You have almost surely seen former Italian international Marco Tardelli, even if you didn’t know who he was.
Tardelli turns 59 today, so this seems like a good time to say thanks to the man whose wildly impassioned goal celebration in 1982 became the very symbol of the raw emotion attached to ultimate World Cup achievement.
Tears in his eyes, fists pumping with ferocity, face twisted into a screaming ball of passion, pride and joy, his iconic goal celebration from the 1982 World Cup final in Spain has been ensconced in soccer history.
Tardelli was a midfielder Juventus and Italy in the late 70s and early 80s. He was a standout performer in Serie A and for the Azzurri, although not in the same place as true giants of the Italian game, Paolo Rossi, Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon, etc.
But he made film history with that burst of unrehearsed euphoria after putting his team ahead of Germany 2-0 in the 1982 World Cup final.
Here is the famous moment:
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