- Title: ITALY: Luciano Pavarotti performs in front of World Cup football stars
- Date: 27th May 1990
- Summary: PAVAROTTI POSING WITH SOCCER STARS FOR PHOTO PAVAROTTI AND PELE HUGGING AND CHATTING
- Embargoed: 11th June 1990 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MEAZZA STADIUM, MILAN, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA3ZPUFT829TIVC8TIDVZQ9HQHQ
- Story Text: The booming tenor voice of Luciano Pavarotti, an avid soccer fan, has inaugurated a special entertainment calendar to coincide with World Cup championship play starting next month.
In a concert televised live Sunday night, Pavarotti drew cries of "bravo" from an audience whose front rows included Diego Maradona and former Premier Bettino Craxi.
The stout tenor dazzled the crowd with a selection of some of the most popular arias of Giuseppe Verdi, Gaetano Donizzetti and Giacomo Puccini, ending with the latter's "Vincero" (I shall win) from Turandot. The final song was his best wish for all 24 teams in the one-month competition.
Pavarotti drew a sell-out crowd of 8,000 in the Palatrussardi arena, near Meazza stadium, site of the opening game between defending champion Argentina and Camerron on June 8.
Diego Maradona was among 13 World Cup stars -- one from each national team winners dating back to 1930 -- who were awarded gold plaques during the intermission.
Brazilians Pele, Carlos Alberto and Amarildo, Uruguayan Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Argentines Maradona and Daniel Passarella, France's Lucien Laurent, West Germans Gerd Muller and Fritz Walter, England's Bobby Charlton and Italy's Paolo Rossi, who received applause to almost rival Pavarotti, were among the players awarded. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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