Paolo Rossi (Italian pronunciation:[ˈpaːoloˈrossi];[1][2] 23 September 1956 – 9 December 2020) was an Italian professionalfootballer who played as astriker. He ledItaly to the1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win theGolden Boot as top goalscorer, and theGolden Ball for the player of the tournament. Rossi is one of only three players, and the only European, to have won all three awards at a World Cup, along withGarrincha in 1962 andMario Kempes in 1978. Rossi was also awarded the1982 Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year for his performances (remaining the only player in history to win these four awards in a single year). Along withRoberto Baggio andChristian Vieri, he isItaly's top scorer in World Cup history, with nine goals overall.[3]
At club level, Rossi was also a prolific goalscorer forVicenza. In 1976, he was signed toJuventus from Vicenza in a co-ownership deal for aworld record transfer fee.[4] Vicenza retained his services, and he was the top goalscorer inSerie B in 1977, leading his team to promotion toSerie 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. Rossi made his debut for Juventus in 1981, and went on to win two Serie A titles, theCoppa Italia, theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup, theUEFA Super Cup, and theEuropean Cup. With success at club and international level, he is one of ten players to have won theFIFA World Cup, theUEFA Champions League and theBallon d'Or.
Rossi was born inPrato, Tuscany, Italy in the area of Santa Lucia.[8][9]
Although he was a member of the squad during the 1972–73 season, Rossi made his debut in professional Italian football withJuventus in 1973, making an appearance in theCoppa Italia and winning a runners-up medal in the1973 Intercontinental Cup. He was often injury-prone during his first few seasons, only making three Coppa Italia appearances with Juventus between 1972 and 1975, and scoring no goals. After three operations on his knees, he was later sent to gain experience withComo, where he made hisSerie A debut during the1975–76 season, initially playing as aright winger, where his small build would not be a hindrance; he made six Serie A appearances for the club, but again failed to score.[10][11][8][12]
His career reached a turning point whenVicenza Calcio (then Lanerossi Vicenza) engaged him on loan. CoachGiovan Battista Fabbri decided to move him from the wing and place him in thecentre of the attack (because of injuries to the then centre-forward) just before the season started. Rossi immediately showed a tremendous knack for getting open in the box and scoring, winning theSerie B Golden Boot with 21 goals in his first year in this more advanced position. 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 theCoppa Italia that season. In the following season, Rossi scored 24 goals, to become the first player totop the scoring charts inSerie B and Serie A in consecutive seasons, also leading Vicenza to an incredible second-place finish inSerie A during the 1977–78 season, only behind his co-owners Juventus. Due to his performances, he was selected by theItalian national team's managerEnzo Bearzot for the1978 FIFA World Cup. Rossi was also given his Italy debut under Bearzot on 21 December 1977, in a 1–0 friendly away win overBelgium.[10][11][12][13]
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 sometimes switch positions with the two other forward, going to his original right wing position. Right wingerFranco Causio, a two-footed player, would go left, and Italy's tall left wingerRoberto Bettega would go to the center. This simple stratagem, made possible by the technical quality of all three players, created havoc for opposing defences, and Italy showed an entertaining offensive style of play in the tournament. Rossi totalled three goals and four assists as Italy finished in fourth place in that World Cup. He was named as part of the team of the tournament for his performances, and he also collected theSilver Ball as the second-best player of the World Cup. Rossi's goal in Italy's opening 2–1 group win of the tournament againstFrance, on 2 June 1978, was also his first goal for Italy.[10][11][14]
Up to this point, Rossi 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 billion lire for Rossi, who became theworld's most expensive player, and Italy's most costly sportsman ever at that point. After the 1978 World Cup, during the1978–79 season, Rossi made his European debut with Vicenza in theUEFA 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 toPerugia, to play in Serie A the following season.[10][11][13]
While at Perugia, he managed 13 goals in Serie A during the1979–80 season, also helping the club to the round of 16 of theUEFA Cup. During the season, however, he was involved in the infamous 1980 betting scandal known in Italy asTotonero, 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 the1980 European Championship with Italy, where the team once again finished in fourth place, on home soil. Despite the ban, Rossi always claimed to be innocent, and stated that he had been a victim of an injustice.[14][15]
Despite his ban, Rossi was repurchased byJuventus 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's1981–82 Serie A title (scoring one goal in three appearances), and to take part in the1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.[10] Italian journalists andtifosi initially lamented that he was in very poor shape, however, and this view seemed to be confirmed by Italy's appalling performance in the three group matches, in which he was described as a "ghost aimlessly wandering over the field".[16]
Italy managerEnzo Bearzot, however, staunchly confirmed Rossi for the decisive round robin in the second round, in which his team was to faceArgentina, thereigning World Champions, andBrazil, the favourites to win the title with a team consisting of world-class players such asSócrates,Zico, andFalcão. After Italy defeated Argentina 2–1, partly thanks to the defensive work ofClaudio Gentile andGaetano Scirea who shut down the young Argentine starDiego Maradona, Rossi scored ahat-trick todefeat Brazil 3–2 to qualify for the semi-finals.[12] In the semi-final match againstPoland, Rossi's two goals won the match for Italy once again, granting them a place in the1982 World Cup final. In the final againstWest Germany, Rossi scored the first of Italy's three goals, from an indirect set-piece assist from Gentile, helping Italy win the match 3–1, giving his team their third World Cup title. With six goals in total, he won the tournament'smáximo goleador award, theGolden Boot, as the top scorer of the tournament, as well as theGolden 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.[10][11][14]
Italian fans hung banners proclaiming him "Man of the match". Rossi's accomplishments in Spain gained him the title ofEuropean Footballer of the Year andWorld Player of the Year in 1982, as well as the 1982Onze d'Or Award. His goalscoring exploits during the tournament earned him the nicknames "Pablito" and the "torero".[10][11][17] Between his goals and assists throughout the tournament, Rossi was directly responsible for 58% of his team's goals during the 1982 World Cup.[18]
Rossi became a national hero in Italy for his six goals in the 1982 World Cup finals. Peter Mason, writing forThe Guardian, noted that the World Cup final win, which was set up by Rossi's crucial first goal, "was a cathartic moment for the nation, which had been subject to significant social and political unrest for a number of years and, despite being regarded as one of the world's premier footballing nations, had not won a World Cup since 1938... With the victory came an incalculable lift to the nation’s spirits, and Rossi was at the centre of the celebrations."[19]
After the 1982 World Cup, Rossi continued to play withJuventus. During the1982–83 season, Juventus finished second in Serie A, although he helped the club to win the 1983 Coppa Italia, scoring five goals. He also helped Juventus to reach the1983 European Cup Final, only to lose out toHamburg; he finished thetournament as the top scorer, with six goals. During the1983–84 season, Rossi won his secondScudetto title with the club, notably scoring 13 goals, also helping the club to win the1983–84UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, followed by the1984 UEFA Super Cup. During his final season with the club, Rossi finally won theEuropean Cup in1985, finishing the tournament with 5 goals, behind only teammateMichel Platini, andTorbjörn Nilsson, with 7 goals.[10][11][14][17]
Following his tenure with Juventus, Rossi moved on to a then strugglingMilan for a season in 1985.[8] During his time with Milan, he was remembered for his two-goal performance againstInternazionale in aMilan derby match. Rossi was also selected in Italy's squad for the1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, but did not play in the competition; an injury caused him to struggle during the team's fitness tests, owing to the high altitude of the region. As a result, he was replaced byGiuseppe Galderisi up-front in the team's starting line-up.[20] He made his final appearance for Italy on 11 May 1986, in a 2–0 friendly home win overChina in Naples. He ended his club career atHellas Verona during the1986–87 season, helping them to a fourth-place finish in Serie A, before retiring at the end of the season. He was involved in real estate, together with his former teammate Giancarlo Salvi.[10][11]
Rossi scored a total of 20 goals in 48 senior international caps forItaly.[21] Rossi isItaly's joint all-time top goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup, with nine goals in 14 appearances over two editions of the tournament, alongsideRoberto Baggio andChristian Vieri. Six of his World Cup goals came in seven appearances during Italy's passage to triumph in 1982, and three of his goals came in seven appearances during the 1978 tournament, when Italy finished in fourth place.[10][17] Rossi represented Italy in the1991 edition of theWorld Cup of Masters, scoring in the third place play-off againstUruguay.
Following his retirement he also worked as a pundit for Sky, Mediaset Premium, and Rai Sport.[6][24]
Rossi died on 9 December 2020, at the age of 64, from lung cancer.[6][7][25] Rossi was survived by his second wife, Federica Cappelletti, and three children.[26] During his funeral inVicenza on 12 December, attended by thousands,[27] his house inBucine was robbed.[28][19]
Paolo Rossi is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most prolific Italian forwards of all time.[12] Although he lacked the intimidating physical presence of a typical out-and-outstriker, Rossi was a quick, agile, prolific, and elegantcentre-forward, with good technique, balance, extremely quick reactions, an accurate shot, and an eye for goal, which enabled him to anticipate defenders in the box for the ball.[8][29] He made up for his lack of strength, physicality, and shooting power with his keen sense of opportunism, intelligence, positional sense, and sharp finishing skills with both of his feet as well as with his head. This allowed him to excel in the air and beat out larger opponents for the ball, in spite of his relatively short stature. However, he was not particularly adept at set pieces.[10][12][14] Although Rossi was primarily known as a striker who mainly operated in the penalty area, he began his career as aright winger, and in his later career with Juventus, he was also deployed as asupporting forward or as centre-forward, but in a role known as acentravanti di manovra in Italian football jargon (similar to the modernfalse 9 role), owing to the offensive attributes of the club's new signings in midfield, in particularZbigniew Boniek andMichel Platini, where his role frequently involved holding up the ball or dragging opponents out of position to create space for his teammates' runs with his excellent attacking movement off the ball.[10]
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