Updates and news
The aim of this website is to collect all knowledge and analyse every aspect of Italia'90. The site is a work in progress, with also published material being continuously revised. We will only begin publishing match reports from the 1990 World Cup tournament when all qualifiers have been covered. We are currently (April 2019) commencing work on UEFA qualifiers Group 5. Next up: Yugoslavia v France. To receive updates on twitter, follow @1990qual (kaltz) and @1990worldcup (domizio).
NEW: Austria 2 – Iceland 1
Rodax
23 August 1989, Salzburg: Hickersberger was facing two challenges: How to replace Herbert Prohaska and Toni Polster? Prohaska had retired from football at the end of the 89-90 season, and the qualifier against Iceland away was likely the last official game of football in his career altogether. Toni Polster, arguably the star player of the team, was recovering from an injury and was only fit enough to start on the bench for this game. For this match, Hickersberger opted for a 4-3-3 formation, scrapping the 5-3-2 he had been using in the qualifiers thus far. Perhaps a sign of more attacking intent for this home encounter and a will to try something new.
RECENT: Cyprus 1-1 France
22 October 1988, Nicosia: The opening sequences of play are unremarkable, and the game sets off in what was pretty much an expected pattern: with France in possession. The Cypriots retreat quite deep back into their own half, where they sit and wait for the visitors' attacking play. France had been showing glimpses of imagination in the home fixture against Norway, even if they had at times been struggling with their creativity. In particular their supposedly strongest creative outlet, Toulouse's 24 year old midfield man Gérald Passi, here seen making his eleventh international appearance, had too often failed to live up to demands, and he had been substituted at a point during the second half. Read more . . .
Previously: Czechoslovakia v Switzerland (1989 qualifier)
Previously: Wales v Netherlands (1989 qualifier)
From the news archives
One of the last qualifiers covered at italia1990.com is Iceland v Soviet Union (31 August 1988) from UEFA Group 3, provided by our writer kaltz. In addition, we give you the front page of the Icelandic newspaper Tíminn on 1 September 1988: Its headline was not so much the result of the game, as the naked person who entered the field. This is allegedly the first time this phenomenon was witnessed on a sporting venue on the island. Insular innocence stolen.
(Thanks to @WC1930blogger for notifying us.)
From the archives
Greece 1-4 Yugoslavia, 5 April 1989
Group 7 Quiz
Who was Belgium's regular libero in the 1990 qualifiers? And who's the player in the middle in the picture to the right? Test your UEFA qualification group 7 knowledge with our new group 7 quiz. Difficulty level: Difficult . . .