During the 1971-72 football season, five foreign teams visited Malta to play in the UEFA club competitions. This was a record which has never since been broken.
That season Malta was represented by Sliema Wanderers, Hibernians, and for the first time, Marsa FC.
The Red-Blues could not have had a better European baptism. When the UEFA Cup draw for the first round was made, they were pitted against mighty Italians Juventus.
Marsa could hardly believe their luck! For obvious reasons, Maltese clubs prefer to draw big clubs in these competitions than teams of their own standard.
The draw gave Marsa a chance to make some extra cash and the locals a chance to see in action such great players as Salvatore, Bettega, Causio and Haller.
Sliema and Hibs were not so lucky, although at the end things turned out well for them. Sliema drew Akranes and Hibs were paired with Fram, of Iceland.
The expenses to travel to Iceland were enormous but luckily the two clubs agreed to play both legs at the Gżira stadium. This gave the Maltese clubs a big advantage which they made full use of.
In fact, both Sliema and Hibernians advanced to the second round where they met Celtic and Steaua Bucharest of Romania.
‘D-Day’ for Marsa and for many Juventus supporters finally arrived on September 15, 1971.
A capacity crowd filled the terraces to see Marsa pit their puny strength against the star-studded Turin team. Those, however, who expected the Maltese side to hold the giants of Italian football were disappointed.
Still, however, one could not but help admire Marsa’s brave efforts against such overwhelming odds especially in the first period when they conceded only one goal.
But in the second period it was a completely different story. Juventus struck a brilliant patch in which they scored four goals in less than 20 minutes and Marsa’s resistance collapsed.
Haller opened the score just before half-time.
Then, seven minutes into the second period, a Bettega header was splendidly turned to a corner by goalkeeper Collings but two minutes later, George Faure cleared the ball badly and it fell to Causio who gave the keeper no chance to save.
The game had hardly re-started when Causio crossed perfectly to Haller for the latter to volley into the net. Marsa’s resistance collapsed and it was not long before Novellini scored the fourth goal.
Juventus continued to dominate and a Novellini cross created panic in the Marsa penalty-area and there was Cappello to breast the ball home.
Towards the end, Reggie Portelli went near to a consolation goal but his shot hit the upright.
However, this was a flash in the pan and there was no stopping Juve from a sixth and final goal when a Cuccureddu shot was deviated by Vella into his own net.
When a fortnight later, Marsa travelled to Turin for the return game there were justifiable fears that they would be swamped by an avalanche of goals. But Marsa avoided such embarrassment.
Needless to say the 5-0 score-line at the Communale was a fair reflection of the run of play but at the same time it spoke well of the efforts of a small club like Marsa.
They adopted defensive tactics which, to a certain extent, worked.
But for all their efforts the Maltese amateurs could not stop Novellini from hitting a hat-trick and Haller and Furino adding two other goals for good measure.
Flashback... UEFA Cup 1971-72
Marsa FC vs Juventus - 0-6 (Gzira Stadium, September 15, 1971)
Marsa: A. Collings, E. Tonna, V. Cassar; A. Ferriggi (67 Langridge), C. Vella, J. Cassar; J. Farrugia, C. Brincat, R. Portelli (82 Bajada), G. Faure, V. Camilleri.
Juventus: P. Carmignani, L. Spinosi, G. Marchetti, G. Furino (46 A. Cuccureddu), G. Roveta, S. Salvadore, H. Haller (65 F. Viola), F. Causio, A. Novellini, F. Capello, R. Bettega.
Referee: Paterson (Scotland FA).