Enzo Bearzot

After playing as a defender with his hometown team of Aiello del Friuli, in 1946 Enzo Bearzot moved to Pro Gorizia (Serie B), débuting with them on 21 November 1948, in victory over Livorno, 3-1. After 39 appearances and two goals, Bearzot was bought by Inter and then in 1951 moved to Catania where, after three years, he collected 95 appearances in Serie B and five goals.

In 1954 Bearzot was hired by Torino who was recovering after the Superga tragedy of 1949. After two seasons he played 65 matches, scoring only one goal. In 1956 Bearzot returned to Inter and in one season had 27 appearances. The following year he returned to Torino where, after 164 appearances and seven goals, in 1964 he ended his career as a player to start a coaching career. In total Bearzot played 251 games in the top tier.

Following his playing days, Bearzot’s first coaching job was on the bench of Torino FC and Prato (1964-69), and with the national teams (1969-75) as an assistant with the Under-23 team. Taking over head coaching duties in 1977, Bearzot’s highlights were at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, where they placed fourth. He had an identical result two years later at the Europeans.

Barely overcoming the group stage at the 1982 World Cup (three draws with Poland, Peru and Cameroon), Bearzot had to defend his players and the inclusion of Paolo Rossi. But in an unexpected miracle, Italy defeated the world champion Argentines (2-1) and the favourites Brazil (3-2) to get to the semi-finals where they beat Poland (2-0) and then West Germany in the final (3-1). On 11 July 1982, at the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Bearzot became the second Italian coach, 44 years after two-time world champion Vittorio Pozzo, to raise the World Cup, and with six goals by Paolo Rossi (top scorer of the tournament), Bearzot’s choice was justified.

From 2002 to 2005, Bearzot was president of the Technical Sector of the Italian Football Federation. In July 2003 a group of deputies from the Casa delle Libertà (center-right party) proposed the appointment of Bearzot as a life senator with the motivation, “He has always defended the ethics of sport”, according to a letter to the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. Bearzot died on 21 December 2010 at 83-years-old, exactly 42 years after Vittorio Pozzo and was laid to rest in the family tomb of the Paderno d’Adda cemetery.