The 1982 World Cup winner and one of Italy’s greatest ever players, Paolo Rossi, has died at the age of 64. The news was broken first by RAI sports presenter Enrico Varriale, who tweeted about the death of the 1982 Golden Ball winner.
Rossi Dies at 64
One of the Greatest Strikers of All Time
A quick, agile player, blessed with good technique and deadly accuracy, Paolo Rossi was a defenders nightmare. Despite lacking an intimidating physical presence, the Italian more than made up for it with his quick reactions and anticipation.
Remembered for his time with Vincenza and Juventus, Rossi was part of one of the greatest Juventus teams. The Italian, along with Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek, made the Old Lady one of the best teams in the world during the mid-1980s.
In a playing career that lasted 14 seasons, Rossi won almost every major club honour on offer. Winning the Serie B and Serie A Capocannoniere’s in back-to-back seasons will forever remain one of his most impressive feats.
The Hero of the 1982 World Cup
Every player has that one moment that elevates him from a great player to legendary status. The 1982 World Cup was Rossi’s moment. The striker arrived at the 1982 World Cup on the back of the scar left by Totonero scandal. The Italian had recently served a two-season ban for his alleged involvement match-fixing.
After initially struggling to find the net, Rossi burst into life during Italy’s second round. Facing a star-studded Brazilian side with Zico and Socrates in their primes, Rossi stunned the Canaries as he scored a hat-trick en-route a 3-2 win to guide the Azzurri’s to the semi-finals.
From then on, Rossi took central stage. The striker scored twice in the semi-finals against Poland, helping Italy progress to their first World Cup final in more than 40 years. The final again started with a similar story with Rossi scoring the opener as Italy thrashed West Germany to win the 1982 World Cup.
Paolo Rossi ended the tournament winning the FIFA Golden Boot after scoring six goals. He was also adjudged as the winner of the FIFA Golden Ball. He ended the year 1982, winning the Ballon d’Or and the Onze d’Or.
Rossi the second world cup winner to die in the space of two weeks after Diego Maradona.
Main Photo
