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Tardelli won everything, but he will always be remembered for the moment when he lost it.Allsport UK /Allsport |
Perhaps no man has enjoyed scoring in a World Cup final as much as Marco Tardelli. For a few seconds after lashing home the second goal of Italy’s 3-1 win over West Germany in Madrid in 1982, the Juventus hardman seemed to lose his senses.
With tears running down his face, Tardelli shook his head as if trying to wake himself from an impossible dream, mouthing incomprehensibly to himself before his teammates dragged him to the ground to share the celebrations.
Tardelli, one of the toughest defensive midfielders of his era, deserved his moment. He was man of the match in the final and had been one of the players of the tournament.
After under-performing in the first round, Italy came alive with wins against Argentina and Brazil. Tardelli raced through to score the opening goal as defending champion Argentina was beaten 2-1, and then played a key role in Italy’s classic 3-2 success against tournament favorite Brazil.
Tardelli had been a regular for Italy since the mid-1970s, brought in after the debacle of 1974 when the Azzurri failed to get past the first round. In Argentina in 1978 he helped Italy restore its reputation by claiming fourth place.
For Juventus and Italy, Tardelli won everything, but he will always be remembered for the moment when he lost it.
