It was a mixture of joy, pride and emotions, feeling Italian like never before and touching the sky, hugging it, singing to it, painting it, sculpting it. The scream and run of Marco Tardelli at the second goal symbolize all the euphoria of the homeland of Da Vinci and Michelangelo for that sublime victory of the triple championship. The entire peninsula was rocked, the old Calcio came to the top in Spain 82. They beat Germany 3-1 in the World Final with absolute clarity and intelligent football, with strong and poised feet, showing that Latin courage is as strong as or stronger than the ever-vaunted Germanic character. Italy already had titles 34 and 38, which count, but in very early days. In 1982, the peak was consecrated Azzurri, because it came from the elimination of Brazil, Argentina and Poland, holders of three black belts. And because it rounded off the perfect finale against the scariest of them all.

“Soccer is a sport where you play eleven against eleven and Germany always wins,” Gary Lineker once said. “Except against Italy…”, he had to add. The Azzurri was the eternal black shadow of the Mannschaft. First of all at the world championships, where they collided five times, with three Italian victories and two draws. What victories…! 4-3 in the semi-final of Mexico in 70, 3-1 in the final of Spain in 82 and 2-0 in the semi-final of Germany in 2006. And in two he was the champion.

Spain 82 was the first 24-team World Cup, with a disproportionate number of 17 stadiums and 14 sub-concerts. Debut tournament for two greats: Maradona and Matthaeus. And dedication for Paolo Rossi, a centre-forward who did not live in that area, appeared in it, a thin midfielder, 1.74, as if blown away by the wind, but with technique, cunning and peculiar opportunism. He was the top scorer of the Cup, he did not score in the first four games and was questionable, but in the last three he was deadly: 3 goals against Brazil, 2 against Poland and one against Germany. And he took all the pieces that were on the cloth.

Italy seduced in Argentina 78 as they were fourth and defeated the champions. Although it was not convincing for Spain, because it had a litter of notable interpreters and the team was not coordinated. To make matters worse, they had a very poor first phase with three draws. Enzo Bearzot, a man with a good pipe, clashed fiercely with the Italian press, but he had clear ideas. And they had to apologize with dignity: when he appeared at the press conference after the final, all the Italian journalists stood up and gave him a long and respectful applause. There was no need for words.

It was Italy from the legendary cycle based in Juventus, who got nine scudettos in 14 seasons. They were Zof, Gentile, Scirea, Cabrini, Tardelli, Paolo Rossi and Causio, who, although he was already a member of Udinese, came from eleven seasons as Juventus. He came up with a definition with an extraordinary cover letter: without anyone giving a penny for his chance, Italy eliminated the famous Brazil of Tele Santana in an epic match: 3:2. This event is still talked about today. It wasn’t unreasonable, national He had an outstanding full-back, so outstanding that Franco Baresi, arguably the best center back in the history of the sport, was substituted and could not even get a minute in seven games. Sitting were Bergomi, Gentile, Scirea, Collovati and Cabrini, the five stopped by Bearzot against Jupp Derwall’s Germany. Iron defense in which Scirea was Beckenbauer azzurro and Gentile vein, nerve and muscle. A reprehensible defender for his strength (he had a blade in each leg), but fantastic for his determination and mentality. impervious.

Germany had advanced to the semi-finals on extra time and penalties against France three days earlier. He lacked freshness, had no playing generation and never threatened the goal of the very veteran and, at least in the final, the discreet Dino Zoff without danger. Rummenigge, the big German star, was wiped off the field by the Italian backline and eventually replaced. Germany was Germany in combat readiness, led by the exceptional Paul Breitner. What Toni Schumacher says about him in his book Red card they are anthological. “He smoked like a chimney and drank like a Cossack, he spent his nights playing poker, beating all his teammates, prostitutes were brought in and he got into everything, incorrigible, but during the game, while the others dragged themselves around the field, he was a clock mechanism, unique”, recalls the goalkeeper.

White with black details inscribed Schumacher; Kaltz, Karlheinz Forster, Stielike (background pattern), Bernd Forster, Briegel; Dremmler and Breitner in the middle, Rummenigge, Klaus Fischer and Littbarski in front. After carrying out the biggest attack so far in a dispute over the ball, when he almost killed the Frenchman Battiston, Harald Shchumacher kept Germany’s goal without any problems in the definition against Italy. In the stunning semi-final against France, honest Dutch referee Charles Corver did not even whistle him, and Toni Schumacher was present on the afternoon of July 11 at the Bernabéu Stadium. That was football until forty years ago. Today I would clean the prison. The punishment for him was three Italian goals. and forget…

Bearzot joined the aforementioned Juventini with four interists: Collovati, Bergomi, Oriali and Altobelli. And the magnificent Bruno Conti, from Rome. “We came to victory thanks to team spirit,” Bearzot rightly stated: they were a solid, compact group. Like Marcello Lippi in 2006, Bearzot was a lucid, wise commander who knew how to win every game, especially against Brazil and Germany. The five behind him put Oriali and Tardelli in front, two SUVs. Oriali had a very inspired afternoon, facing the dribble with astonishing bravery and falling victim, whether by cruelty or accident, to at least twenty fouls, many of them very serious. He got up and continued. Sensational. He was seconded by Bruno Conti, the squirrel, Claudio Gentile and Marshal Gaetano Scirea, the de facto captain. The bracelet was worn by Zoff. Tardelli also stood out. All. A sign of conviction azzurro: In the 25th minute with the score 0-0 there was a penalty for Italy, Cabrini took it and deflected the shot. Nobody flinched. They meant the goal. And they didn’t keep any of them catenacciothey all rose when they saw an opportunity.

The concept of touch and possession did not yet exist, as many teams currently practice, starting with Manchester City and Barcelona. There was still room in the middle and on the wings. Just through the empty zone, on the right, Gentile sent a beautiful cross, Paolo Rossi jumped and led into the space: a header and Italy 1: 0. Without any passes, it was a nice final because of the circular move of the two, because there was no guesswork and because the two colossuses were looking for a hole through which to hurt each other. Derwall was very noble: “I want to express my most sincere congratulations to the Italian team, and especially to their coach and friend, Bearzot. Italy deserved to win, especially with their performance in the second half. Because of Rossi’s goal, we had to advance. So, we found ourselves in a strong defense and, leaving space behind, we were surprised by their strong counterattack”. As it is, so it was.

Brazilian Arnaldo César Coelho was the first South American to direct the final. His compatriot Arppi Filho will follow him in 1986 and the Argentines Horacio Elizondo (2006) and Néstor Pitana (2018). Coelho was lenient, he let Germany have a lot of shots, and he wasn’t sent off before for accumulating fouls. (OR)