201210 Rossi
Paolo Rossi (back row 2nd from left) on June 18 1978 at a World Cup match in Buenos Aires. The hero of Italian football who inspired the national side to victory in the 1982 World Cup, has died aged 64, Italian media reported. Image Credit: AFP

Rome: Paolo Rossi, a hero of Italian football who inspired the national side to victory in the 1982 World Cup, has died aged 64, Italian media reported on Thursday.

They paid tribute to ‘Pablito’, the star striker who was banned for his part in a betting scandal but returned and won the Ballon D’Or the same year.