The best goal scorers - part four: Paolo Rossi

Italian goal-machine

Paolo Rossi has proved that even short and not so strong attackers, if they have talent and think quickly in the box, can be as good as those athletes like Pele, Ronaldo and Euzebio


By MIROSLAV POPOVIĆ
from Belgrade, SERBIA


Football career of Paolo Rossi had a line of amplitude. From difficult moments when he was sentenced with three years of non-playing because of making matches during play in Perugia, till the World Cup title with Italian national team in 1982.

In his first club Vicenza he scored 60 goals in 94 games. When the club was promoted from Serie B into Serie A, he was the best scorer for two years in a row, in both competitions rank. He is the only player who did it in Italy. He was playing two seasons in Perugia, and then transferred to the famous Juventus. From 1982 to 1985, in a shirt of "Turin Old Lady" he won the national Championship and Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, European Super Cup and European Champions Cup. For Italian national team he played 48 games and scored 20 goals.

In the eighties of the 20th century, football was played with a lot more contacts, the defenses were stronger, less space for attackers, and it was considerably more difficult to score than in the time when Pele and Euzebio played.

The best moments of this scorer with the best technique in the box, the attacker who could smell a goal-chance and to go behind the defensive players, happened in the World Championship in Spain 1982. Italy was in the second round of group phase played against Brazil and Argentina in "a group of death". Only the group-winner should reach semifinals. Italy has defeated Argentina 2:1 and Brazil 3:2, and Rossi scored hat-trick against Brazilian magicians. In the semifinal he scored two goals against extremely solid team of Poland and literally, he took his national team to the finals against Germans.

Rossi scored in the finals, too and with six goals he became the best scorer and the best player of the Championship. In the same year he was declared the best player of Europe and the world.

Paolo Rossi has proved that even short and not so strong attackers, if they have talent and think quickly in the box, can be as good as those athletes like Pele, Ronaldo and Euzebio.


(Published: 10.12.2008.)