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 At 1.74m and 66 kilos, the boy from Prato was never going to be a physical presence, but he had the knack of being in the right place at the right time. His first international goal against France at Mar Del Plata illustrates this perfectly: after ricocheting around the box, the ball rebounded off Rossi's tibia into the back of the net. Proof, if it were needed, that the man who would be dubbed "Pablito" after the tournament possessed a true striker's instinct.
Then came the suspension. Having being snapped up again by Juventus just before the ban took effect, Rossi was forced to spend two years on the sidelines. His return to the field came in April 1982, a few weeks before the 1982 FIFA World Cup SpainTM. Enzo Bearzot, still coach of the Squadra Azzurra, showed his faith in Rossi's ability by taking him to Spain despite his two-year absence from action.
The legendary Italian coach later explained the thinking behind his decision: "I knew that if Rossi wasn't in Spain, I wouldn't have had an opportunist inside the penalty box. In that area, he was really good, really fast, always ready to fool defenders with his feints."
The tifosi, like the media, were sceptical, even more so after the first round. Italy scraped through on goal difference, having garnered just three draws and a paltry two goals. Rossi, a starter in all three, failed to make his presence felt.
In the second round, the Italians found themselves grouped with Brazil and Argentina. Rossi again fired blanks in the Argentina game, which Italy nevertheless won 2-1. Despite the intense media criticism, Bearzot elected to give the Tuscan one last chance.
Italy needed a win against Brazil, while the Seleçao only required a draw to progress. The Azzurri emerged from an extraordinary match 3-2 victors, but it was "Pablito" who stole the limelight with a stunning hat-trick delivered in his own inimitable style. A header and two opportunistic strikes in the area. The Rossi goal machine was activated, and it was to blaze a path all the way to the final.
Two more goals came his way in the semi-final against Poland, before he chalked up his sixth strike in the final against Germany. He finished the tournament as top scorer, condemning those who had been calling for his head just a few days earlier to a large slice of humble pie. "I felt protected, and that was a decisive factor", he would later explain. Rossi's hour of glory had arrived at last. The icing on the cake came with the European Footballer of the Year award later that year.
Back at "Juve" with Antonio Cabrini, Marco Tardelli, Gaetano Scirea and Claudio Gentile, not to mention Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek, two more stars of the FIFA World Cup in Spain, "Pablito"'s appetite for honours was insatiable. The Italian Cup in 1983, the Scudetto and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1984, the European Cup in 1985…
 After this flurry of silverware, he bade farewell to Turin to join arch-rivals AC Milan in the summer of 1985. Honours were harder to come by with the Rossoneri, but he was nonetheless selected in the squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico. He didn't play, however, and, after a brief spell with Verona, finally hung up his boots the following year at the age of 31.
Prone to injury on account of exhaustion, Rossi had opted to call it a day before playing one match too many. Something of a loner, he quickly vanished from the world of football to concentrate on his passion for deep-sea diving. There's no disputing that he left his mark in the shape of 20 goals in 48 international appearances and 82 in 215 Serie A games. But he will be remembered first and foremost as a very special striker, blessed with a tremendous goalscoring instinct and a degree of humility we may never see the like of again.
Playing career
Clubs
1975 - 1976 Como
1976 - 1977 Vicenza
1978 - 1981 Perugia
1981 - 1985 Juventus
1985 - 1986 AC Milan
1986 - 1987 Verona
Club honours
1982 Italian Title (Juventus)
1983 Italian Cup
1984 Cup Winners' Cup (Juventus)
1985 European Supercup
1985 European Cup (Juventus)
International honours
1978 FIFA World Cup Argentina; third place (3 goals)
1982 FIFA World Cup Spain; winners (6 goals)
1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico; quarter-final
Individual honours
215 appearances in Serie A, 82 goals
48 caps, 20 goals
European Footballer of the Year 1982
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