The Brazilian referee Romualdo Arppi Filho, who whistled the final in Mexico in which Argentina won the two-time championship in 1986 After defeating Germany 3-2, he died this Sunday at the age of 84.
This final has been one of the most remembered in the history of the World Cups because it was the obtaining of the World Cup for Diego Maradona after a great tournament and a final against a German team that won revenge four years later in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. It was also the second South American title in a World Cup that was held in Mexico.
Considered one of the most outstanding referees in Brazil, Arppi Filho died of kidney complications at the Ana Costa hospital from the city of Santos, in the state of Sao Paulo, according to their relatives.
Arppi Filho was the second Brazilian, after Arnaldo Cézar Coelho, to whistle a final in a soccer world cup.
Born in Santos on January 7, 1939, he began his career in adolescence -at the age of 14– and at 20 he already did it professionally, reaching his pinnacle in the 1980s.
The Brazilian referee also whistled the final of the 1984 Intercontinental Cup, between the Argentine Independiente and the English Liverpool, and participated in the Olympic Games in Mexico (1968), Moscow (1980) and Los Angeles (1984).
After hanging up his whistle, Arppi Filho worked in the real estate business. He leaves behind three children and three grandchildren.
Filho is part of the list of members who participated in that final and recently passed away. Jose Luis Cuciuffo, Jose Luis Brown and Diego Maradona They are the three players who have died from the Argentine team that was champion in 1986.
While for the German team, central defender Norbert Eder is the only member who died who was part of the 1986 World Cup finalist team in Mexico.
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