Enzo Bearzot
Enzo Bearzot (left) with Italian President Alessandro Pertini shortly after winning the 1982 World Cup
Vincenzo " Enzo " Bearzot ( born September 26, 1927 in Aiello del Friuli, Udine, † December 21, 2010 in Milan ) was an Italian football player and coach.
Career
As a player
Enzo Bearzot was from Friuli. His active career as a football player was not nearly as successful as his later career as a coach. From 1946 he was a professional football player, first played in Serie B. In Serie A, he later played for Torino and Inter Milan as a defensive midfielder. In 1955, he was first nominated for the Italian national team and completed on 27 November 1955, Hungary its first use in the Squadra Azzurra. The match took place in the framework of the European Cup football teams and the Hungarian team consisted essentially of the core of the golden elf. This team lost 1950-1956 just a game. The game ended with a 2-0 victory of Hungary, at the same time, this was his only use in the national team.
As a coach
1964 ended Bearzot his active career and was initially at FC Torino goalkeeper coach and later assistant coach. In the late 1960s he went to the Italian federation (FIGC ) and was coach of the U-23 team. As assistant coach of Ferruccio Valcareggi he took part in the Football World Cup 1970 in Mexico and at the Football World Cup 1974 in Germany. After the early exit in the first round in 1974 Fulvio Bernardini initially was appointed coach, but in 1975 relieved him Bearzot. Enzo Bearzot was coach until 1986 and was in 104 international matches for the most successful coach of Italy after the Second World War.
He oversaw Italy in three World Cups, a European Championship and the " Mini World Cup ". The qualification for the European Football Championship in 1976, when only four teams participated in the tournament, failed initially. Italy was in the same group as vice world champion Netherlands to Johan Cruyff and the bronze medalist Poland to its top star Grzegorz Lato. Italy could only achieve a third place in this group.
At the 1978 World Cup in Argentina is qualified with five wins and one defeat against England. During the tournament, the Italians made great hopes, because in the first round of the hosts and later world champion Argentina was defeated 1-0. Ultimately, the team finished fourth in the tournament. Bearzot discovered before this tournament the still second-class striker Paolo Rossi gambling, which then became one of the young stars of the tournament.
In this tournament was followed by a disappointment: The 1980 European in their own country. Italy played twice 0-0 and won 1-0, and only reached the play-off for third place, which they lost against the defending Czechoslovakia on penalties. The end of 1980 they played the so-called Mini World Cup, where they reached against the vice world champion Netherlands a draw, but lost to eventual champions Uruguay and therefore stood down.
Bearzots greatest triumph was the World Champion title at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. The qualification managed Italy tedious. After three draws in the group stage of the World Cup criticism rained down on the game system Bearzots. Italy achieved only the second final round, because when it came to Cameroon with the same goal difference shot to score more. The critic was when his team the tournament favorites Argentina and Brazil defeated convincingly in the second round. There was a semi-final victory against Poland and Italy in the final against European champions Germany won equally clear 3-1. Paolo Rossi was top scorer.
" The Silent from Friuli " as Bearzot was called because of its tight-lipped handling of journalists and players could withdraw at the peak, and perhaps even should. However, the dutiful Bearzot supervised on the team. The qualification for the European Championship in 1984 was catastrophic: World champions Italy failed as a group fourth of five teams. Only Cyprus played unsuccessful in this group. At the World Cup in Mexico in 1986 Italy played better and was eliminated after a defeat against the strong European champions France in the second round of. Bearzot resigned after the tournament from his office.
After several years of retirement, he became president of the technical range of the FIGC of the most important organization of the Football Coaches training in Italy. In 2005 he resigned and died five years later.
Achievements
Player
- Master of the Series B: 1954, 1960
Coach
- World Cup 1978 Fourth
- EM- Fourth 1980
- World Cup 1982
Awards
- Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in the position of a Grande Ufficiale.