Name : Enzo Bearzot Date of Birth: 26 September 1927 Birthplace: Ajello del
Friuli, Italy Bearzot: "Football is first and foremost a game"
[AFP] |
The scene unfolds aboard the President of Italy's private jet. It is 12 July
1982, and we have just taken off from Madrid heading for Rome. Around a table at
the front of the cabin, four men are playing cards. Just to one side, the FIFA
World Cup stands like a glorious elephant atop a small table. Crowned champions
of the world the previous night, Dino Zoff and Franco Causio are coming off
worst -- since the President of the Republic, Sandro Pertini, and the national
team boss Enzo Bearzot, trademark pipe dangling from his mouth, are no mugs when
it comes to scopone.
The scene nicely illustrates the ¡®savoir-faire¡¯ personality of Bearzot, who
easily remains Italy¡¯s most beloved coach. Endearingly human and still very
close to his players, Bearzot has always favoured the celebratory side of life,
without ever allowing himself to be swayed by the size of the stakes in what,
for him, was only ever a game of enjoyment.
A coach with flair
A native of the Udine region, Bearzot enjoyed an honest if unromantic
professional footballing career, playing at the highest level for over 15 years
and earning a solitary cap in 1955. A defensive midfielder, he spent the
majority of his playing days with Inter Milan and Torino, after making his
league debut in 1946 for Serie B side Pro Gorizia.
He hung up his boots in 1964 to fill a goalkeeping coach vacancy at his club,
before soon becoming assistant coach. After a brief spell at the helm of Prato
(Serie C), he was then appointed coach of the Italian youth team (under 23 at
that time). Continuing his rapid ascension, he was soon the right hand man of
national team coach Ferrucio Valcareggi, whom he assisted at 1970 and 1974 FIFA
World Cups? in Mexico and Germany respectively.
After Italy's demoralizing group stage exit in Germany, and after the brief
reign of caretaker coach Fulvio Bernardini, Bearzot himself took charge of
Italy¡¯s national team in 1975, a post he occupied until 1986. In that time, he
obtained 51 wins, 28 draws and 25 defeats in 104 matches at the vanguard of the
Squadra Azzurra.
Keeping faith
Looking to lay the foundations of a new squad, the coach quite naturally
turned to a phalanx of players from Juventus, as the Turin outfit were dominant
in Serie A at the time. At Argentina 78, the world saw another side to Italy,
who displayed a much more attractive style due to the influence of promising
young talents such as Paolo Rossi and Antonio Cabrini.
Bearzot built his side with meticulous patience, indifferent to the critics
who had railed against him for the Squadra¡¯s dismal showing at the 1980 European
Championships on home soil. Despite disappointing results in their warm-up
games, Bearzot ignored their cries for major changes, standing by his players
and refusing to bring in media darlings such as Inter Milan¡¯s attacking
midfielder Evaristo Beccalossi or Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo.
The pressure on Bearzot grew further when he again showed his apparent blind
faith in his side by reintroducing Paolo Rossi to top-level football only two
months after the player had served a two-year suspension for his involvement in
an infamous match betting scandal.
The brickbats intensified after the opening round of Spain 82 when Italy
scraped through to the last 16 after a trio of boring draws against Poland, Peru
and Cameroon, and only by dint of having superior goal difference to the
Africans. The press were baying for blood, especially since Rossi was yet to
tally once. At their Vigo hideaway, the Azzurri dodged further debate by
refusing to talk to the media (FIFA regulations still allowed this at the time),
taking advantage of the three-day break to bond his squad still tighter and work
hard on their mind-set.
Believing in miracles
Yet, brave was the Italian that gave the side any hope, particularly as, to
go all the way, the team were going to have to knock out Argentina, the reigning
champions now reinforced by a young sensation named Maradona, and Brazil, who at
the time were fielding one of their strongest sides of all time -- featuring
such legends as Zico, Falcao, Socrates, Cerezo, Junior and Eder.
But reinvigorated to perfection by their wily coach, the Italians were about
to rediscover their lost touch in style. With the safeguard of the seemingly
unbeatable Dino Zoff in goal, the Azzurri set about exploiting the slightest
space as they launched deadly counter-attacks to stun an Argentine side guilty
of over-confidence (2-1). Still no goals from Paolo Rossi, but little matter.
Bearzot stuck to his guns, giving one last chance to the striker with no lead in
his pencil.
And on 5th July, in what many regarded as the real final in Barcelona¡¯s
Sarria Stadium, the tifosi suddenly began to believe in miracles. That because
no less than three times, ¡®Saint¡¯ Paolo Rossi scored against Brazil (3-2),
totally vindicating his coach, who had never ceased to back him in the face of a
torrent of criticism. The goal machine had been activated and nobody could find
the off switch.
Rossi netted twice more in the semi-final against Poland (2-0), and on 11th
July in the final, he set Italy on the path to victory with the opener in an
easy win (3-1) over a Germany side jaded after their thrilling semi-final win
over France.
When the final whistle sounded in the final, Bearzot was borne aloft in
triumph by the entire team, in scenes reminiscent of Vittorio Pozzo 44 years
earlier.
Italy's long-awaited third FIFA World Cup
The 1982 championship crowned seven years of tactical planning, and it is
Italy¡¯s only FIFA World Cup crown in over six decades. Bearzot deployed every
ounce of his charisma and committed himself unstintingly to build a team with
two interchangeable players in each position. In 11 years at the helm of the
Squadra Azzurra, he left a profound mark which has served as the working basis
for generations of coaches, not merely his successor, Azeglio Vicini.
After a second round exit at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Bearzot opted
to make way for a new man. "For me, coaching Italy was a vocation which, as the
years have passed, has become a profession. The game¡¯s values have changed since
my day. Due to the development of football and the arrival of powerful sponsors,
it seems as if money has moved all the goalposts.
¡°The player profile has also changed, especially regarding loyalty to clubs,
which have themselves become profit-making businesses. What¡¯s more, football has
now become a science, if not always exact, but for me, it¡¯s still first and
foremost a game.¡±
Bearzot left the football scene to concentrate on his beloved collection of
classic literature. But on 22 January 2002, at the age of 75, 16 years after
retiring, he agreed to take charge of the technical section of the Italian
Football Federation.
"Bearzot was a great -- Italy's best-ever coach after Vittorio Pozzo. I am
happy that¡¯s he back in the fold, as he and football should not be parted,¡±
declared Claudio Gentile.
Tactics
While not ignoring football¡¯s practical side, Enzo Bearzot
always placed an accent on fantasy and technique. ¡°For me, football should be
played with two wingers, a centre forward and a playmaker. That¡¯s the way I see
the game. I select my players and then I let them play the game, without trying
to impose tactical plans on them. You can¡¯t tell Maradona, ¡®Play the way I tell
you.¡¯ You have to leave him free to express himself. The rest will take care of
itself,¡± Bearzot explained commendably. At the 1982 FIFA World Cup Italy
generally played a 4-3-3 formation with Zoff in goal; Gentile, Collovati, Scirea
(allowed a great deal of freedom for an Italian libero) and Cabrini at the back;
Antognoni, Tardelli, and Oriali in the middle; with Conti, Rossi and Graziani up
front. Cesare Maldini, Dino Zoff, a fellow native of Frioul, Marco Tardelli and
Claudio Gentile have been amongst the ones to claim significant influence from
his ideals.
Did You Know? Enzo Bearzot was one of the first Italian
coaches to institute a silenzio stampa (no talking to the press), which he did
between the first and the second round of Spain 82. Many Italians affectionately
refer to Bearzot as il Vecio (¡®the old-timer¡¯). In 1982, Bearzot was awarded the
prestigious Italian Order of Merit. Though Bearzot was known for giving
opportunities to young players, he sentimentally sent on veteran Franco Causio
at the end of the Spain 82 final match so that il Barone could win a
championship medal. Until 1995, Bearzot had a column entitled La Voce del Vecio
in ¡®La Voce¡¯ newspaper. During the 1995-96 season he was the permanent
correspondent for the Il processo del lunedi programme on Rai TV.
Management
Career
National team
1969 - 1975 Italy (U-23 and national team assistant) 1975 - 1977 Italy
(Technical director with Fulvio Bernardini) 1977 - 1986 Italy
International
honours
1982 FIFA World Cup Spain? Champion
Club
1964 - 1967 Torino (youth team) 1967 - 1968 Torino (goalkeeping coach) 1968 -
1969 Pro Prato A.C.
Club honours:
None
Playing Career
International honours:
1 International appearances
Clubs
1946 - 1948 Pro Gorizia (Serie B) 1948 - 1951 Inter Milan 1951 - 1954 Catania
1954 - 1956 Torino 1956 - 1957 Inter Milan 1957 - 1964 Torino
Club honours:
None
