Italian footballer Paolo Rossi, hero of the 1982 World Cup won by Italy, has died at the age of 64, his widow and Italian media reported on Thursday (December 10th). Paolo Rossi’s wife Federica Cappelletti announced his death on Instagram, posting a photo of the couple with the caption ” Forever “, followed by a heart.
The Italian media paid tribute to the man who was nicknamed “Pablito”. “The man who made Brazil cry”, note the daily La Repubblica.
Paolo Rossi, who shouldn’t have played in the 1982 World Cup, finally became its hero with six goals and one coronation. Suspended for three years in March 1980 in the “Totonero”, a case of scandal of rigged football matches and illegal bets in Italy, he had however been summoned for the 1982 World Cup in Spain, after a reduction of his sanction, despite the skepticism of the press and the tifosis.
