Following the great public response to the first exhibition events in Rome, Milan, Florence, Turin, Trento, Rimini, Bologna, Belgrade, Venice, Zurich, Tirana and Skopje, the exhibition entitled “Paolo Rossi un Ragazzo D’Oro e le Leggende del Calcio – Paolo Rossi a Golden Boy and the Football Legends” – has now arrived in Pristina. Thanks to the cooperation among Prishtina Mall, the Italian Embassy in Kosovo, the Italian Cultural Institute in Tirana (also competent for Kosovo), and “La Mela Holding Group”, the exhibition is open to visitors free of charge.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, scheduled for Saturday 18 May at 14 h at Prishtina Mall, will be attended by the Italian Ambassador Antonello De Riu, Mall’s Chief Marketing Officer Armend Susuri, Paolo Rossi’s wife Federica Cappelletti, Salvatore Schillaci – in 1990 both Ballon d’Or and Golden Shoe, as well as Marco Schembri, the curator of the exhibition.
After the inauguration, the exhibition will be open daily from 10 to 22 h until 1 June 2024 (10-22 h).
“The exhibition spaces, which chronologically retrace the life and career of Paolo Rossi, were realised thanks to significant investments. In terms of innovation and exhibition construction we have developed one of the most important projects in the world about the life of a single sportsperson”, exhibition curator Schembri says.
In particular, the set-up plans to create through frames, panels, prints, totems, banners, boxes, monitors and showcases a path from the beginnings to the legacy, with over 500 unique exhibits, including the most important trophies:
– Ballon d’Or 1982 France Football
– Golden Shoe top scorer Spain 1982
– Ballon d’Or best player Spain 1982
– Final jersey Spain 1982
– Soccer cleats hat-trick to Brazil
The exhibition also features a Virtual Reality project offering visitors the chance to re-experience the three goals against Brazil, while sitting in the grandstands of the old Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona.
“This exhibition is a warm and affectionate tribute to a man whose contribution has left an indelible mark on the history of our national soccer team and the clubs in which he played. ‘A golden boy’ is a definition that perfectly describes Paolo Rossi, not only because of his extraordinary skills on the pitch, but also for his innate humility, profound humanity and total dedication to football”, Ambassador De Riu explains.
“Through this exhibition, we get to know the most intimate aspect of this champion: the personal challenges he faced, his victories and defeats. We realise that behind that extraordinary talent there was a man who went through life with both courage and passion. Through his achievements and indefatigable commitment, Paolo Rossi taught us an important lesson: success, in any field, requires constant effort, unwavering devotion and a flaming passion burning within us. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those who made the organisation of this exhibition possible, inviting everyone to immerse themselves in this exciting journey through Paolo Rossi’s life, hoping that his extraordinary story will inspire us to pursue our dreams with determination, and to leave our mark on the world, just as he did not only in Italian football, but far beyond”, De Riu adds.
The exhibition space includes, exclusively for the Pristina event, the shirt worn by Lionel Messi in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Argentina vs France final, one of the official match balls, as well as an area dedicated to legends of international football history.
Thanks to the FIFA Museum and some of the world’s leading collectors, various unique items such as jerseys, soccer cleats, tracksuits, balls, photos, documents, awards and medals belonging to the greatest legends of world football are also on display, including the jerseys of all 47 Ballon d’Or winners – from 1956 to the present day.
Visiting the exhibition you can see memorabilia belonging to: Maradona, Pelé, Alfredo di Stefano, Gerd Müller, Giuseppe Meazza, Mazzola, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Falcao, Yashin, Puskas, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Dino Zoff, Stoichkov, Matthaus, Roberto Baggio, Yashin, Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Van Basten, Platini, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane, Neymar, Sergio Ramos, Raul Gonzales, Ibrahimovic, Figo, Eusebio, Buffon, Cannavaro, Totti, Pirlo, Luka Modric, Mbappe, Haaland, Guardiola, Ancellotti, Mancini, Lippi, and many others.
