Another football superstar is gone, this time it is Italy's "golden boy" Rossi.
Another football superstar is gone, this time it is Italy's "golden boy" Rossi.
For young fans, mentioning Rossi, a somewhat "vulgar" surname in Italy, might think of the striker Giuseppe Rossi, who played for the Premier League Manchester United team, and even the legendary motorcyclist Valentino Rossi. For old fans and Italian fans, the glory of this surname belongs only to Paul Rossi.
In the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Rossi scored 6 goals.
Rossi, born in 1956, showed great talent when he was young. As a striker, he was recruited by Serie A giants Juventus at the age of 14. However, Rossi did not get too many opportunities in the "Old Woman". In 1976, he transferred to the second-tier team Vicenza. It was this time that he took the initiative to change and achieved his brilliant career. .
In Vicenza, Rossi has scored more than 20 goals in two consecutive seasons, not only helping the team advance to the first division, but also being selected for the national team for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. In that game, the 22-year-old Rossi scored 3 goals. Although the Italian team could not go far, he was nicknamed the "golden boy" for his outstanding performance and handsome appearance.
His career is reaching its peak, but Rossi has suffered a disaster. In 1980, Rossi was banned for two years by the Italian Football Association for being involved in a "match-fixing scandal."
Far away from the court during the peak period, Rossi's fate fell to the bottom, but perhaps it is this kind of ordeal that allowed him to accumulate greater strength. On the eve of the 1982 World Cup in Spain, the Italian coach Berzot rejected the consensus and recruited Rossi, who had just lifted the ban.
Many years later, FIFA commented on the 1982 World Cup: "Brazil has shining stars, but Rossi's outstanding performance helped the Italian team win the championship."
In fact, Rossi and the Italian team did not perform well at the beginning of the World Cup. In the first stage of the group stage, the Azzurri tied for three consecutive times, only scoring 2 goals, and Rossi also failed. After a bumpy promotion to the second stage of the group stage, the Italian team will only have a chance to advance to the semi-finals if they defeat the Brazilian team, which has many stars such as Zico.
It was in this crucial contest that Rossi played the best match of his career. He staged a "hat-trick" in the game and helped the Italian team win a narrow 3-2. In the semifinals and finals, Rossi scored 2 goals and 1 goal respectively, helping the Italian team to defeat Poland and West Germany consecutively to win the Hercules Cup.
In an interview with FIFA, Rossi said that the 1982 World Cup and Brazil's first goal changed his life.
The outstanding performance in the World Cup has turned the questioned Rossi into an Italian national hero. However, this striker, who is not outstanding in stature, but has a keen sense of smell in the penalty zone, seems to have left his entire life in Spain. After returning to Serie A, Rossi joined the "old club" Juventus and another giant AC Milan, but his highest number of goals in those seasons was only 13 goals. In 1987, Rossi chose to retire at the golden age of 31.
After retiring, Rossi did not transform into a coach, but led a relatively low-key life. In 2002, in the best team of Italian history announced by the Italian Football Association, Rossi was elected with stars such as Zoff, Gentile, Baresi, Maldini, Tardelli and Robert Baggio.
Although Rossi has an official social media account, the last update was in 2016.
In recent years, Rossi has reunited with his beloved sport by serving as a football commentator on Italian television. It’s worth mentioning that Rossi has maintained a good figure after retiring. When asked about the secret, Rossi replied: “I didn’t do much sports after retiring, but I grew my own in Tuscany. Grape and make wine, maybe this is why I keep in good shape!"
After Rossi died, an Italian football reporter posted an old photo on social media. It was during the 1982 World Cup in Spain, 26-year-old Rossi and 22-year-old Maradona took a group photo. Today, the two football heroes of their respective countries are gone.
