The 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain™ was a roller coaster of emotions for Italy. If few gave Enzo Bearzot’s team a chance going into the tournament, fewer gave them a chance after they failed to win a game in the group stage – they advanced on goals scored – and landed in a second-stage pool including defending champions Argentina and overwhelming trophy favourites Brazil. Yet Antonio Cabrini’s winner sunk Maradona, Kempes and Co in Barcelona, before, 40 years ago today, Paolo Rossi’s hat-trick saw La Nazionale stun Falcao, Socrates, Zico and team-mates and reach the semi-finals. Italy went on to beat Poland and West Germany, yet it’s that epic victory over Brazil that left-back Cabrini remembers most fondly.

“It's been 40 years since that great victory,” Cabrini told FIFA+. “Wonderful emotions that are always nice to remember. “Satisfaction that remains inside you, especially considering that everything has changed since that era. The world has moved on, from both a sporting and a social point of view.” Asked which match he would most like to play in again given the chance, Cabrini didn’t opt for the 3-1 victory over West Germany in the final. “If I could choose, I would gladly play Italy-Argentina again and, above all, Italy-Brazil, for a host of reasons: the quality of play, the anguish, the final result, the spirit shown out on the pitch and the emotions experienced. They are part of the game and you don't forget them easily.”

Antonio Cabrini also spoke about the tough situation that Italian football is currently facing. “There are so many problems due to various misunderstandings,” he said. “[Roberto] Mancini, through no fault of his own, didn't have the luxury of having great champions at his disposal and instead had to rely on players who often sit on the bench for their clubs. “The national team is the tip of the iceberg but there are many more serious problems that are difficult to solve. We can’t assume that Mancini has a magic wand, we need a proper plan. Lastly, the former Juventus defender spoke about his expectations for the next Serie A campaign. “The next league season will be an irregular one due to the World Cup taking place in December,” he said. “We’ll have to see how the [national] team gets on during this period, what with players arriving and departing. Everyone hopes it will be as similar as possible to last season. “In the international arena, Italian football has struggled a lot, with the exception of Roma. This means that the quality of the league isn’t very high, although it’s not to be looked down on either. The English and Spanish leagues are superior right now. We need to get back those youngsters who can give so much to Italian football.”