ROME, June 4 - Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi believes team
spirit and attacking quality can deliver a successful tournament for Marcello
Lippi's side.
Rossi, whose six goals including a hat-trick against Brazil, inspired the
Azzurri to glory in Spain 24 years ago, says the key to World Cup success is
above all a united dressing room.
"You need quality players that's without doubt. Without the quality you
aren't going to go the whole way," he said.
"But you also need to be a united group, without jealousies and rivalries
inside the team. You need people who can help each other," Rossi told Reuters in
an interview.
"We had all that there in 1982. We were friends and we had a common
objective. If you have that then you can do it; if there are factions or people
with different aims it becomes tough."
At Spain '82 Italy struggled in their first round group games, failing to win
a match, and Rossi, along with the rest of the team, suffered plenty of
criticism from the Italian media.
The former Juventus striker, now working as a pundit for Italy's Sky Sport
television network, says that sometimes a negative reaction from the pundits or
fans can help unite a team and make them more determined.
"It helps. It fortifies the group, without doubt. Sometimes criticism can
bring people together but if that is to be the case you need to have players
with experience and above all character in that situation," said Rossi.
EXPERIENCE HELPS
"You do get used to it. In '82 we had many players who had also been at the
World Cup in 1978 in Argentina and that experience helped us.
"You know that when things aren't going well you are going to get criticised.
"There is constructive criticism that you can take on board. You mustn't let
that affect you during a game. A player needs to focus on his psychological and
physical preparation," he added.
