Farewell to Bruno Capra, hero of Bologna, Italian champions in 1964

Turn around 'Armeri', now you're back to pair up with 'Johnny'. And with Carburo, Bulgaro, Romanino, Dondolo, Ezio and all the others. Brown Goat he was the last of the heroes of '64, the legendary eleven that beat Inter in the play-off at the Olimpico, sewing their seventh Scudetto to their chest. Capra, known as Johnny, left us exactly as he had lived his last half century of life: on tiptoe, discreetly, far from the limelight that he, a rough but big-hearted Bolzano native, had never appreciated.

The former full-back of Bologna di Bernardines, a decisive tactical weapon on that 7th June 1964, passed away on Sunday evening at the age of 87 in the retirement home where he had been living for a few months. He had previously lived in the San Donato area, surrounded by that aura of mystery that accompanied him throughout his post-football career. Never a presence at an event, very rare interviews, absolute invisibility. And yet Capra was there, indeed, on that 7th June 64 when 'the Doctor', in the century Fulvio Bernardini, managed to checkmate the 'Wizard' Helenio Herrera by replacing the injured Pascutti with a full-back, a tactical feat that messed up Inter's plans.

"That day we played with two liberos, Janich (Armeri, ed.) and myself – Capra said –. I had to take over Corso, but I also had to take care of Facchetti who often came down on that wing". It was an apotheosis, in that same Olimpico that six days ago was the scene of a historic conquest of the Coppa Italia: it's nice to think that 'Johnny', before joining the immortals, wanted to applaud Italiano's boys in person.

Capra was born on August 13, 1937 in Bolzano but soon moved with his family to the United States, to Pittsburgh: when he returned to Italy, his friends called him 'Johnny'. At eighteen, he was playing for Bolzano in Serie C when Spal, led by president Mazza, plotted his purchase for 7 million. But in Ferrara, Capra failed his medical tests ("my values ​​were out of whack because of tonsillitis" he says) and Dall'Ara quickly stepped in to close the deal.

In his ten seasons at Bologna, from 1955 to 1965, he made 178 appearances and scored one goal. He scored another at Bologna after moving to Foggia, in the final stretch of his career. In red and blue in the year of the title it was Furlanis' reserve: but that 7th June it took centre stage.

He told it like this: "On Thursday in Fregene, Bernardini calls me and Renna into a little room and tells us: 'Capra will play instead of Pascutti on Sunday'. Renna, who was hoping to play, gets watery in the eyes, I point it out to Bernardini but he is adamant. 'I have a plan to beat Inter' he simply said". The rest is history: or rather legend.

Who is still alive of the twenty-two from that play-off sixty-one years ago? Only Inter players Mazzola and Guarneri. Although alive and well are also Rado, Cimpiel and Corradi, who were reserves for that Bologna. Yesterday Bologna said goodbye to Capra on their social media channels, on the very day Vincenzo Italiano received the 'Premio Bulgarelli'. Assonances.

Thursday, after a farewell at 10 in Certosa, the funeral will be held at 11,30:XNUMX in Villa Pallavicini. The rite will be officiated by Don Massimo Vacchetti.