The rediscovered genius Franco Cordova, a controversial talent!

Cordova has remarkable feet, which took him from the small team of his neighborhood, in Forlì where he was born on June 21, 1944, to a small club in Campania, Flegrea, and at just eighteen years old to Salernitana, in C, and the following year in A, in Catania.

The dream seemed to materialize when, at just twenty-one years old, he was taken by the Grande Inter, with whom he only played one match.

Then he went to Brescia and at 23 year old Cordova found himself in the Capital, wearing the yellow and red colors. From there began a story of ups and downs, for this somewhat indolent boy, capable of refined feats as well as long pauses and little inclined to goal. According to Nils Liedholm, Cordova is a master of individualism, of the effective play, but he does not fully have the organizational talent of the director and this is what has slowed down his career.

For a while he was the idol of the fans, with his “square” physique and his inventions. Then, in 1970, he married Simona Marchini, daughter of the millionaire Alvaro, president of the “Giallorossi”, and when he left the club his position became delicate, given the breakdown in relations between Marchini himself and his successor Gaetano Anzalone.

Helenio Herrera did not fail to fan the flames in this regard: on 11 February 1973, after the defeat at home against Bologna (an own goal by Peccenini), the “Wizard”, increasingly in difficulty, began to speak of a conspiracy, at the centre of which, of course, could only be the son-in-law of the former president.

Cordova ended up outside the team, things did not change, and Herrera brought him back, but by then the damage was done. When, a few weeks later, the “Wizard” was fired, it was said openly that Cordova had matured his revenge. And it mattered little that the bad relationship with president Anzalone excluded such a powerful influence on his decisions.

It so happened that at the “premiere” of the new coach Trebiciani Cordova got injured: immediately, Herrera from the outside slandered of an “imaginary illness” aimed at putting the team in difficulty.

In truth, Cordova had to undergo meniscus surgery by Professor Calandriello, without however preventing the subsequent recovery difficulties from affecting his relationship with the next Giallorossi coach, Scopigno. In short, out of the frying pan into the fire.

Then, Liedholm arrived and everything changed as if by magic. The Swedish magician immediately made it clear that he considered Cordova indispensable. A couple of face-to-face meetings sealed peace between the player and Anzalone and the 1974-75 championship featured the best Cordova ever.

A strong, authoritative midfielder, capable of lighting up the scene with his brilliant touch, without overdoing it with dribbling. So much so that Fulvio Bernardini finally granted him, at thirty-one years of age, his debut in the national team (9 April 1975, Italy-Poland 0-0 in Rome).

Inspired by the “spiderweb” coach, Cordova was the beacon of Roma who surprisingly achieved third place behind Juventus and Napoli. In 1976 he caused a stir, refusing a transfer to Verona and ending up at Lazio, much to the disappointment of the Giallorossi fans.
After three seasons in white and sky blue, he sadly ended his career in Avellino, involved in the football betting scandal.

Pjerin Bj
New York January 28, 2025
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Sports Vision + Plus / Champions Hours in activity since 2013

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