INAUSPICIOUS START Rossi made his debut with Juventus in 1973 but the early years of his career were compromised by injury, needing three knee surgeries. He was farmed out to Como, where he made his Serie A debut, and then loaned to Serie B side Vicenza for the 1976-77 season, moving from the wing to a central striking position. It proved a momentous switch as Rossi was Serie B's top scorer that year, firing Vicenza to promotion, and he led the Serie A scoring charts the following season, earning a call-up to Enzo Bearzot's Italy squad for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Rossi shone in the tournament, scoring three goals as the Italians finished fourth. TOTONERO SCANDAL Despite his World Cup heroics, Rossi again struggled with injuries in the following season and Vicenza were relegated. They were forced to loan their star player to Serie A side Perugia, where he became embroiled in the "Totonero" match-fixing scandal. He was banned for three years, later reduced to two, but Rossi has always protested his innocence. The ban ruled Rossi out of the 1980 Euro, where hosts Italy finished fourth, but Juve returned for their former player, who came back in time for the tail-end of their 1981-82 Serie A title-winning campaign, earning a spot in Italy's 1982 World Cup squad. HEYSEL TRAGEDY After his heroics at the 1982 World Cup, Rossi enjoyed his most prolific spell with Juve, where he formed a formidable partnership with Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek. Juve won the 1983 Coppa Italia, and a year later, the treble of the Serie A title, Cup Winners' Cup and the Uefa Super Cup. Rossi was also top scorer with six goals as the team reached the 1983 European Cup final, where they lost to Hamburg. But his final game for Juventus was marked by tragedy. At the 1985 European Cup final, where Juve beat Liverpool, 39 fans died in a stampede and wall collapse following crowd disturbances in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
ROME • Paolo Rossi, Italy's goalscoring hero from their victorious 1982 World Cup campaign and scorer of a hat-trick against Brazil in one of the most famous matches in the competition's history, yesterday died at the age of 64. The celebrated striker's death comes with the football world still in mourning for Argentina icon Diego Maradona, who died last month of a heart attack. Italian TV channel RAI Sport, where Rossi had been working as a pundit, said "Pablito" had died of an "incurable disease". Rossi's wife, Federica Cappelletti, posted a photo of herself and her husband on Instagram along with the words "per sempre" or forever in Italian. "There will never be anyone like you, unique, special..." she also wrote on Facebook. Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina said Rossi was "indelibly linked to the blue shirt and his style of play inspired many strikers of future generations". Rossi, whose lithe figure belied his quickness and agility, won two Serie A titles, a European Cup and a Coppa Italia with Juventus but will be most fondly remembered for lighting up the 1982 World Cup in Spain with six goals. His Azzurri selection came after a two-year ban for a match-fixing scandal and was initially criticised by pundits, who wrote him off as out of shape. But Rossi struck one of the World Cup's greatest trebles and he later called his scoring streak "a personal redemption", having always denied any wrongdoing. Brazil, led by Falcao, Socrates and Zico, were the tournament's runaway favourites and had enchanted the world with their flowing football. Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina describes Paolo Rossi (left) as one who was ''indelibly linked to the blue shirt and his style of play inspired many strikers of future generations''. PHOTO: REUTERS, EPA-EFE But Italy, via Rossi's heroics, eliminated the Selecao after a 3-2 upset to move into the semi-finals. He again made the difference against Poland, sinking them with a brace for a 2-0 win. That set up a final with West Germany and Rossi got Italy's opening goal in a 3-1 victory that gave them their third World Cup title and their first since 1938. He won both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball awards, a campaign regarded as one of the best individual World Cup performances of all time and was also awarded the 1982 Ballon d'Or as Europe's top footballer. "This came out of the blue," said former goalkeeper and 1982 teammate Dino Zoff, who is 78. "We'd heard something was wrong but I didn't think it was that serious. "I had a wonderful relationship with him, he was a lovely guy. This is something which is difficult to understand." Another former teammate, Giancarlo Antognoni, added: "Another piece of history of my beloved football has gone." Rossi, who also scored three goals at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, remains Italy's joint-highest scorer in the tournament alongside Roberto Baggio and Christian Vieri. He was included in the 1986 World Cup squad but did not play and ended his playing career a year later at 30 with Verona. THE GREATEST The one who beat Zico's Brazil, Maradona's Argentina, Boniek's Poland and in the final, the Germany of Rummenigge. LA GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT, in an eulogy. Newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport said that Rossi was "the one who beat Zico's Brazil, Maradona's Argentina, (Zbigniew) Boniek's Poland and in the final, the (West) Germany of (Karl-Heinz) Rummenigge". Former Italy prime minister Matteo Renzi tweeted: "In our hearts, forever. Farewell Pablito", while former Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni, who managed him at Juve, added: "Bye bye Paolo. Players should never depart before coaches." REUTERS