Though their stock has fallen in recent years, there was a time when Middlesbrough were the talk of the English Premier League. With former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson at the helm, Boro fans were hopeful. When the signing of proven Italian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli was announced back in the summer of 1996, they were delirious.
After all, Ravanelli had a Champions League winner’s medal from his Juventus days and brought an excellent goalscoring record to Teeside. He was a household name and knew what it took to lift silverware. Eyebrows were raised as to why the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal had not bid for the Italian.
As luck would have it, Middlesbrough kicked off their season at home to Liverpool, guaranteeing a full house for Ravanelli’s debut. And The White Feather, as he was known, did not disappoint in his first competitive appearance in a Boro shirt. Liverpool had title aspirations and so it was hardly surprising that they made a strong start. In fact, they took the lead three times in an amazing afternoon. But the Merseysiders would not be the ones making the headlines.
It would have been forgivable if Liverpool’s opening goal had knocked the stuffing out of Boro to some extent, yet Ravanelli would not let that happen. He had played in more than enough big games by this stage to shrug off going behind early. He just set about finding an equaliser – which would become his theme for the afternoon. And Middlesbrough cashed in on their gritty response, winning a penalty just before the 20-minute mark. Ravanelli stepped up and coolly levelled the scores with his first Premiership goal.
It brought the crowd to their feet and the Riverside Stadium was rocking, but the Italian was far from finished. Liverpool went ahead again but, having restored parity once already, the home side did not flinch. With Juninho and Emerson pulling the strings and providing classy support, it continued to be clear that Liverpool could not contend with Middlesbrough when the home side poured forward.
And ten minutes before half-time, the Italian’s trademark shirt-over-the-head celebration was unveiled again as he read the path of a cross and tapped home from close range. Robson had raved about his new signing’s ability to be in the right place at the right time, but nobody could have anticipated such an instant impact. Ravanelli was still learning about his team-mates and their style of play but, ultimately, he was a predator who could score in any league anywhere in the world.
With many still totting up just how many goals the Italian might score at this rate over the course of the season, Liverpool edged in front for the third time. Clearly, Robson had work to do with his back four, but the attack was looking razor sharp, largely thanks to Ravanelli.
Just when time was slipping away, the Italian hurt Liverpool again in the 81st minute as he completed his hat-trick and sent the crowd into dreamland. The Reds defence once again lost track of him and paid the price as Ravanelli found a few yards of room and drilled home an unstoppable low strike. There would be no winning goal for either team and so the striker had to settle for a 3-3 draw. It had been quite an introduction.
But sadly this would be a false dawn for Middlesbrough. Expectations sky-rocketed after matching Liverpool on this opening day afternoon, only for the team to fall flat when future challenges emerged. Ravanelli continued to be a threat, finishing the season with a stunning tally of 31 goals, but Boro slipped ever closer to the drop. Despite reaching both the FA Cup final and League Cup final, Middlesbrough’s season ended in tears as the club lost both finals and were relegated from the Premiership.
And so Ravanelli’s relationship with the club and the supporters would be a brief one. That relationship had deteriorated as the campaign progressed and by the start of the 1997/98 season he had moved on to Marseille after a somewhat bitter exit. It just emphasised that an impressive debut is great but it is no guarantee of a happy ending.
