Paolo Rossi, Kevin Keegan and THAT Battiston/Schumacher moment – 1982 World Cup

It’s 1982 and after a 12 year hiatus, England are back in a World Cup Finals competition.

The country is gripped with national fervour after the Falklands conflict and Ron Greenwood’s squad looks well capable of ruffling a few feathers.

First up for the Three Lions is the flambouyant French, Platini and all.

Bryan Robson scores the fastest goal in World Cup finals history in a 3-1 win and “they’re on their way, they’re Ron’s 22”.

That’s about as good as it got.

This tournament would see England captain Kevin Keegan and his old sidekick in the national team Trevor Brooking bow out of international football, both coming on as late substitutes against Spain in the second group stage.

England’s recently named PFA Player of the Year Keegan had been injured for all of the previous England games out in Spain and he would then join his beloved Newcastle United only weeks later.

Scotland were already back hyem, whilst little Northern Ireland had also been flying the flag for Britain. Newcastle United’s former playmaker Tommy Cassidy and soon to be NUFC midfield terrier, David McCreery, were two of the heroes, when they beat the tournament hosts in Valencia’s Mestalla to finish top of their group.

After some dismal performances in their group, Italy eventually scraped through to the second phase, then the tournament literally started kicking off.

Italy versus Argentina was a not so grand spectacle in the un-noble art of professionalism and thuggery, as the inappropriately named Claudio Gentile got to grips with the Argentine wonder Diego Maradona.

However, there was also some magnificent football played at this tournament and Italy’s game against Brazil became a World Cup finals classic.

Brazil, along with France, were the poster boys of the tournament, and played a sublime style of attacking football, featuring the likes of Zico, Socrates, Falcao and Eder.

They were massive favourites to not only dispose of the Azzurri but to also win the competition.

The game took place in the Sarria Stadium in Barcelona and Enzo Bearzot, who was under pressure to drop the misfiring Paolo Rossi, decided to give him one last chance.

Rossi had only recently returned to playing after a three year worldwide ban and had been a controversial pick in the Italy squad.

Within five minutes Rossi had got the monkey off his back with a textbook far post header from a beautiful cross from the left by Antonio Cabrini.

Brazil soon stormed forward in retaliation, Socrates exchanged passes with Zico before storming into the 18 yard area and calmly planting the ball into Dino Zoff’s net.

There now seemed no danger as Brazil strolled, passed and kept possession. Italy didn’t get frustrated though and a misplaced Cerezo pass gifted the ball to Rossi who skipped past a challenge to put himself in the clear with only keeper Valdez Perez to beat.

Rossi blasted the ball home. This certainly wasn’t in the script for the brilliant Brazilians, who only needed a point to qualify from the second phase.

The match standing 2-1 to Italy at half-time and there were some anxious looking faces on the Brazilian bench, as Bearzot’s men kept the samba kings at bay.

In the 68th minute Brazil’s moment arrived, when Roberto Falcao sent three Italian defenders the wrong way with a swivel of his hips, before firing in the goal of the game from the edge of the box.

Falcao’s goal celebration is one of the emotionally charged greatest but would be equalled and then be bettered in the semi-final and final.

This was enough for Brazil, who only needed a point to progress at the expense of their opponents.

Just when normality seemed to have been restored, up popped Rossi again in the six yard box and this time there was no way back for Brazil.

A rejuvenated Paolo Rossi then went on to score a brace against Poland to secure the Azzurri’s place in the Final.

There they would face either France or West Germany. This semi-final would have more drama, pain, romance, heartache and ultimate agony and ecstasy, than anyone could have foreseen.

It has went down in the football history books of both countries as the ‘Night of Seville’ and nearly caused a diplomatic international breakdown.

Littbarski opened the scoring for the Germans in the 17th minute but ten minutes later, the French captain, the great Michel Platini, equalised from the spot.

In an entertaining game the action swung back and forth but it was on the hour mark that things exploded and could have potentially cost a man his life.

French substitute Patrick Battiston, who had only entered the fray 10 minutes beforehand, found himself one on one with West Germany goalkeeper Harold Schumacher.

The big keeper was second best to the bouncing ball and lunged at Battiston, Kung-Fu style, smashing his hip with all of his body weight into Battiston’s face and torso.

Battiston lay lifeless for what seemed like an eternity. He was eventually stretchered off the field in front of his shocked teammates and had lost two teeth, suffered three cracked ribs and badly damaged his vertabrae.

Schumacher wasn’t even booked and it became advantage Germany as France were forced to use their second and final substitute.

The game went into extra-time and what a pulsating first period the TV audience was treated to.

France got a second wind and Marius Tresor gave them the lead. Minutes later and little Alain Girresse put the French 3-1 up with a magnificent shot from the edge of the box after patient hold-up play by Platini and Didier Six.

It was very moving to witness Giresse sprinting away in delight, arms pumping and beaming with sheer pride, before ending up at the bottom of a massive French scrum.

In my recent article about the 1974 World Cup, I mentioned that anyone writing the Germans off, do so at their peril.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge came on as the German second substitution and had only been involved in the action for five minutes when he pulled a goal back.

They weren’t finished there though and before the first period was over, Klaus Fischer had equalised for West Germany with one of his trademark bicycle kicks.

There were no more goals in the second period of extra-time and the game finished 3-3. The resulting lottery of a penalty shoot-out would end in heartbreak for France.

Horst Hrubesch scored the deciding spot-kick in the first ever World Cup finals match to be decided by a penalty shoot out.

After the Schumacher incident, most neutrals preferred Italy to win the final.

I know I certainly did, because ever since being a little lad, I had spent time in Mr Capaldi’s cafe on Front Street at the top of the Ridges. He and his wife were a kind and lovely couple and he was Azzurri blue through and through.

Italy missed a first half penalty when the usually reliable Cabrini failed to hit the target.

As the game approached the hour mark something had to give and it was that man Rossi again who lit the fuse at the fantastic Bernabau Stadium, with another close range finish.

Ten minutes later and the most emotional celebration I have ever seen during a football match occurred.

At only 1-0 up, Italy seemed to unusually and unbelievably be toying with the Germans and somehow seemed reluctant to shoot.

Then after the ball had made it’s way down the right it was eventually played to Marco Tardelli who was lurking outside of the 18 yard area.

Within a flash Tardelli had steadied himself with a solid first touch before cascading an unstoppable left foot shot past Schumacher and into the net.

The notorious hardman’s celebration has became known as ‘Tardelli’s Run’ as he wheeled away, face contorted and screaming into the hot night air. He was eventually caught and I thought that the Italy team were about to burst out crying.

Legend has it that when asked what he was actually saying, Marco Tardelli once admitted that he was only doing what every boy in the schoolyard once did and one day dreamed about doing on a big occasion.

He was plain and simply just caught in the moment and yelling out his own name “Tardelli, Tardelli, Tardelli.”

Substitute Allessandro Altobelli scored Italy’s third goal of the game before Paul Breitner pulled a late consolation goal back for the Germans.

Old Enzo Bearzot had stuck with some of his old guard from Argentina in 1978 and had never lost faith in Italy’s ultimate saviour, Paolo Rossi.

The immortal Rossi won the FIFA Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the tournament and the Golden Ball for being the outstanding player.

Dino Zoff became the oldest World Cup winner at the age 40 as he captained Italy to their 1982 success.

I will never forget the pleasure that I got out of watching the World Cup as a young boy and teenager.

(For the write up by Bazoox on the 1974 World Cup, you can read that HERE, whilst ‘Matt Busby said…’ has done write ups on the 1978 World Cup – go HERE and the 1986 one HERE)