The Italian is widely considered to be one of the greatest midfielders that the country has produced, and his influence was immense whether it was at club or international level.

Despite being a defensive midfielder, Tardelli also excelled when it came to going forward and making outstanding forward contributions. These abilities made him a complete footballer that most managers wouldn't love to have. In addition to his playing skills, the Italian had also been applauded for his exquisite leadership skills and versatility as a player.

Let us now rewind back to this magnificent player's career

A silverware laden club career

It didn't take much time for a young Marco Tardelli to climb through the ranks and reach the zenith of Italian club football. Within the span of just 3 years, Tardelli went from playing for Serie C side Pisa to Serie B side Como and eventually Italian giants Juventus. The player's rise in those 3 years was nothing short of a fairytale.

Tardelli went on to stay at Juventus for the next 10 years, where he enjoyed magnificent success both individually and collectively. Along with his teammates Antonio Cabrini and Gaetano Scirea, he became one of three players to win all the three major European competitions( UEFA Cup in 1977, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1984, and the European Cup in 1985).

Juve's domination was widely seen in Italy as well, as the Bianconeri clinched 5 Serie A titles and 2 Coppa Italia titles during Tardelli's time at the club. In addition to winning the 3 major European titles, Tardelli and Juve had also lifted the 1984 European Super Cup.

One of his greatest individual moments for the Old Lady came in the 1977 UEFA Cup final, as it was Tardelli that scored the decisive winning goal that ultimately led to Juventus thumping Athletic Bilbao to win their first  ever European title. It was a magical moment that eternalized Tardelli in the eyes of Juventus fans.

After making 376 appearances and scoring 51 goals, Tardelli left Juventus and joined their rivals Inter Milan in 1985. He remained at Inter till 1987, before departing to Swiss club St. Gallen eventually retiring in 1988.

The Italian legacy

It was on 7th April 1976 that Tardelli made his debut for the Italian national side. In a few years, he was a part of the Italy team that took part in the 1978 World Cup and 1980 European Football Championship that took place on home soil. Italy performed strongly in both the tournaments, as they reached the semi-finals and earned fourth-place finishes. Tardelli in particular was excellent individually, as his heroics saw him named in the Euro 80 team of the tournament.

The peak of his Italy career came during the 1982 FIFA World Cup, where he scored 2 crucial goals. Tardelli's first World Cup goal came against Argentina in a second-round group stage win, while the second goal came at the moment when it mattered the most.

Italy progressed all the way till the finals, as West Germany awaited them for the ultimate clash. The Italians ended that night as World Champions, as they demolished the Germans 3-1.

It was Tardelli that scored the second goal for the Italian side, and his goal celebration is still remembered to this day for the immense passion and emotion that he showcased at that moment.

The celebration was later named the  "Tardelli cry", and was considered as one of the defining images of Italy's 1982 World Cup triumph. BBC had even named his iconic 1982 FIFA World Cup Final goal celebration as the fourth greatest World Cup moment of all time in 2014.

Tardelli played his final game for Italy against Norway in September 1985, and even served as the national side's captain between 1983 and 1985. He earned a total of 81 caps during his international career with Italy.

His legacy is bound to live on eternally, and that iconic goal celebration will forever stay as one of the most passionate moments in football history.