Out of condition and having displayed a distinct lack of form before Italy’s final second round group stage match with Brazil, Italian fans lamented Coach Enzo Bearzot’s decision to include Paolo Rossi in the side to face the reigning World Champions Brazil. The striker had been involved in the 1980 betting scandal in Italy known as Totonero, and had been disqualified from football for the previous two years.
Making just three appearances for Juventus after his ban had expired at the end of the 1981-82 campaign, the Italian press lamented his inclusion in the squad at all, and his performances in the early stages hadn’t helped at all. Said to be “wandering aimlessly around the pitch” in the initial three matches, the Coach pressed on with the decision to field the 5’10” marksman, and it was to pay off in spectacular fashion.
After superb defensive work from Claudio Gentile and Gaetano Scirea helped to keep Diego Maradona at bay in Italy’s first round-robin match against Argentina, it was on this day in 1982 that the Azzurri faced pre-tournament favourites Brazil with a place in the semi-final at stake. It is important to put the match into context here, as the South American giants boasted players such as Zico, Sócrates and Falcão, whilst Italy were largely unfancied at the start of the tournament.
The players adorning those iconic yellow and green shirts brought the kind of swagger you would expect from a team of such pedigree, but in a match that some describe as the “greatest of all time”, it was the rusty striker of the more cautious blue opposition that grabbed the headlines that day.
His fifth-minute header had put Italy in front at the Estadio Sarria in Barcelona, but it took just seven minutes for Sócrates to bring Brazil back to level pegging. When Rossi fired in again to put Italy 2-1 up in the 25th minute, it took the Seleção a further 43 minutes to breach the resolute Italian defence with another equaliser from Falcão.
At this point, Brazil would have advanced to the semi-finals on goal difference, but the moment for the unlikeliest of heroes to shine had arrived. When a poor clearance on an Azzurri corner fell to both Rossi and Francesco Graziani it was to be the former who connected with it, sending Italy into the lead. This time Brazil had no reply.
“Before the game, Bearzot told me to put pressure on Oscar and Luizinho, Brazil's two slow central defenders,” Rossi wrote in his autobiography entitled ‘I made Brazil cry’. "They'll surely make a mistake, he said.” In truth, it was the coach who had put so much faith in him in the face of so many doubters that deserved most credit. “After the game I immediately looked for Bearzot, I owed it all to him,” he continued. “This unbelievable victory, those unforgettable moments. I hugged him, just a hug, there was no need to speak.”
The hat-trick remains one of the most memorable moments in World Cup history, and Rossi used it as a springboard for the rest of the tournament as Italy went on to secure the trophy. A brace in the semi-final and a goal in the final against West Germany saw the striker collect a whole host of accolades including the Golden Boot, Golden Ball, along with the Ballon d’Or and World Footballer of the Year awards.
1982 Ballon D'or Winner http://t.co/Vs7GwLpFIt
His hat-trick not only spurred the Azzurri onto victory, but provided the neutral supporters with an underdog story that will never be forgotten. Paolo Rossi truly is the man who made Brazil cry.
