A tribute to Paolo Rossi
- Paolo Rossi passed away on 9 December
- Gianni Infantino, Marco Tardelli and Dino Zoff hail Pablito
- FIFA pays tribute to Rossi with videos, quotes, trivia and stats
Gianni hails Pablito
“Ciao Pablito, symbol of joy, of revenge, of generosity, of sympathy, of success and, personally, symbol of pride for all Italians. A human hero and a world legend.”
Read FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s full comments below….
Inzaghi, Tardelli, Vieri, Zambrotta and Zoff lead homages
“When I was a boy and I played football in the street, Paolo Rossi was to Italy what Pele and Maradona were to Brazil and Argentina.”
Read the full remark from Clarence Seedorf and tributes from other footballing icons in the link below…
After Rossi’s exploits in Barcelona, it took 30 years for another player to score a hat-trick against Brazil. Lionel Messi was next in a 2012 friendly.
The interview
“What really stays with me is seeing all the Italian flags in the stadium after the ref had blown the final whistle. Of course I remember the goals, all those great moments. But when I lifted my head and saw all those flags all over the stadium… I’m not a nationalist, but at moments like that you really feel like you belong to something. You belong to a group, to a nation. Seeing the stadium simply covered with Italian flags was an extraordinary moment, one I will remember forever.”
Read Rossi’s full interview with FIFA in the link below…
Enzo’s art lesson
Paolo Rossi hadn’t scored for Italy in three years and almost 15 hours of action. Enzo Bearzot was under deafening pressure to drop him going into the showdown with overwhelming favourites Brazil.
He refused. “He was the best striker in the world and I knew he was guy who could win us the World Cup,” said ‘The Old Man’.
So, Bearzot came up with an ingenious plan to relax Rossi. He spent the day before the game researching cubist and surrealist painters. That night, he walked to Rossi’s room, knocked on the door, and they spent 40 minutes discussing art.
The next day Rossi painted Barcelona blue against arguably the most artistic side in football history.
“It may sound silly, but I always think back to how important that chat was for everything that happened,” Rossi said years later. “I didn’t know at the time he was pretending [to be interested]. It relaxed me, I slept well, I woke up feeling up good.”
Did you know?
- Rossi was the first player to top the scoring charts in Serie B and Serie A in back-to-back seasons. He did it thanks to 21 goals in 36 games for Vicenza in 1976/77, and 24 in 30 the following season.
- Due to the first round, in which the Azzurri had scraped through despite not winning a game, and them being drawn in the same group as defending champions Argentina and overwhelming favourites Brazil in the second group stage, an English bookmaker listed Italy 12th favourites out of the 12 remaining teams to win Spain 1982.
- Years after he ended the World Cup dream of Falcao, Socrates, Zico and Co, Pablito was on holiday in Brazil when a taxi driver recognised him in the rear-view mirror and angrily ordered him to get out. After a few minutes of the Italian apologising, the Brazilian finally relented and continued the journey.
- Rossi’s autobiography is titled I Made Brazil Cry.
Italy’s top World Cup scorers
Player | Goals | Appearances |
---|---|---|
Christian Vieri | 9 | 9 |
Paolo Rossi | 9 | 14 |
Roberto Baggio | 9 | 16 |
Toto Schillaci | 6 | 7 |
Silvio Piola | 5 | 4 |
Alessandro Altobelli | 5 | 7 |
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Paolo Rossi and Marco Tardelli mess around with a camera
11 Dec 2020
Paolo Rossi and Marco Tardelli mess around with a camera.
© imago images
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Italy’s Paolo Rossi celebrates
05 May 2017
1982 World Cup Final. Madrid, Spain. 11th July, 1982. Italy 3 v West Germany 1. Italy’s Paolo Rossi celebrates after scoring the opening goal in the World Cup Final.
© Getty Images
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Italy’s Paolo Rossi lifts aloft the FIFA World Cup Trophy
17 Jul 2017
Italy’s Paolo Rossi lifts aloft the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
© LOC
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Paolo Rossi of Italy celebrates after scoring one of his two goals in the FIFA World Cup Semi-Final between Italy and Poland at the Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona, 8th July 1982. Italy won 2-0.
10 Dec 2020
Paolo Rossi of Italy celebrates after scoring one of his two goals in the FIFA World Cup Semi-Final between Italy and Poland at the Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona, 8th July 1982. Italy won 2-0. (Photo by Chris Smith/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
© Getty Images
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Paolo Rossi, Claudio Gentile, Franz Beckenbauer, Petar Radenkovic and Uwe Seeler before an exhibition game
11 Dec 2020
Paolo Rossi, Claudio Gentile, Franz Beckenbauer, Petar Radenkovic and Uwe Seeler before an exhibition game.
© imago images
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Paolo Rossi and Gaetano Scirea celebrate at Spain 1982
10 Dec 2020
Paolo Rossi and Gaetano Scirea celebrate at Spain 1982.
© imago images
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Paolo Rossi is followed by Argentina’s Daniel Passarella
16 Mar 2010
1982 World Cup Finals, Second Phase, Barcelona, Spain, 29th June, 1982, Italy 2 v Argentina 1, Italy’s Paolo Rossi is followed by Argentina’s Daniel Passarella (Photo by Bob Thomas/Getty Images)
© Getty Images
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Italy’s Paolo Rossi is pursued by Brazil’s Rivelino
19 Apr 2018
Italy’s Paolo Rossi is pursued by Brazil’s Rivelino.
© Getty Images
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1982 World Cup Final, Italy’s Paolo Rossi
20 Jun 2009
1982 World Cup Final, Madrid, Spain, 11th July, 1982, Italy 3 v West Germany 1, Italy’s Paolo Rossi (Photo by Bob Thomas/Getty Images)
© Getty Images
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Italy’s manager Enzo Bearzot talks with his striker Paolo Rossi
21 Dec 2010
1982 World Cup Final, Madrid, Spain, 11th July, 1982, Italy 3 v West Germany 1, Italy’s manager Enzo Bearzot talks with his striker Paolo Rossi at half time (Photo by Bob Thomas/Getty Images)
© Getty Images
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Portrait of Paolo Rossi the Italian Centre Forward during a Summer tour of Mexico
20 Jun 2009
Jun 1985: Portrait of Paolo Rossi the Italian Centre Forward during a Summer tour of Mexico. \ Mandatory Credit: David Cannon/Allsport
© Getty Images
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Italian forward Paolo Rossi (C) scores his third goal past Brazilian goalkeeper Waldir Peres in the WC Spain 1982
21 Jun 2009
Italian forward Paolo Rossi (C) scores his third goal past Brazilian goalkeeper Waldir Peres during their World Cup second round soccer match 05 July 1982 in Barcelona. Italy beat Brazil 3-2 to advance to the semifinals. AFP PHOTO/DPA
© AFP
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Italy’s Paolo Rossi, right, takes on Argentina’s Osvaldo Ardiles, during their 1982 World Cup Final match in Barcelona, Spain, June 29 1982
02 Nov 2010
Italy’s Paolo Rossi, right, takes on Argentina’s Osvaldo Ardiles, during their 1982 World Cup Final match in Barcelona, Spain, June 29 1982 (Photo by Bob Thomas/Getty Images)
© Getty Images
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Italy’s Paolo Rossi scores past Brazil goalkeeper Waldir Peres at Spain 1982
18 Jul 2017
Italy’s Paolo Rossi scores past Brazil goalkeeper Waldir Peres at Spain 1982. Brazil required only a draw to reach the semi-finals, but Rossi’s hat-trick secured Italy a 3-2 victory that sent them through.
© Getty Images
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Paolo Rossi is followed by Brazil’s Junior
05 Jul 2020
Italy’s Paolo Rossi is followed by Brazil’s Junior 1982 World Cup Finals, Second Phase, Barcelona, Spain, 5th July, 1982, Italy 3 v Brazil 2, (Photo by Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images)
© Getty Images
Only three players have won the adidas Golden Ball, the adidas Golden Boot and a winner’s medal at a World Cup: Garrincha (Chile 1962), Mario Kempes (Argentina 1978) and Rossi (Italy 1982).