IT all started so well and yet somehow, all the time, you knew it had to end in tears.

As Fabrizio Ravanelli makes his long-awaited return to the Riverside Stadium this afternoon, it seems fitting that the Derby County striker once again finds himself leading the sports pages following his altercation with Chelsea's Marcel Desailly last weekend.

When he arrived at Middlesbrough in July 1996, Ravanelli was another piece in manager Bryan Robson's very expensive jigsaw, a player who had less than two months earlier scored in the Champions' League final for Juventus in their triumph over Ajax.

It was undoubtedly one of the transfer coups of the year as Robson took his spending past the £25m mark with a £7m deal that was then a record for Boro.

The signing added more weight to the theory that whatever Robson lacked in coaching skills, he made up for in an ability to attract the world's top stars.

Ravanelli confirmed the impression when he said: "Bryan Robson was enough to make me decide. I had no hesitation. I've admired Bryan Robson since he was a player with England and Manchester United.

"I followed his career when I was a youngster. I even remember what sort of football boots he used to wear!"

The move would net the Italian international an estimated £1.4m a year and Ravanelli, at 27, signed a four-year contract with an option for a further year.

In hindsight, it may have been a far more sensible arrangement for him to sign a one-year deal with the option of a further four years.

His debut is still remembered as one of the best games seen at the Riverside. It was fitting that a team of Liverpool's pedigree provided the opposition.

Three times the home side went behind and three times the man they call the White Feather dragged them back into the game.

It appeared to be the start of a beautiful love affair but, as we all know, love affairs have a knack of turning sour.

As Boro prospered in both domestic cups, so their League form lacked consistency after a spirited start that saw them win three and draw two of the first six games.

Somehow the cup runs kept them going when the cracks started to show soon into the new year.

But Boro were already heading for a relegation disaster after failing to send a team to Blackburn for a Premiership fixture.

They made a unilateral decision to postpone the trip with barely 24 hours' notice, saying they were unable to raise a side with 23 players either ill, injured or on loan.

The Premier League promptly deducted three points which, in the final analysis, would have guaranteed Boro safety.

Defeat by Leicester in a Coca-Cola Cup final replay at Hillsborough, after Ravanelli had scored in a 1-1 draw at Wembley, added to the splits already showing.

Things came to a head leading up to the FA Cup final against Chelsea, when Ravanelli had bust-ups with teammates, including Neil Cox on the morning of the final.

Ravanelli reacted angrily after right-back Cox was quoted saying the Italian wasn't worth his place in the final line-up.

The pair were seen pushing each other and arguing at the team's hotel hours before they walked out at Wembley.

Ravanelli also came under fire from full-back Curtis Fleming for returning to his homeland to undergo treatment on a back injury, rather than watching a 0-0 draw at Blackburn - ironically the rearranged fixture.

Robson repeatedly found himself defending his star man when he must have been as exasperated as his players.

The final straw came two games into the following season. Robson sent Ravanelli back to Italy as uncertainty raged over his future.

And Ravanelli's team of advisers set about finding him a new club.

Boro tried to revive a £7.5m move to Everton, which had fallen through over Ravanelli's wage demands of £50,000 a week.

Eventually Boro managed to offload him to Marseille for £5.3m. His reputation had its effect with Boro taking a near £2m loss on a player who had scored a very impressive 32 goals in only 57 appearances.

Other Boro players even blamed him for destroying their confidence - and ruining team spirit.

Danish strike partner Mikkel Beck fired a broadside, saying: "He did many things a striker should not do. It wasn't right the way he spoke to me on the pitch, the language was all wrong.

"It wasn't just me, he even spoke like that to his friends. I was afraid to make a mistake because I knew what Ravanelli's reaction would be. I scored 11 goals and had a few good games, but too many that were not good enough because of him."

In truth, as many Boro fans still love the White Feather as hate him.

The fact is he will never be forgotten on Teesside and there'll be plenty of Boro fans putting a pound on him to score this afternoon.