Legendary striker Paolo Rossi “can’t understand” Juventus dropping Gonzalo Higuain.
The Argentinian joined from Napoli for a Serie A-record €90m this summer, but Mario Mandzukic played ahead of him in the Derby d’Italia defeat to Inter.
“It [the result] was proof that nothing is obvious in football,” Rossi reflected in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Although Juventus are still under construction, I can’t understand how they can leave out Higuain.
Legendary striker Paolo Rossi “can’t understand” Juventus dropping Gonzalo Higuain.
The Argentinian joined from Napoli for a Serie A-record €90m this summer, but Mario Mandzukic played ahead of him in the Derby d’Italia defeat to Inter.
“It [the result] was proof that nothing is obvious in football,” Rossi reflected in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Although Juventus are still under construction, I can’t understand how they can leave out Higuain.
“He’s very strong, no-one can dispute that, I don’t think he’d upset some sort of balance even if he’s playing with a phenomenon like [Paulo] Dybala who I think is the modern version of [Omar] Sivori.”
Rossi was then asked if he felt Juventus could win the Champions League, having been in the side for their first European Cup triumph in 1985, though it was overshadowed by the Heysel Stadium disaster.
“I still find it hard to talk about it [Heysel]. I’ll never forget the sheets covering the bodies outside the stadium.
“Can Juventus win it this year? They have everything to do it, but historically the Champions League is cursed for Juve.
“They have to learn to handle the pressure, like Real Madrid did when they were chasing the 10th and just couldn’t win it, but eventually their day came.”
The striker was top-scorer at the 1982 World Cup as Italy won the trophy, and a film is planned about his career as he turns 60 on Friday.
“Being Coached by [Giovan Battista] Fabbri was the turning point for me,” Rossi recalled.
“At Vicenza he transformed me from a winger to a striker. We got promoted to Serie A, then I was top-scorer and I got called-up for the 1978 World Cup.
“The triumph came in 1982, but I’m very attached to that World Cup as it was my first in the international spotlight.
“Giorgio Lago, a journalist from the Gazzettino in Venezia, nicknamed me ‘Pablito’ and from those days in Argentina onward everyone called me Pablito.
“My daughters call me Paolo, but I like that everyone in football calls me Pablito.”
The film will also include his ban as part of a betting scandal just before the 1982 World Cup…
“I never digested it, that’s a wound that’s always open. I was banned for two years even though I hadn’t spoken to anyone, I hadn’t done anything.
“Returning after two years to play in the World Cup? In the first few games I knew I didn’t feel good. My teammates made fun of me, but I could feel affection in the jokes of [Franco] Causio, [Antonio] Cabrini, [Marco] Tardelli.
“I’ll never stop thanking [CT Enzo] Bearzot, he was the only one who believed in me. I owe him everything.
“If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here and no-one would be looking for me, let alone for a film.
“Someone like him is born every 100 years. He was real, direct, sincere, consistent, maybe tough and stubborn but he did that out of love.
“Then he was also a great Coach and a great psychologist. After my hat-trick against Brazil he sat me down and he said ‘well done Paolo, but now think about the next game’.
“He spoke that way because he wanted to keep the tension high.”