Sensational news had become the norm at Dens Park during the Marr era but Dundee’s signing of Fabrizio Ravanelli 20 years ago was still jaw-dropping.
Don’t forget, this was a time when Dark Blues fans saw their team make a plethora of big-name signings and be linked with many more.
Dundee FC owners Peter and Jimmy Marr went through a period of signing star players from the start of the millennium with the hope of selling them on for a profit.
The biggest of the signings came early on when, in October 2000, Argentine World Cup hero Claudio Caniggia was snapped up.
By the time Ravanelli arrived on September 22 2003, the man who signed Caniggia — Ivano Bonetti — was long gone but Dundee were still throwing cash around.
It was sheer showbiz that he was even at Dens.
Dundee deal – Ravanelli was a free agent in 2003
The Marr brothers were struggling to keep the club afloat under the weight of huge debts when Giovanni di Stefano was offered a place on the board in August 2003.
The wheeling-dealing lawyer who had, it would later emerge, no legal qualifications, at all, promised to “invest millions and bring superstar players to the club”.
Ravanelli had played for Italy, scored in a Champions League final for Juventus, and just seven years previously was the English Premier League’s top scorer.
His shirt-over-the-head celebration was almost as famous as his grey hair.
Dundee at the time were looking for free agents following failed attempts to sign Paul Gascoigne, James McFadden, Dani, Peter Crouch, Djalminha and Georgi Kinkladze.
Ravanelli had been on £38,000 a week before taking a pay cut and eventually being released by cost-cutting Derby County following relegation from the Premier League.
Di Stefano promised to pay Ravanelli’s wages.
He took an age to get fit after signing but the moments of magic were just that.
He made his Dundee debut against Partick Thistle at Dens Park on October 18 2003 and was hugely impressive despite his lack of fitness — even setting up the winning goal.
Ravanelli showed terrific vision with a long-range pass from inside his own half which found Nacho Novo who took a touch and rounded Kenny Arthur before scoring.
The 34-year-old then turned his attention to the city derby against United, where Dundee had not won since November 2000 when Caniggia was among the scorers.
Ravanelli was left speechless after being mobbed before the game as he walked the 100 yards down Tannadice Street from Dens.
The man who was used to running a gauntlet of hate from rival fans before big derbies in Italy was even asked for his autograph by star-struck Dundee United supporters.
“That wouldn’t have happened in Italy,” he said in disbelief.
Ravanelli started the derby against United in front of just over 12,000 fans and looked dangerous against the Tangerines despite still struggling for match sharpness.
He curled a left-foot free kick just wide before Dundee’s pressure eventually paid off on 19 minutes when Novo was pulled down inside the box by David McCracken.
Novo sent Gallacher the wrong way to give Dundee the lead from the penalty spot.
United looked a completely different proposition after the break and Jim Paterson picked out Jim McIntyre with a perfect cross from the left to equalise on 56 minutes.
After the match Ravanelli told the fans that the goals would come and expressed his desire to write his name in Dundee folklore and become a Dens Park hero.
“I really like it here and I wish I had come to Scotland when I was younger because the football is good and the fans are wonderful,” said Ravanelli.
“I had other offers but the Dundee one was the best and I have no problem with playing in Scottish football.
“I have played in a lot of derbies and this was just as enjoyable as the others, although we are disappointed we could only draw because I feel this Dundee team has a lot of possibilities.
“I have not scored yet, either, although I learned when I was at Juventus that that is not so important as long as I am helping the team.
“The goals will come.
“I would love to be a hero here.”
One night in North Lanarkshire…
The next chapter in Ravanelli’s Dundee story wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Hollywood script and happened in the unlikely setting of North Lanarkshire.
A midweek league cup tie against Clyde at Broadwood in front of just 1,701 fans would ensure that his dream of writing his name into Dundee folklore would come true.
Dundee were on the back foot almost immediately when Clyde took the lead within two minutes when Pat Keogh converted a cross from Jack Ross with his head from 12 yards.
The Dark Blues quickly equalised within just two minutes when Nacho Novo pounced on the rebound after Juan Sara’s shot was cleared off the line by Mark McLaughlin.
Dundee took the lead after the break on 66 minutes when Lee Wilkie carried the ball half the length of the park before coolly slipping the ball past Halliwell from 10 yards.
For a man whose time in English football was best remembered by a hat-trick for Middlesbrough against Liverpool, Ravanelli conjured up another treble to win the game almost single-handedly.
He entered the fray on 70 minutes and quickly snuffed out Clyde’s hopes of performing an upset when he put the game beyond them with goals on 73, 74 and 79 minutes.
He looked sharp as a tack and got his first three minutes after coming on when he took a return pass from Novo before smashing a left-foot shot into the back of the net.
Sixty seconds later he made it 4-1 when he was quickest to react to a rebound after Juan Sara’s effort was spilled out by Halliwell.
Clyde weren’t to be left out of the goal frenzy, however, and substitute Mark Gillhaney gave his team some hope on 78 minutes by firing past Julian Speroni from close range.
However, Ravanelli had the last word when Dundee raced back up the park a minute later and the Italian fired low past Halliwell from a Sara assist to make it a six-minute hat-trick.
Amazingly, he could have had a fourth, blasting the ball off the post in the last minute.
Ravanelli gave match ball to his children
Ravanelli walked into the Clyde dressing room afterwards and asked his stunned opponents to sign the match ball before leaving with it proudly clasped under his arm.
Things got more surreal when Ravanelli said the game brought back memories of playing for Juventus in a Uefa Cup game in the 67,229-capacity Stadio delle Alpi.
“I recall one game against CSKA Sofia when Juventus won 5-0,” he said.
“Every time I touched the ball I scored and I got all the goals.
“It was important for me to score three tonight.
“It was my quickest-ever hat-trick.
“Now I will give the ball to my children when I see them.”
Off the park, Ravanelli was proving just as popular with the media.
Inundated with requests for interviews, Ravanelli had refused very few and had spoken eloquently and enthusiastically about the club and the city.
He appeared to love it in Dundee but it wasn’t to last.
Di Stefano wasn’t the white knight the Marr brothers had hoped for and they claimed his financial promises failed to materialise.
The consequences of three years of extravagant spending became apparent and Dundee were plunged into administration in November 2003 with debts of £23 million.
Showing his class, Ravanelli insisted that his should be one of the contracts cancelled in the hope of saving the jobs of younger players whose careers lay ahead of them.
A picture tells a thousand words…
Ravanelli had played just six games for the club.
The days of big wages and superstar names are gone now at Dens — but the club remains in existence, which is ultimately the most important thing.
Ravanelli went back to home town club Perugia and played 41 games and scored nine goals before retiring from football with a record of 522 club appearances and 190 goals.
Gone but never forgotten — and vice versa.
There is a photo that takes pride of place in Ravanelli’s home in Italy which will always remind him of the greatest moment of his brief spell at Dundee.
The photo is of him celebrating the hat-trick against Clyde in the League Cup.
He said: “I left Dundee with nothing else but that photo.
“That was the best memory.”
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