RIP Enzo Bearzot

Enzo Bearzot, the old man of Italian football and the 1982 World Cup winning manager died in Milan today aged 83.

To me my memories of that almost impossible to beat Italian side with players such as Dino Zoff, Claudio Gentile, Franco Baresi, Paulo Rossi and Marco Tardelli always come back to the gruff Bearzot.

He was hated by the Italian media and after scraping through their 1982 opening group matches Bearzot's team were greeted with despair by the Italian public and derision by his homeland's football press. Jeff Powell wrote that on the morning after they scraped into the knockout stages, he had breakfast with Bearzot. When they came out of the hotel the Italian press corps formed a corridor and spat at the feet of their national team manager.

But then they beat Argentina and Brazil in the second round, and won the semi-final against Poland. In the final Bearzot's Italy won the final against Germany, with Rossi starring, and leading his team to their first World Cup since 1938.

In the morning after the final Bearzot brought champagne and glasses to the press conference and raised a toast to the Italian media and sat with a wry smile and asked if they had any questions.

Legend.

Jeff Powell in the Daily Mail.