The home of an Italian football icon, Paolo Rossi, was burgled on Saturday while his funeral service was ongoing at the Santa Maria Annunciata Cathedral in Vicenza, Italy.
The football legend who was famous for scoring 6 goals in the 1982 FIFA World Cup which Italy won, died recently and he was given a state burial on December 12, 2020. His funeral service was televised on public television.
In the funeral service which had in attendance some of his teammates at the 1982 World Cup, some of his teammates were assigned to carry his coffin in honor of his achievement while playing for the Italy football national team.
Some of the Italian football icons that were present at the funeral include Marco Tardelli, Giancarlo Antognoni, Antonio Cabrini, Fulvio Collovati, Roberto Baggio, Bruno Conti, and Roberto Bettega.
Before the funeral service, the corpse of Paolo Rossi was placed at the Stadio Romeo Menti in Vicenza, and football fans were allowed to pay their last respect for the Italian football legend by laying flowers at the foot of the coffin.
All the club football matches that took place in Italy on Saturday spared time to pay tribute to Paolo Rossi by observing a minute silence in his honor. The picture of the late football icon was displayed on large screens in most stadiums across the country.
After the funeral service, the wife of Paolo Rossi, Federica Cappelletti returned to the late footballer’s home at the Tuscan village of Bucine. She discovered that the house was broken into by unknown bandits.
According to reports, Paolo Rossi’s wristwatch was stolen, about 100 euros cash was taken away, and some other valuables. Forensic operatives in Italy have already started investigating to uncover those behind the robbery.
Paolo Rossi is one of the most respected players in Italy and he is regarded as one of the greatest players the country has ever produced. The late Juventus star was the third Italian player to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or. He won the award after his stunning performance at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
The late AC Milan striker finished the 1982 world cup as the tournament’s highest goalscorer with 6 goals after scoring a hat-trick in the second round of the tournament, scoring double in the semi-finals and a goal in the final against West Germany.
“I have not only lost a teammate, but also a friend and a brother,” said Paolo Rossi’s teammate at the 1982 World Cup, Antonio Cabrini, during the funeral service.
“Together we fought, we won and we sometimes lost, always picking ourselves up even in the face of disappointment. We were part of a group, that group, our group. I didn’t think he would leave so soon.”
