Paolo Rossi, Italy’s goalscoring hero from their victorious 1982 World Cup games, has died at 64.
The news was announced in the early hours of Thursday morning by Italian TV channel RAI Sport, where Rossi had been working as a pundit.
His death comes with the soccer world still in mourning for Argentina icon Diego Maradona, who passed away late last month.
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Italian TV channel RAI Sport, where Rossi had been working as a pundit, on Thursday said he had died of an “incurable disease”.
Also confirming the news, a RAI Sport presenter, Enrico Varriale tweeted;
A very sad news: Paolo Rossi left us. Unforgettable Pablito, who made us all fall in love in that summer of ‘82 and who has been a precious and competent workmate at RAI in recent years. RIP dear Paolo.
Una notizia tristissima : ci ha lasciato Paolo Rossi. Indimenticabile Pablito, che ci ha fatto innamorare tutti in quell’ Estate del ’82 e che è stato prezioso e competente compagno di lavoro in RAI, negli ultimi anni.
R.i.p. caro Paolo.— enrico varriale (@realvarriale) December 10, 2020
Rossi’s wife, Cappelletti Federica, posted a photo of herself and her husband to her Instagram account along with the words “per sempre” meaning “forever”.
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The former Juventus and AC Milan player is widely regarded as one of the best forwards of all time and is most famous for his heroics at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
In the final, he scored the opening goal as Italy defeated West Germany 3-1. Earlier in the tournament, in what is still considered one of the best World Cup performances, he scored a hat-trick to beat Brazil 3-2.
Rossi won the tournament’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball and, in the same year, the Ballon d’Or.
His involvement in the 1982 World Cup at all was only down to a reduction of a match-fixing ban. Rossi was the world’s highest-paid player when, in 1980, he was banned for three years after it emerged that a 2-2 draw between Perugia – where he was on loan from Vicenza – and Avellino was fixed by a betting syndicate.
Rossi denied involvement and his ban was reduced to two years. The then 25-year-old, who had in the interim been purchased by Juventus, returned to the game two months before the tournament.
He spent his entire club career in Italy, winning two Serie A titles and helping Juve to the 1984 European Cup.
Tributes have been pouring in from around the world on social media, with many praying for comfort for his family.
May his soul rest in peace.
