“Stop Scirea, Bergomi, Gentile, it’s over. World Champions, World Champions, World Champions. Italy won the final beating Germany 3-1, together with Brazil it is three times World Champion. To the titles of ’34 and ’38, to the second place in ’70, the blue football now adds the first place, the title of World Champion of 1982”. The voice is the unmistakable one of Nando Martellinian icon of Italian television, with that commentary that, in fact, elevated him to the status of immortal, because on July 11th of every year the thoughts of every sportsman cannot help but go to the final in Madrid between Italy and Germany, which ended 3-1 after having also missed a penalty with the score at 0-0 with Cabrini.
Obviously Nando Martellini was much more than a phrase on the microphone. Having joined Rai – when it was still called Eiar, just after the liberation of Rome – he was the radio commentator at the funerals of Einaudi and John XXIII. After having commentated on several editions of the Tour de France and world championships, in 1970 he took over from Nicolò Carosio as the national team’s commentator, having time to report on the match of the century, that Italy-Germany 4-3 in Mexico, as well as the final lost 4-1 by the Azzurri against Pelè’s Brazil.
He would have his revenge twelve years later, only to pass the baton to Bruno Pizzul, four years later, due to an illness that struck him in Mexico in 1986. “And behold, Juan Carlos, King of Spain, hands over the World Cup to Zoff, World Champion”. Today Nando Martellini would have turned 103.