World Cup 1982: Brazil v Italy and 'the day football died'

A gully would person enactment Brazil done into a semi-final against Poland

In November 2004, Brazilian shot fable Socrates made a celebrated (and short) promotional cameo for English non-league broadside Garforth Town. As the shot analogous for a starring Brazilian newspaper, I arrived successful the West Yorkshire municipality to constitute astir the madness of it all.

It was astatine that pub, specified an antithetic mounting and truthful acold from his comfortableness zone, that Socrates made a striking admission: helium had ne'er watched backmost Brazil's 3-2 decision by Italy successful the 1982 World Cup - nary of it. He conscionable couldn't carnivore to.

"I conscionable don't request to spell done that crippled again," helium said. And it is rather apt that refusal remained until January 2011, erstwhile helium died astatine the property of 57.

"That game" was a World Cup classical played connected a blistery Barcelona day 40 years ago. One of the astir feted generations of Brazilian footballers saw their dreams shattered by an Italian broadside that transformed implicit the tournament, putting a stuttering commencement down them connected the mode to demolishing West Germany successful the final.

With the passing of time, galore older Brazilian fans person mellowed, but connected 5 July 1982 the feeling was that a transgression against shot had been committed.

In 1982, Brazil was inactive ruled by the subject authorities that had seized powerfulness 18 years earlier, erstwhile left-wing president Joao Goulart was ousted successful a coup.

Joao Figueiredo, an Army general, had go president successful 1979 with the ngo of overseeing a creaseless instrumentality to antiauthoritarian ways, but determination were expanding calls for a faster handover during what was a turbulent clip for the Brazilian economy.

It was successful this discourse that Tele Santana was announced arsenic the caller Brazil shot manager successful aboriginal 1980. Santana had been a bully subordinate - a winger who scored 164 goals successful 9 years with Rio de Janeiro broadside Fluminense. He inactive ranks arsenic their fourth-highest scorer.

Santana besides built a estimation for just play. He had ne'er been sent disconnected successful his 12-year nonrecreational career. He demanded the aforesaid cognition from his players.

Qualifiers for the 1982 World Cup successful Spain started with scrappy 1-0 and 2-1 distant wins implicit Venezuela and Bolivia, but Brazil soon deed an awesome stride successful the location games, beating the aforesaid opponents 5-0 and 3-1. In a May 1981 European tour, they raised eyebrows by beating England, France and Germany successful the abstraction of a fewer days.

But Brazil were doing much than winning. They were playing a fluid crippled that could not person been much antithetic to the tactically disciplined benignant that had infuriated fans successful the post-Pele era.

The exploits of Pele and Brazil astatine the 1970 World Cup had seemed similar a agelong forgotten imagination during uninspired campaigns successful the 2 pursuing tournaments, contempt the squad finishing successful the past 4 connected some occasions.

Now, arsenic good arsenic Socrates, the Selecao had Zico, the mercurial Flamengo playmaker, pulling the reins. Theirs was a flowing marque of shot wherever nary subordinate seemed to interaction the shot much than doubly earlier passing it round. It was large to ticker and, according to Zico, it felt adjacent greater to play.

• The time Brazil fable Socrates played for Garforth

"We were adamant Brazil had to abide by the benignant that had made it famous. It would beryllium incorrect from the commencement to beryllium frightened of losing oregon to beryllium a hostage of the result," helium says.

"We wanted to bask what we were doing. We felt that thing truly peculiar was going on."

So did millions of Brazilians. In the streets, bunting was going up arsenic if successful mentation for a royal wedding oregon a coronation. At a clip during which Brazilian players were mostly plying their commercialized domestically - Roma's Falcao a uncommon objection - you mightiness bump into an planetary prima connected a travel to a Rio supermarket.

"Supporters would ne'er clasp backmost from giving america an earful, but astatine slightest they identified with america due to the fact that we were each playing successful Brazil astatine the time," Zico says.

"These days players beauteous overmuch leap connected a level and alert overseas astir instantly aft they play with the nationalist squad successful Brazil."

Socrates was 50 years aged erstwhile helium came retired of status to play for Garforth Town

Expectations astir the squad were understandably high, and successful Spain Brazil opened their World Cup run with a melodramatic 2-1 triumph implicit the Soviet Union earlier thrashing Scotland 4-1 and New Zealand 4-0.

The tourney started with 24 teams successful six groups of four. The six radical winners and runners-up went done to a 2nd radical stage. The 4 winners of those groups of 3 would contention the semi-finals.

Brazil recovered themselves successful the institution of determination rivals Argentina and an Italy broadside that had drawn each 3 of their first-round games, hardly making it retired of a radical that featured Poland, Cameroon and Peru.

Italy's build-up to the tourney had been defined by the concern surrounding striker Paolo Rossi. In 1980 Rossi was progressive successful a match-fixing ungraded and his two-year suspension ended lone 8 weeks earlier the commencement of the World Cup. Manager Enzo Bearzot nevertheless included the Juventus striker successful his squad.

Coverage successful the country's media and the cognition of fans made for a sombre temper erstwhile they lined up to play Argentina connected 29 June. Ninety minutes aboriginal they had won their archetypal lucifer successful Spain. When Argentina were past enactment to the sword by Brazil successful a blistering 3-1 win, the country was acceptable for a decisive showdown betwixt 2 playing styles that couldn't beryllium much contrasting.

Italy's triumph implicit West Germany successful the 1982 last featured Marco Tardelli's iconic celebration

"You play there. Is determination thing you privation to say?"

Santana fired this question astatine the extremity of a squad speech successful Barcelona. Falcao was already anxious astir the winner-takes-all crippled to beryllium played against Italy astatine Espanyol's present demolished Sarria stadium.

The Roma midfielder would beryllium facing well-known opponents, and helium feared his Brazil team-mates had the incorrect thought astir the existent information they presented, due to the fact that of their stumbling start.

When prompted by the manager, Falcao expressed his interest astir the imaginable relation of Italian left-back Antonio Cabrini, a skilful subordinate who was rather useful successful attack. And that defender Claudio Gentile would astir apt instrumentality to Zico similar glue, aiming to repetition what helium had achieved against a definite Diego Maradona successful the erstwhile game.

Italy's was a benignant of play that could beryllium placed successful full absorption to Brazil's adventurous committedness successful attack. They knew however to adjacent down and antagonistic opponents - triumph implicit Argentina showed it, a triumph that revitalised them - but they would request to occurrence up front, too, successful bid to flooded the Brazilians. And their main striker Rossi had yet to people successful the competition.

"That Brazil broadside wasn't from this planet," Rossi told maine successful 2006. "It had players who could walk the shot blindfolded.

"As for me, it conscionable felt I was learning to play again aft the suspension."

In the Brazil camp, the temper couldn't beryllium much different.

"Some of the lads were teasing maine and saying it indispensable person been rather casual to gain a surviving successful Serie A," Falcao says.

Defender Oscar would aboriginal retrieve that immoderate players were already discussing the weaknesses and strengths of Poland, the opponents waiting successful the semi-finals.

Brazil would suffice with a gully - for they had a amended extremity quality - but Zico recalls: "In the dressing country earlier the game, Tele (Santana) ne'er told america to clasp back. Our committedness was ever to spell for the win, that was the existent Brazilian way."

Brazil would adjacent triumph the World Cup successful 1994 - beating Italy connected penalties successful the final

Much of the assemblage successful Barcelona had not yet adjacent recovered their seats erstwhile Cabrini whipped a transverse and Rossi headed in. With 5 minutes gone, Italy were 1-0 up and Rossi had breached his duck.

Brazil deed backmost soon aft done Socrates, but fell down again successful the 25th infinitesimal erstwhile Rossi latched connected to a woeful escaped shot successful the Brazilian backline. When they equalised erstwhile much successful the 68th minute, Falcao's screaming solemnisation was not lone a reflection of joyousness but besides the urgency of astir choking connected his chewing gum.

At 2-2, Brazil had the effect they needed to progress. But with a small implicit a 4th of an hr to go, from an Italian country won against the tally of play, Rossi got his hat-trick. Israeli referee Abraham Klein past wrongfully disallowed different Italian extremity for offside earlier blowing the last whistle connected what would beryllium everlastingly known successful Brazil arsenic the "Sarria Tragedy".

Its bequest tin beryllium seen successful the much pragmatic and carnal styles that would go much fashionable successful the state implicit the adjacent generation. When Brazil bushed Italy connected penalties to triumph the 1994 World Cup, cipher could accidental they played with the aforesaid swagger.

Italy, meanwhile, followed the upset successful Barcelona by beating Poland successful the semi-finals with a Rossi brace earlier winning their 3rd satellite rubric by overcoming West Germany successful Madrid. The formerly disgraced striker, who died successful 2020 astatine the property of 64, besides scored successful the last (3-1) and took location the Golden Boot.

"We were evidently saddened by the effect against Italy but everybody had wide consciences," Zico recalls.

"There is thing incorrect successful losing with dignity, it is simply a portion of the game. The Selecao was going location but we had stood by our convictions until the end."

Falcao, who observed the 20th day of the lucifer by publishing a publication of recollections of the 1982 campaign, besides puts connected a brave look erstwhile looking back.

"That squad mislaid that crippled but won a spot successful history. I americium grateful to person been portion of 1 the top World Cup matches," helium says.

But immoderate of the squad felt decision much deeply, fewer radical much truthful than Socrates.

Twenty-two years aft the events successful Barcelona, connected a acold nighttime successful West Yorkshire, helium was inactive struggling to travel to presumption with it.

"We had a hellhole of a squad and played with happiness," helium said, hardly raising his eyes from the pint solid helium was holding.

"Then Rossi had 3 touches and scored a hat-trick. Football arsenic we cognize it died connected that day."