Legendary Italian Broadcaster Pizzul Passes Away at 86 | OneFootball

Bruno Pizzul, who was the lead play-by-play announcer for the Italian national team from 1986 to 2002, has died at the Gorizia hospital a few days before turning 87. He began working with Rai in 1969, starting with a Coppa Italia playoff between Juventus and Bologna. His last match was between Italy and Slovenia in August 2002, La Repubblica informs.

He was on the call for five World Cups and four European championships. He had his last public remarks after Argentina won the World Cup.

Pizzul was a pioneer as far as two-man booths were concerned in Italian TV and was recognized for his professionalism and somber tone. He played for a few years before becoming a journalist, starring for Catania, Ischia, Udinese, and Sassari Torres before his career was cut short by a knee injury, Rai reports.

His first final of an international competition was the 1972 European Championship between West Germany and URSS in Bruxelles. He hosted the TV shows Domenica Sportiva, Sport Sera, and a portion of Novantesimo Minuto throughout the years. After primarily covering Serie A teams in the international competitions, he became the main voice of the Azzurri in 1986.