The Italian footballer Paolo Rossi has failed this Thursday at 64 years old. The Tuscan-born athlete played as a forward and was world champion with Italy at the World Cup in Spain 82. A true legend in the tournament, and an outstanding player in the clubs in which he played, the Cattolica Virtus of Florence and Juventus The announcement of the death of the historic striker, known as “Pablito”, comes almost two weeks after the death of Argentine legend Diego Maradona, who won the World Cup in 1986.
The news was confirmed last night by the Italian press and by the star’s wife, Federica Cappelletti. Through Instagran, she published a photo of the couple with the message “Forever” and a heart, thus confirming the news that the press had released shortly before. “There will never be anyone like you, unique, special,” he also wrote on Facebook.
“Paolo Rossi, the lovable football poet who was the joy of all Italy in 1982, has died “, says on its website Corriere della Sera newspaper, which mentions an” incurable disease “. He was the man “who made Brazil cry and led the Azzurri of Bearzot to the conquest of the World Cup,” says La Repubblica newspaper.
The athlete, who should not have played in the 1982 World Cup, became a hero with six goals in the World Cup with Azzurra, three of them against Brazil, which enshrined him as the tournament’s top scorer. And it is that Pablito had been suspended for three years in 1980 for the “Totonero” case, a scandal of rigged matches and illegal gambling that shook Italian football. The reduction of the sanction allowed him to be called up for the World Cup in Spain despite the skepticism of the press and fans.
In the world Cup, with a triplet by Paolo Rossi, Italy eliminated Brazil 3-2 in a legendary match that led the Azzurri to the semifinals. Against Poland, he scored two goals and got his team’s passport to the final. In the last meeting with West Germany, the Tuscan scored the first of three Italian goals (3-1). In this way, Italy conquered the third World Cup and Rossi became the best player and top scorer. The Golden Ball it ended up crowning that exceptional year.
His passage through the clubs was marked by injuries. Found by Juventus recruiters as a teenager, his early years with Vecchia Signora were marred by three injuries to a meniscus. The best scorer in Serie B with 21 goals, he went up to Serie A with Lanerossi Vicenza, where he started playing in 1976, and which would earn him his first successes. In the following season, his club competed with Juventus for the Scudetto and finished again «capocannoniere», with 24 goals. Juventus tried to get it back, without success.
Suspension
After a final season and after the relegation of Vicenza, he would sign with Perugia, where he was caught in the well-known “Totonero” scandal that earned him two years of suspension, before returning to Juve. The 1983-84 season was synonymous with heyday for Rossi, who formed a fearsome trio with Frenchman Michel Platini and Polish Zbigniew Boniek, and accumulated trophies: Serie A, Italian Cup, Cup of Cups, the European Super Cup. In 1985, the “Old Lady” won the Champions Cup in the sad final in Heysel (Belgium) where 39 deaths occurred. It would be Rossi’s last meeting with Juventus.
He signed for AC Milan, but plagued by injuries, his stint at the Lombard club was a failure. As at the Hellas Verona. In 1987, Rossi decided to hang up his boots at age 31 after nearly 400 championship matches, 154 goals and 48 from national teams (20 goals).
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