(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 9 - Italy team manager Gabriele Oriali and
formerJuve and Italy midfielder Marco Tardelli said Tuesday they
backed Italian Soccer Federation President Gabriele Gravina's
call for the Olimpico stadium in Rome to be named after their
former teammate and 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi.
"Naming the Olimpico after Rossi would be a well-deserved
recognition, we were lucky to have Paolo in the national team,"
said former Inter midfielder Oriali, a tough-tackling member of
the Azzurri team that beat West Germany 3-1 thanks to goals from
Golden Boot winner 'Pablito' Rossi, Tardelli and Sandro
Altobelli.
Oriali was speaking at the national team centre outside Florence
where Tardelli, also present, said "Paolo absolutely deserves
something important. The Olimpico in Rome is the home of the
national team and so it is right to name it after him".
Rossi, the top scorer in the Azzurri's victorious 1982 World Cup
campaign, died at the age of 64 on December 9 last year.
Rossi scored six goals to win the Golden Boot at the 1982 World
Cup in Spain as top goalscorer, including a sensational
hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Brazil that put Italy in the
semifinals and the opener in the 3-1 triumph over West Germany
in the final.
Rossi also won the Golden Ball player-of-the-tournament award
and the 1982 Ballon d'Or. (ANSA).
Soccer: Name Olimpico after Paolo Rossi say Oriali, Tardelli
1982 World Cup hero should have Rome stadium named after him