Enzo Bearzot, Italy coach to World Champions in 1982, is dead. Bearzot, who was 83 years old, led the national team from 1975 to 1986: 104 appearances on the bench (record, ahead of Vittorio Pozzo’s 94 benches).

Bearzot was born in Aiello del Friuli on September 27 1927 and before becoming national coach, he was also a player for Pro Gorizia, Inter, Catania and Torino. Bearzot has also racked up a presence in the national team as a player and in total he played 251 games at the top.

At the end of his playing career in 1964, he began his coaching apprenticeship on the bench of Torino, first as goalkeeper coach and then as assistant to Nereo Rocco, then Fabbri and then later in the season 1968-1969, he became coach of Prato (series C). He entered into Figc starting as youth coach (Under 23), before becoming assistant to Valcareggi in the national and vice of his successor, Fulvio Bernardini. In 1975 he was appointed technical coach (sharing the bench with Fulvio Bernardini until 1977).

At the 1978 World Cup he led the national team to fourth place, as in the European Championship of 1980. The miracle happened  in Spain in 1982, despite fierce criticism from the press (which led him to adopt a news blackout), he managed to lead the national team to the top of the world, thanks to the strength of the group, consisting of players like Zoff, Gentile , Cabrini, Conti, Collovati, Scirea, Bergomi, Oriali, Tardelli, Graziani, Rossi, Altobelli, Antognoni. Memorable victories over Argentina, Brazil, Poland and West Germany, leading the Azzuri to lift the World Cup at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.

After Spain 1982 ,he failed to qualify at the Europeans and later resigned after a disappointing 1986 World Cup.