Remembering Ezio, Bologna’s third all-time top scorer
Fast, unpolished and effective. A persistent threat in the air, whatever type of cross came his way. Ezio swooped like a falcon, scoring goals with his feet but more often with his head. Iconic images of him in action have gone down in Rossoblu folklore, as he provided the club’s fans with an abundance of joy. He was not full of flair, nor was he a master of dribbling, but he was afraid of nothing and had goals in his blood.
It was the summer of 1954, Gipo Viani managed to win over Dall’Ara and subsequently paid three and a half million to Torviscosa and half a million to the player to sign for Bologna. The latter fee helped persuade his family that the youngster’s studies could wait. He made his Serie A debut on January 1st 1956, putting Vicenza to the sword and consequently earning his spot in the starting XI. Having scored 11 goals in 18 matches, the fans instantly took to the player’s characteristics and his input of goals and excitement were relentless.
Scoring headers and volleys were his speciality, as was clear when he was one step ahead of Burgnich, or when he intercepted a ball that was destined for Nielsen during a game against Mantova. His brace in Vienna also springs to mind, as his memorable Azzurri debut also coincided with Italy’s first away win against Austria in 27 years.
As he matured and his hair grew thin, only injuries could halt Ezio. During the 1962-63 championship, Ezio could not stop scoring. He broke the record for most consecutive games scored in at the start of a Serie A season, with an injury being the only misfortune that stopped him in his tracks. This landmark was to last a total of 32 years, with Gabriel Batistuta breaking it during the 1995-96 season. Ezio did not have a great leap, although he could always anticipate things much better than others, especially at the crucial moment. He would be persistently one step ahead and caught out all of his opponents. He won the Mitropa Cup in 1961 and then in 1963-64 he was one of the main protagonists during the team’s league triumph, even though he struggled with bad luck. His clash with Dubinksi when playing for Italy affected the rest of his career, he was also involved in the doping controversy. He was notably absent during the play-off against Inter at the Stadio Olimpico. Recurrent knee issues shortened his career and at just 31 he was forced to retire. He scored a total of eight goals in 17 matches for the Azzurri and his passionate and hard-working style of play will live long in footballing history. However, it is his contribution for Bologna that will be most remembered. A one-club man who scored 142 goals in the Rossoblu shirt, he played for the team for a total of 14 seasons, subsequently finishing third in the club’s all-time top scorer list. And this was without ever taking a penalty or a free-kick. He sits behind both Schiavio and Reguzzoni. He also made 336 appearances for Bologna and sits 13th in the list of of most appearances for the club.
“Today everything seemed easy. I enjoyed moments of complete happiness, worried only by the thought that one day this will all finish. The crowd’s affection allowed me to play very well last Sunday, as I donned the Azzurri shirt against Turkey. From start to finish it was just incessant noise: Ezio! Ezio! On the terraces they wore Rossoblu scarves and there were also banners praising me. When I left the stadium, they gave me another flag to wear. A little boy had a poster and on it said ‘Pascutti is better than Pele.” (Ezio Pascutti a few days after Italy beat Turkey 6-0. The game was played at the Stadio Comunale in Bologna in 1962.)
The photo, taken by Maurizio Parenti, displays Ezio during the moment for which he is most remembered. Ezio scoring with a diving header with his body parallel to the ground, subsequently catching out the Nerazzurri’s Burgnich. Goodbye Bomber.
