Paolo Rossi was headline news during my school days.
Top scorer, and star player who helped Italy win '82 World Cup. I still remember reading the headlines in newspapers of my school library.
Never watched Paolo Rossi play though, I guess TVs in Goa came later that year during the Asiad Games, after the 1982 World Cup.
The name of Paolo was a household and my Rosary High โschool-holdโ name those days, probably as it matched with the famous Paolo buses plying on the Navelim route.
I watched Paolo Rossi as a pundit on Bein Sports in recent years, handsome as any Italian. However, he will remain best known for his glorious goals in the 1982 World Cup.
๐ญ๐ต๐ด๐ฎ ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฃ
The 1982 World Cup is still in news for a controversial moment during a group game between France and Kuwait. Am ever so fascinated by that news since I am based in Kuwait.
Kuwaiti players and staff surrounded the referee by claiming France's 4th goal should not have stood as Kuwait players heard a whistle in the crowd that they thought was the referee blowing for a foul.
After a lengthy delay in play in which Kuwaiti FA president Sheikh Fahad got involved, the referee overruled his initial decision and disallowed the goal. The game was eventually restarted, and France, having the legendary Michel Platini in their squad, won 4-1.
๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ง
Paolo Rossi scored 6 goals to be a champion of 1982 World Cup. He won the Golden Boot as top goalscorer, and Golden Ball for the player of the tournament.
Apart from the World Cup, Paolo Rossi was one of only 3 players to have won all 3 awards at a World Cup, along with Brazilโs Garrincha in 1962, and Argentina's Mario Kempes in 1978.
He was also awarded 1982 Ballon d'Or (FIFA Player of the Year).
Widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time, Rossi was named in 2004 by Pele as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th-anniversary celebration.
Incidentally, Maradona who died last month, also played in the 1982 World Cup.
Sadly, Rossi, at the age of 64, died from an incurable disease on 9th December 2020.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐!