Paolo Rossi

This article is about the Italian international footballer. For other people, see Paolo Rossi (disambiguation).

Paolo Rossi
Rossi with Italy at the 1982 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Date of birth (1956-09-23)23 September 1956
Place of birth Prato, Italy
Date of death 9 December 2020(2020-12-09) (aged 64)
Place of death Siena, Italy
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1961–1967 Santa Lucia
1967–1968 Ambrosiana
1968–1972 Cattolica Virtus
1972–1975 Juventus
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1976 Juventus 0 (0)
1975–1976 → Como (loan) 6 (0)
1976–1980 Vicenza 94 (60)
1979–1980 → Perugia (loan) 28 (13)
1981–1985 Juventus 83 (24)
1985–1986 Milan 20 (2)
1986–1987 Hellas Verona 20 (4)
Total 251 (103)
International career
1977–1986 Italy 48 (20)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Italy
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1982 Spain
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paolo Rossi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo ˈrossi];[1][2] 23 September 1956 – 9 December 2020) was an Italian professional footballer who played as a forward. He led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot as top goalscorer, and the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament. Rossi is one of only three players, and the only European, to have won all three awards at a World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962 and Mario Kempes in 1978. Rossi was also awarded the 1982 Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year for his performances (remaining the only player in history to win these four awards in a single year). Along with Roberto Baggio and Christian Vieri, he is Italy's top scorer in World Cup history, with nine goals overall.[3]

At club level, Rossi was also a prolific goalscorer for Vicenza. In 1976, he was signed to Juventus from Vicenza in a co-ownership deal for a world record transfer fee.[4] Vicenza retained his services, and he was the top goalscorer in Serie B in 1977, leading his team to promotion to Serie A. The following season, Rossi scored 24 goals, to become the first player to top the scoring charts in Serie B and Serie A in consecutive seasons. Rossi made his debut for Juventus in 1981, and went on to win two Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the European Cup. With success at club and international level, he is one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time, Rossi was named in 2004 by Pelé as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration.[5] In the same year, Rossi placed 12th in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. After he retired from football, he worked as a pundit for Sky, Mediaset Premium, and Rai Sport, until his death on 9 December 2020.[6][7]

  1. ^ Luciano Canepari. "Paolo". DiPI Online (in Italian). Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  2. ^ Luciano Canepari. "Rossi". DiPI Online (in Italian). Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. ^ "PAOLO ROSSI: NOI, RAGAZZI DELL'82" [Paolo Rossi: We, the guys of '82] (in Italian). Famiglia Cristiana. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  4. ^ "The history of the world transfer record". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  6. ^ "Paolo Rossi has died". www.football-italia.net. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  7. ^ Cugini, Mimmo (10 December 2020). "È morto Paolo Rossi, simbolo dell'Italia Mondiale del 1982". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 10 December 2020.