Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi dies at age 64, cause of death unknown

Paolo Rossi, who fired Italy to victory in the 1982 World Cup after almost missing the tournament through a match-fixing scandal, has died aged 64, prompting an outpouring of grief and tributes.

Italy’s Paolo Rossi stretches both arms in celebration after scoring his team’s first goal against Poland during the 1982 FIFA World Cup semi-final at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona. Pic/AP;PTI

Rossi’s wife Federica Cappelletti announced the death in an Instagram post featuring a photo of the couple, accompanied by the comment “Forever,” followed by a heart.

She did not disclose the cause of his death. “He didn’t want to go, I hugged him tightly and told him ‘Paolo, now go, you have suffered too much’ ” Cappelletti told journalists on Thursday outside Le Scotte Hospital in Siena where he passed away.

‘Unique person’

“It is not easy to summarise in a few words all that Paolo was,” she continued. “A unique person, full of optimism even in the most difficult moments, a great person but at the same time simple. He knew how to talk in the same way with Heads of State but also with the people we met at the supermarket. This was Paolo and this was his greatness.”

Rossi’s funeral will take place in his adopted city of Vicenza, in northeastern Italy, with his ashes returned to his native Tuscany, Cappelletti added.

Tributes flooded in for Pablito, who was banned for three years for his part in the betting scandal, but returned to win the World Cup in Spain where he was the top scorer with six goals, and the Ballon d’Or the same year.

‘Excellent teammate’

Goalkeeper Dino Zoff, who captained the 1982 winning side, described Rossi as an “extraordinary footballer, excellent teammate and friend”.

He said Rossi’s ban-later reduced to two years-did not bother him, as “we knew who Paolo Rossi was, what a serious person he was and what an extraordinary footballer we had with us”. “He was irreplaceable. And the relationship with him was great. We were a team of friends,” Zoff said.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte paid tribute to an “unforgettable champion”, saying that his goals that summer “gave a dream to an entire generation”.

Rossi’s trophy haul
World Cup: 1
Italian League: 2
European Cup: 1
Italian Cup: 1

09
No. of goals Paolo Rossi scored in two World Cups