Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi ( born September 23, 1956 in Santa Lucia in Prato ) is a retired Italian footballer.
Career
Already as a young Paolo Rossi was spotted by Juventus. He then, however, had in 1975 make their way to Serie B for AC Como, to gain experience. In 1976 he moved to another second division club to Vicenza. Here he discovered already Enzo Bearzot coach for the Italian national football team. He was top scorer in the second division this season and played a key role in the first ascent of Vicenza in the A. series In season 1977/78 he scored 24 goals in Serie A, was capocannoniere and finished with Lane Rossi Vicenza behind Juventus into second place in the league.
The star of the small, frail Rossi with the Killer Instinct went on at the Football World Cup 1978 in Argentina. The then 21 -year-old was wearing the national team jersey with the number 21 and scored in their first group match against France, the equalizer at 1-1. Italy finished fourth at the World Cup. In the same season he was with Vicenza even become Italian vice-champion and changed for the new season to AC Perugia. This change should be his undoing:
In 1979, Rossi in a scandal a postponed league game ( AC Perugia - U.S. Avellino 2:2, December 30, 1979) involved and it was banned by the Italian Association for three years. Rossi himself always protested his innocence, however, what he mainly thus established that the bribery totaling the equivalent of 4,000 DM for a player like Rossi was a ridiculous amount. In addition, Rossi had scored both goals for Perugia. Later the sentence was mitigated to two years and he was eligible to play again from April 1982. Despite a lack of match practice Rossi was nominated by then- coach Enzo Bearzot for the World Cup.
With the Football World Cup 1982 in Spain, he was a legend of Italian football. After a weak first round, in Italy three times in a draw played and Rossi strong standing in the criticism because he does not score a goal (the Italian tabloids wrote him even a homosexual relationship with defender Antonio Cabrini, which led to press boycott of the Italian team ) came his big appearance in the second game of the second final round against the high WC favorites Brazil. Rossi scored all three goals for the 3-2 success in Italy. Italy then defeated Poland in the semifinals 2-0 and Rossi scored both goals.
In the final against Germany Rossi scored the goal to make it 1-0. In the end, Italy won 3-1 his third world title and Rossi was with six -goal top scorer and best player of the tournament. In addition, he was elected in the same year the European Footballer of the Year.
After the lock Rossi returned in 1982 to Juventus back and celebrated after the World Cup triumph his greatest club successes. Together with Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek he was the highest-scoring attack the Italian league and won the Italian Cup in 1983, 1984, its first Italian Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. In 1985, he was then the winning team in the final of the European Champions' Cup of Brussels, however, ended in one of the biggest disasters in the history of football hooligans from Liverpool triggered as a mass panic. In the following 1985/1986 season he moved to AC Milan, but could not build on the successes with Juve here. Enzo Bearzot still took him for the Football World Cup 1986 in Mexico. It came in this tournament, but not used. His time in Milan has been marked by injuries, as well as his 1986/87 season with Hellas Verona. He finished his career in 1987 and then retired into private life. However, the balance of his career is worthy of admiration. It lacks only the UEFA Cup and the European Championship title in his collection. In 48 appearances for Italy, he scored 20 goals in 215 first division matches and 82 goals.
Achievements
As a national player
- World Champion: 1982
With its clubs
- Italian Cup Winners: 1982/83
- Italian Champion: 1983/84
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1983/84
- European Supercup winner: 1984
- European Champion Clubs' Cup: 1984/85
Individual Achievements / Honors
- Scorer ( capocannoniere ) Serie A ( 24 goals ): 1977/78
- Most valuable player and top scorer of the World Cup ( " Golden Ball " and " Golden Shoe " ): 1982
- European Footballer of the Year: 1982
- World Soccer Player of the Year: 1982
- World Sportsman of the Year ( L' Équipe ): 1982
- Inclusion in the FIFA 100: 2004