Italy legend recalls ‘fantastic’ World Cup campaign: ‘I swear to you…’ | OneFootball

Italy and Juventus legend Claudio Gentile retraces his career with the Bianconeri and the Azzurri, including the winning 1982 World Cup campaign.

Gentile is regarded as one of the best Italian defenders of all time, and a 1982 World Cup victory with the Azzurri is among his career’s most significant feats.

He and his Juventus teammate Marco Tardelli played a key role in the tournament in Spain, which ended with a 3-1 win in the Final against West Germany at the Bernabeu.

“Tardelli and I were best men at each other’s weddings,” Gentile told Gazzetta.

“But after a while, we had to split up because, on the night before matches, he wouldn’t sleep and would read until three in the morning. I kept waking up because of the light.”

The same happened during the 1982 World Cup.

“Yes, even there, he was the coyote,” joked Gentile.

Italy legend recalls ‘fantastic’ World Cup campaign: ‘I swear to you…’

Italian soccer player Claudio Gentile defends on Argentine professional football player Diego Armando Maradona (1960 – 2020) during Group C – second stage match Italy vs Argentina at Sarrià Stadium, Barcelona, Spain, 29th June 1982. (Photo by Bongarts/Getty Images)

“But at the World Cup, he was fantastic: I swear to you, not a single argument among the twenty-two of us. Not one. And [coach] Bearzot, an extraordinary man, would come to our rooms to talk, to explain things. Or to surprise us: two days before the Argentina game, he told me, ‘You’ll mark Maradona.’ And in the tunnel before Italy-Brazil: ‘You know, I’ve changed my mind, you’ll take Zico.’ Just a few minutes before, to ease the tension.”

Italy have not qualified for the last two editions of the World Cup and will start their 2026 qualifying campaign later this year.

Bookmakers at Nostrabet see the Azzurri as a natural candidate to qualify for the 2026 tournament, but coach Luciano Spalletti is aware that nothing should be taken for granted after the latest disappointments.

Gentile played under some of the most iconic coaches in Italian football history, including Giovanni Trapattoni at Juventus.

“He ran with us; he showed you how to kick by kicking himself. He never stopped,” said the ex-defender.

“He taught me to play with my left foot, staying half an hour after training. He would send the ball, and I had to control it and then cross with my left. That’s how I ended up playing as a left-back, too, but then Cabrini arrived. I also played as a stopper, sometimes as a defensive midfielder. He was determined. And convincing. He used to say: ‘You just have to win.'”

Trapattoni, however, was considered too defensive-minded.

“They didn’t understand,” argued Gentile.

“He even played with four forwards. He just asked that everyone track back and help defensively. Causio always dropped back, even Bettega contributed. The only ones staying up front were Anastasi or Boninsegna.”

Gentile shared the Juventus dressing room with many other Bianconeri legends.

“We had a great bond. Especially us bachelors. Me, Scirea, Tardelli, and Cabrini. Always together, at the cinema, at the restaurant. Cabrini was the handsome one; Gaetano was a bit shy, but we got him out of his shell. We always went to Due Mondi for lunch and dinner, and in the evening, we often ran into the Torino players who went to a restaurant just fifty meters away. We’d greet each other and hug; there was never any hatred. It was beautiful. Then, we fought hard on the pitch: if you entered the box, facing Cereser was tough.”