Former football referee Romualdo Arppi Filho died on Sunday in Santos, São Paulo state. He was 84 years old and was admitted to Ana Costa Hospital with kidney problems.
The highlight of Arppi Filho’s career was refereeing the final of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Mexico, a match in which Argentina won its second championship after beating the Federal Republic of Germany 3-2, in a tournament that Diego dedicated Maradona on a planetary scale.
The goals of the Alvicelestes were scored by José Luis Brown (23′), Jorge Valdano (55′) and Jorge Burruchaga (83′). On the side of the Germans, the goals were signed by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (74′) and Rudi Völler (80′).
“My father was and will always be a reference. May he be remembered for his prominence in the sport and as an incredible human being,” Ricardo de Oliveira Arppi, one of Romualdo’s sons, told G1, recalling that his father was one of the most important in the history of Brazilian football.
In addition to the final, Arppi Filho refereed two other matches at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico: France-USSR (1-1) and Mexico-Bulgaria (2-0). He was the second consecutive Brazilian referee to referee the final match of a World Cup preceded by Arnaldo Cézar Coelho in Spain in 1982.
Source: DN
