Born in Aiello in Italy in 1927, Bearzot played centre back for clubs such as Inter Milan and Torino and picked up one Italy cap. He later became coach of third-tier Prato but his club management career ended there and he entered the Italian federation system as an under-23 coach before working his way up. Bearzot led the Azzurri to fourth spot in the 1978 World Cup and Euro 1980, hosted by Italy, before his finest moment two years later.
A last-16 defeat by France at the 1986 World Cup prompted Bearzot's resignation and he never coached again, returning to the federation in the last decade as a technical director.
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