter Milan	Perugia
	Vannini 53' Ceccarini 90'	Report	19' Altobelli 36' Muraro	Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Referee: Longhi

Fiorentina v Perugia

11 February 1979 18	Fiorentina	1-1	Perugia	Firenze
	Sella 9'	Report	21' Speggiorin	Stadium: Comunale Attendance: 50 000 Referee: D'Elia

Avellino v Perugia

4 March 1979 20	Avellino	0-1	Perugia	Avellino
		Report	82' Bagni	Stadium: Stadio Partenio Attendance: 30 000 Referee: Agnolin

Perugia v Atalanta

11 March 1979 21	Perugia	2-0	Atalanta	Perugia
	Osti 16' (o.g.) Bagni 30'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Attendance: 21 000 Referee: Paparesta

Perugia v Roma

25 March 1979 23	Perugia	1-1	Roma	Perugia
	Peccenini 22' (o.g.)	Report	90' Ugolotti	Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Referee: Barbaresco

Perugia v Milan

8 April 1979 25	Perugia	1-1	Milan	Perugia
	Casarsa 17' (pen)	Report	15' (pen) Chiodi	Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Attendance: 30 000 Referee: Agnolin

Perugia v Napoli

14 April 1979 26	Perugia	2-0	Napoli	Perugia
	Speggiorin 15' Dal Fiume 64'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Referee: Casarin

Catanzaro v Perugia

22 April 1979 27	Catanzaro	1-1	Perugia	Catanzaro
	R. Rossi 60'	Report	2' Butti	Stadium: Comunale Attendance: 15 000 Referee: Menegali

Hellas Verona v Perugia

29 April 1979 28	Hellas Verona	1-1	Perugia	Verona
	Guidolin 81'	Report	47' (o.g.) Gentile	Stadium: Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi Referee: Lattanzi

Perugia v Lazio

6 May 1979 29	Perugia	2-0	Lazio	Perugia
	Bagni 15', 27'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Attendance: 18 000 Referee: Milan

Bologna v Perugia

13 May 1979 30	Bologna	2-2	Perugia	Bologna
	Mastalli 40' Bordon 49' (pen)	Report	31', 34' Bagni	Stadium: Comunale Attendance: 40 000 Referee: Casarin

Perugia v Pescara

30 August 1978 2	Perugia	2-0	Pescara	Perugia
	Speggiorin 49' Piacenti 70' (aut.)	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Referee: Lanzetti

Udinese v Perugia

3 September 1978 3	Udinese	1-1	Perugia	Udine
	Vriz 83' (pen)	Report	12' Vannini	Stadium: Stadio Friuli Referee: Panzino

Perugia v Sambenedettese

10 September 1978 4	Perugia	4-0	Sambenedettese	Perugia
	Casarsa 7', 50' (rig.) Goretti 26' Speggiorin 57'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi Referee: Paparesta

Napoli v Perugia

25 April 1979	Napoli	2-1	Perugia	Napoli
	Tesser 81' Filippi 88'	Report	54' Dal Fiume	Stadium: Stadio San Paolo Referee: Benedetti

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No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		Serie A		Coppa
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
	GK	ITA	Malizia	30	-17	27+1	-15	2	-2
	DF	ITA	Ceccarini	35	1	29	1	6	0
	DF	ITA	Della Martira	35	0	29	0	6	0
	DF	ITA	Frosio	28	1	24	1	4	0
	DF	ITA	Nappi	25	0	21	0	4	0
	MF	ITA	Dal Fiume	34	4	28	3	6	1
	MF	ITA	Bagni	31	8	28	8	3	0
	MF	ITA	Butti	30	1	26	1	4	0
	MF	ITA	Redeghieri	28	0	20+3	0	5	0
	FW	ITA	Casarsa	34	6	28	4	6	2
	FW	ITA	Speggiorini	31	11	26	9	5	2
	GK	ITA	Grassi	7	-2	3	-1	4	-1
	DF	ITA	Zecchini	16	0	8+6	0	2	0
	DF	ITA	Tacconi	4	0	0+3	0	1	0
	MF	ITA	Vannini	21	4	17	3	4	1
	MF	ITA	Goretti	18	1	9+3	0	6	1
	FW	ITA	Cacciatori	18	1	7+7	1	4	0
	GK	ITA	Mancini	0	0	0	0
	DF	ITA	Dall'Oro	2	0	0	0	2	0
	GK	ITA	Balducci	0	0	0	0
	GK	ITA	Redomi	0	0	0	0

• List of unbeaten football club seasons

• Arrigo Beltrami, Almanacco illustrato del Calcio 1980, Franco Cosimo Panini Editore Modena 1979
• Marco Sappino (2000), Dizionario del calcio italiano, 2000, Baldini & Castoldi Milano, ISBN 88-8089-862-0

• Maurizio Mariani (26 October 2000). "Italy Championship 1978/79".