When Italian players finally had enough of the media and showed the world what they could do

The media eternally aim to persuade us that they simply report the news, but of course they always do so with a slant.  For the mere selection of one item as news and another as not worth reporting itself results in bias.

Yet just occasionally they are caught out, as in 1982 when the Italian media wanted to dictate who should be in their country’s world cup team.  Rossi, they argued was morally unfit to play for the country, but their manager, and his team mates would have none of it, turned their back on the media, refused to do interviews, and went on and won the world cup.  A lesson to all footballers: beware the perfidious media.

As reported below, this day in 1982 was a day when the Italian players took back control.

Here are the anniversaries.

 

5 July 1910: Harry Logan signed for Arsenal from Sunderland, having previously played for Shettleston, in the East End of Glasgow.  His first match was on 3 September against Bury (although some sources quote a later date), in a 1-1 draw, playing initially at inside left, and later in the season at inside right.  After 11 league games ending in March 1911 he seems to have stopped playing football.

5 July 1920: Amidst floods and insurrection, the first airmail service between London and Amsterdam was launched.

5 July 1939: Football League finally allowed numbered shirts having previously
outlawed them as Herbert Chapman and others tried to introduce the concept.  See also here

5 July 1978: Paul Barron joined from Plymouth as cover for Pat Jennings and went on to play eight games before moving on to Crystal Palace.  In all he played over 400 games before retiring and becoming a coach in the USA.

5 July 1982: Italy 3 Brazil 2.  The match is remembered by all who dislike the attempts by the media to dictate the football agenda.  Paolo Rossi was accused by the press of having an affair with a team mate, excessive drinking and drug taking.  Appalled, the Italy squad turned their backs on the media, and in this world cup match Rossi scored a hattrick to put Italy through.  He also scored both goals in their semi-final win, and the opening goal as Italy beat West Germany in the final.  The media was dismayed and tried to pretend the attacks on Rossi had never happened, but everyone knew how the media had tried to control the agenda – and failed. 

5 July 2001: Richard Wright was transferred to Arsenal for £2m from Ipswich as
deputy to David Seaman.  He stayed for one year playing 12 games before
moving on to Everton

5 July 2011, Jérémie Aliadière signed a deal for Lorient, and played 76 games over the next three seasons.  After retiring from football in 2017 he made the comment that during his playing days Arsène Wenger, was like a father to him and that they continued to remain in touch.

5 July 2013:  Terry Burton became the reserve-team manager at Arsenal.   Having captained the 1971 Youth Cup team he had worked at Arsenal as a coach, before moving through various clubs, and returning to Arsenal in 2013.    He was last heard of a technical director at WBA, a post he left in 2015.

5 July 2013: In a move that surprised a few, Francis Coquelin, having signed a long
term contract went to Freiburg on a season long loan.  He played just 16 times for the club and had difficulties with the manager, before returning to Arsenal in June 2014.

5 July 2013: Johan Djourou completed a loan move to Hamburg following a loan period at Hannover.  He later signed permanently for Hamburg.  He played for Serie A team S.P.A.L. whom he left in January 2019, and registered with Sion in 2020.

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