Voice of Azzurri dies
Wednesday, May 5, 2004
Article summary
Nando Martellini, who commentated on Italian football for more than two decades, has died at the age of 82.
Article body
'Campioni del mondo'
Starting with radio and then continuing in television, Martellini was the voice of the Italian national team and football in general for more than two decades. His famous sentence - "Campioni del mondo, campioni del mondo, campioni del mondo" - at the end of the 1982 FIFA World Cup final between Italy and West Germany will forever be remembered by Italian fans.
Zoff moved
Italian legend Dino Zoff, who was captain that night, was visibly touched by the news of his death. "He was one of us. He will always be remembered for that final in Spain. While he was repeating that sentence, I was lifting the trophy. I will never forget those words and those moments. They are one of my best memories as a footballer. With Martellini's death an important period of Italian football is over," he said.
