Paolo Rossi

Paolo Rossi

Rossi with Vicenza in the late 1970s.
Personal information
Date of birth	23 September 1956
Place of birth	Prato, Italy
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1973–1975	Juventus	0	(0)
1975–1976	→ Como (loan)	6	(0)
1976–1980	Vicenza	94	(60)
1979–1980	→ Perugia (loan)	28	(13)
1981–1985	Juventus	83	(24)
1985–1986	Milan	20	(2)
1986–1987	Hellas Verona	20	(4)
Total		251	(103)
National team
1977–1986	Italy	48	(20)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Paolo Rossi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo ˈrossi]; born 23 September 1956) is a former Italian professional footballer, who played as a forward. In 1982, he led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot as top goalscorer, and the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament. Rossi is one of only three players to have won all three awards at a World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962, and Mario Kempes in 1978. Rossi was also awarded the 1982 Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year for his performances. Along with Roberto Baggio and Christian Vieri, he is Italy's top scorer in World Cup history, with 9 goals in total.^[2]

At club level, Rossi was also a prolific goalscorer for Vicenza. In 1976 he was signed to Juventus from Vicenza in a co-ownership deal for a world record transfer fee.^[3] Vicenza retained his services, and he was top goalscorer in Serie B in 1977, leading his team to promotion to Serie A. The following season, Rossi scored 24 goals, to become the first player to top the scoring charts in Serie B and Serie A in consecutive seasons. In 1981 Rossi made his debut for Juventus, and went on to win two Scudetto titles, the Italian Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the European Cup.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian strikers of all time, in 2004 Rossi was named by Pelé as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration.^[4] In the same year, Rossi placed 12 in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. Since retiring, Rossi has gone into sports journalism and punditry. He currently works as a pundit for Mediaset Premium.

Career

Early years

Rossi was born in Prato, Tuscany, Italy in the area of Santa Lucia.^[5][6]

Although he was a member of the squad during the 1972–73 season, Rossi made his debut in professional Italian football with Juventus in 1973, making an appearance in the Coppa Italia, also winning a runners-up medal in the 1973 Intercontinental Cup with Juventus. Rossi was often injury prone during his first few seasons, only making 3 Coppa Italia appearances and no goals with Juventus between 1972 and 1975. After three operations on his knees, he was later sent to gain experience with Como, where he made his Serie A debut during the 1975–76 season, initially playing as a right winger, where his small build would not be a hindrance, making 6 Serie A appearances for the club, but failing to score once again.^[7][8][5][9]

A young Paolo Rossi with Como in 1975.

His career came to a turning point when Vicenza (then Lanerossi Vicenza) engaged him on loan. Coach Fabbri decided to move him from the wing and place him in the center of the attack (because of injuries to the then center-forward) just before the season started. Rossi immediately showed a tremendous knack for getting open in the box and scoring, winning the Serie B Golden Boot in his first year at this more advanced position, with 21 goals. In the 1976–77 season, Rossi's qualities as an implacable striker led his team to promotion to Serie A, and he also led Vicenza to the second group stage of the Coppa Italia that season. In the following season, Rossi scored 24 goals, to become the first player to top the scoring charts in Serie B and Serie A in consecutive seasons, also leading Vicenza to an incredible second-place finish in Serie A during the 1977–78 season, only behind co-owners Juventus. Due to his performances, he was selected by the Italian national team's manager Enzo Bearzot for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. Rossi was also given his Italy debut under Bearzot on 21 December 1977, in a 1–0 friendly away win over Belgium.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Rossi confirmed his growth during the 1978 World Cup tournament, gaining international fame as one of the world's best strikers. Playing for Italy as a central striker, he would switch positions with the two other forwards a fraction of the time, going to his original right wing position. Right winger Franco Causio, a two-footed player, would go left, and Italy's tall left winger Roberto Bettega would go to the center. This simple stratagem, made possible by the technical quality of all three players, created havoc on opposing defenses, and 1978 Italy showed an entertaining offensive style of play. Rossi totaled three goals and four assists in that World Cup edition as Italy reached the semi-finals of the tournament, only to finish in fourth place. Rossi was named as part of the team of the tournament for his performances, and he also collected the Silver Ball as the second best player of the World Cup. Rossi's goal in Italy's opening 2-1 group win of the tournament against France, on 2 June 1978, was also his first goal for Italy.^[7][8][11]

Rossi up to this point had been jointly owned by Vicenza and Juventus. When the two clubs were called to settle the property, Lanerossi offered the shocking sum of 2.612 million lire for Rossi, who became the world's most expensive player, and Italy's most costly sportsman ever to that date. After the 1978 World Cup, during the 1978–79 season, Rossi made his European debut with Vicenza in the UEFA Cup, however, despite scoring 15 goals for the club in Serie A, his season was marked by injuries, and Vicenza was relegated to Serie B. Rossi was subsequently loaned to Perugia, in order to play in Serie A the following season.^[7][8][10]

Scandal

While at Perugia, he managed 13 goals in Serie A during the 1979–80 season, also helping the club to the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup. During the season, however, he was involved in the infamous 1980 betting scandal known in Italy as Totonero, and as a result of this Rossi was disqualified for three years, although this was later reduced to a two-year ban. As a result, Rossi missed out on the 1980 European Championship with Italy, where the team once again finished in fourth place, on home soil, after reaching the semi-finals. Despite the ban, Rossi always claimed to be innocent, and stated that he had been a victim of an injustice.^[12][11]

1982 World Cup

Paolo Rossi kisses the 1982 FIFA World Cup trophy.

Despite his ban, Rossi was purchased back by Juventus's in 1981, and he returned to the starting line-up just in time for the end of the 1981–82 season to contribute to the club's 1981–82 Serie A title (scoring 1 goal in 3 appearances), and to take part in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, with Italy.^[7] Italian journalists and tifosi initially lamented that he was in very poor shape, however, and this view seemed to be confirmed by Italy's first, appalling three group matches, in which he was allegedly described as a ghost aimlessly wandering over the field.^[13]

Italy manager Enzo Bearzot, however, staunchly confirmed Rossi for the decisive round robin in the second round, in which his team was to face Argentina, the reigning World Champions, and Brazil, the biggest favourites to win the title, with a team consisting of world-class players such as Sócrates, Zico, and Falcão. After Italy defeated Argentina 2–1, also thanks to the defensive work of Claudio Gentile and Gaetano Scirea, who shut down the young Argentinean star Diego Maradona, Rossi scored three memorable goals to defeat Brazil 3–2 to qualify for the semi-finals.^[9] In the semi-final match against Poland, Rossi's two goals won the match for Italy once again, granting them a place in the 1982 World Cup final. In the final against West Germany, Rossi scored the first of Italy's three goals, off of an indirect set-piece assist from Gentile, helping Italy to win the match 3–1, giving his team their third World Cup title. With six goals in total, he won the tournament's maximo goleador award — the Golden Boot — as the top scorer of the tournament, as well as the Golden Ball Award for the best player of the tournament, and he was named as part of the team of the tournament for the second consecutive time.^[7][8][11]

Italian fans hung banners proclaiming him "Man of the match". Rossi's accomplishments in Spain gained him the title of European Footballer of the Year and World Player of the Year in 1982, as well as the 1982 Onze d'Or Award. Due to his notable goalscoring exploits during the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Paolo Rossi earned the nicknames "Pablito", and the "torero".^[7][8][14]

Later years

Paolo Rossi with Juventus.

After the 1982 World Cup, Rossi continued to play with Juventus. During the 1982–83 season, Juventus finished second in Serie A, although Rossi helped the club to win the 1983 Coppa Italia, scoring 5 goals, also helping Juventus to reach the 1983 European Cup final, only to lose out to Hamburg; Rossi finished the tournament as the top scorer, with 6 goals. During the 1983–84 season, Rossi won his second Scudetto title with the club, notably scoring 13 goals, also helping the club to win the 1983–84 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, followed by the 1984 UEFA Super Cup. During his final season with the club, Rossi finally won the European Cup in 1985, finishing the tournament with 5 goals, behind only team-mate Michel Platini, and Torbjörn Nilsson, with 7 goals.^{[7][8][11][14]}

After his stint with Juventus, he moved on to a then struggling Milan for a season in 1985.^[5] During his time with Milan, he was remembered for his two-goal performance against Internazionale in a Milan derby match. Rossi was also selected to the 1986 FIFA World Cup roster for Italy, but did not play due to an injury. He made his final appearance for Italy on 11 May 1986, in a 2–0 friendly home win over China, in Naples. He ended his club career at Hellas Verona during the 1986–87 season, helping them to a fourth-place finish in Serie A, before retiring at the end of the season. He is currently involved in real estate, together with his former teammate Giancarlo Salvi.^[7][8]

Rossi scored a total of 20 goals in 48 senior international caps for Italy.^[15] Undoubtedly, his most important goal was the winner against Brazil in the 1982 World Cup which completed a famous hat trick and enabled the Azzurri to advance to the semi-finals at the expense of the South Americans. Rossi further represented Italy in the 1991 edition of the World Cup of Masters, scoring in the third place play off against Uruguay. Rossi is currently Italy's joint all-time top goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup, with 9 goals in 14 appearances over two editions of the tournament, alongside Roberto Baggio and Christian Vieri. 6 of his World Cup goals came in 7 appearances in Italy's victorious 1982 edition, and 3 of his goals came in 7 appearances in the 1978 edition, where Italy finished in fourth place.^[7][14]

Rossi was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004;^[4] during the same year, he placed 12th in the UEFA Golden Jubilee poll.^[16]

In August 1990, he was named vice-president of Lega Pro Prima Divisione club A.S. Pescina Valle del Giovenco.^[17]

International goals

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.

Rossi – goals for Italy
No	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	2 June 1978	Estadio Mundialista, Mar del Plata	France	1–1	2–1	1978 World Cup
2.	6 June 1978	Estadio Mundialista, Mar del Plata	Hungary	1–0	3–1	1978 World Cup
3.	18 June 1978	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires	Austria	1–0	1–0	1978 World Cup
4.	21 December 1978	Stadio Olimpico, Rome	Spain	1–0	1–0	Friendly
5.	24 February 1979	San Siro, Milan	Netherlands	2–0	3–0	Friendly
6.	26 May 1979	Stadio Olimpico, Rome	Argentina	2–1	2–2	Friendly
7.	13 June 1979	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb	Yugoslavia	1–0	1–4	Friendly
8.	5 July 1982	Estadio Sarriá, Barcelona	Brazil	1–0	3–2	1982 World Cup
9.				2–1
10.				3–2
11.	8 July 1982	Camp Nou, Barcelona	Poland	1–0	2–0	1982 World Cup
12.				2–0
13.	11 July 1982	Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid	West Germany	1–0	3–1	1982 World Cup
14.	5 October 1983	Stadio della Vittoria, Bari	Greece	3–0	3–0	Friendly
15.	22 December 1983	Stadio Renato Curi, Perugia	Cyprus	3–1	3–1	Euro 1984 qualifier
16.	4 February 1984	Stadio Olimpico, Rome	Mexico	2–0	5–0	Friendly
17.				3–0
18.				4–0
19.	5 February 1985	Dalymount Park, Dublin	Republic of Ireland	1–0	2–1	Friendly
20.	3 April 1985	Stadio Cino e Lillo Del Duca, Ascoli Piceno	Portugal	2–0	2–0	Friendly

Style of play

Paolo Rossi is widely regarded as one the greatest and most prolific Italian forwards of all time.^[9] Although he lacked the intimidating physical presence of a typical out-and-out striker, Rossi was a quick, agile, prolific, and elegant centre-forward, with good technique, balance, quick reactions, and an eye for goal.^[5][18] He made up for his lack of strength, physicality and power with his keen sense of opportunism, intelligence, positioning, and sharp finishing skills with his feet, as well as in the air, and also with his head.^[11][9][7] Although Rossi was primarily known as a striker, he began his career as a right winger, and in his later career with Juventus, he was also deployed out of a position as a supporting forward, due to the offensive attributes of new arrivals such as Boniek and Michel Platini, in particular.^[7]

Career statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Italy			League		Coppa Italia		League Cup		Europe		Total
1975–76	Como	Serie A	6	0
1976–77	Lanerossi Vicenza	Serie B	36	21
1977–78		Serie A	30	24
1978–79			28	15
1979–80	Perugia		28	13
1980–81			0	0
1981–82	Juventus		3	1
1982–83			23	7					9	6
1983–84			30	13					9	2
1984–85			27	3					10	5
1985–86	Milan		20	2
1986–87	Hellas Verona		20	4
Total	Italy		251	103
Career total			251	103

^[19]

Italy national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1977	1	0
1978	10	4
1979	5	3
1980	3	0
1981	0	0
1982	11	6
1983	7	2
1984	6	3
1985	3	2
1986	2	0
Total	48	20

Honours

Club

Vicenza^[11]

• Serie B: 1976–77

Juventus^[11]

• Serie A: 1981–82, 1983–84
• Coppa Italia: 1982–83
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1983–84
• UEFA Super Cup: 1984
• European Cup: 1984–85

International

Italy^[11]

• FIFA World Cup: 1982

Individual

• Serie B Top Goalscorer: 1976–77 (21 goals)^[20]
• Serie A Top Goalscorer: 1977–78 (24 goals)^[21]
• FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 1978^[11][22]
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1978, 1982^[23]
• FIFA XI: 1979, 1986^[24]
• FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1982^[11]
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1982^[11][22]
• Onze d'Or: 1982^[25]
• Ballon D'Or: 1982^[26]
• World Soccer Awards Player of the Year: 1982^[27]
• L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 1982^[28]
• European Cup Top Scorers: 1982–83^[29]
• World Soccer Awards 100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century #42^[30]
• FIFA 100^[4]
• UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll: #12^[31]
• Golden Foot "Football Legends": 2007^[32]

References

1. "Biography for Paolo Rossi". Retrieved 8 December 2009.
2. "PAOLO ROSSI: NOI, RAGAZZI DELL'82" [Paolo Rossi: We, the guys of '82] (in Italian). Famiglia Cristiana. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
3. "The history of the world transfer record". BBC Sport (BBC). Retrieved 10 May 2014.
4. "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Archived from the original on 29 April 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
5. "Paolo Rossi". Retrieved 7 January 2015.
6. Francesco Saverio Intorcia (25 April 2012). "Ho visto esplodere Paolo Rossi e Bobo Vieri anche mio nipote Alino merita la Nazionale" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
7. Stefano Bedeschi (23 September 2013). "Gli Eroi in Bianconero: Paolo ROSSI" (in Italian). Tutto Juve. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
8. "Paolo Rossi: La solitudine del centravanti" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
9. "Paolo Rossi, l’uomo che fece piangere il Brasile. Intervista al campione del mondo di Spagna ’82". Retrieved 7 January 2015.
10. "Real Vicenza: Il Lanerossi Vicenza di Fabbri" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
11. "Pablito, Italy's outstanding opportunist". Retrieved 7 January 2015.
12. Dan Warren (25 July 2006). "The worst scandal of them all". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 July 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
13. "Rossi è Pablito, Italia campione" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 7 July 2006. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
14. Fabio Bianchi. "1982, il ritorno di Paolo Rossi e il lieto fine di una favola spezzata" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
15. "Nazionale in cifre: Rossi, Paolo" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
16. "Winner acknowledges his fans". UEFA. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
17. "Juventus legend Rossi back in football at Pescina". Tribalfootball.com. 6 August 2009. Archived from the original on 10 August 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
18. ""Da Pablito a Pepito stesso fiuto del gol ma lui è più potente"". Retrieved 7 January 2015.
19. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/prossi-intlg.html
20. "Italy - Serie B Top Scorers". rsssf.com. RSSSF. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
21. Roberto Di Maggio; Igor Kramarsic; Alberto Novello (11 June 2015). "Italy - Serie A Top Scorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
22. José Luis Pierrend (12 February 2015). "FIFA Awards: FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Awards". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
23. "FIFA World Cup Awards: All-Star Team". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
24. "FIFA XI´s Matches - Full Info". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
25. José Luis Pierrend (6 March 2012). ""Onze Mondial" Awards: Onze de Onze 1976-2011". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
26. Rob Moore; Karel Stokkermans (21 January 2011). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
27. Jamie Rainbow (14 December 2012). "World Soccer Awards – previous winners". World Soccer. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
28. "L’Équipe World Champion of Champions". 26 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
29. Roberto Di Maggio; Roberto Mamrud; Jarek Owsianski; Davide Rota (11 June 2015). "Champions Cup/Champions League Topscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
30. "World Soccer 100 Players of the Century". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
31. "Zinedine Zidane voted top player by fans" (PDF). UEFA.com. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
32. "Golden Foot Legends". Golden Foot.com. Retrieved 27 March 2015.

External links

• Official website (Italian)