Former Italy international Paolo Rossi says only his namesake Giuseppe ever caught his eye as a player who could have beaten his World Cup goal-scoring record for Italy.
Just days before his 60th birthday on Sept. 23, Rossi -- who shares the record for an Italian player of nine goals in World Cup finals with Roberto Baggio and Christian Vieri -- has been interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, and he was asked if there was anybody he has felt could be the next Paolo Rossi.
"I've only seen one who looks like me, also because he has my same name: Pepito Rossi had and still has great quality and I can see a bit of me in him," Rossi said. "But he has not had the luck that I had and I'm sorry because he's a really great lad."
Giuseppe Rossi was left out of the last World Cup by then-coach Cesare Prandelli after failing to convince him he was fully fit after spending much of the season sidelined by the latest of many serious knee injuries which have blighted his career.
He also missed the 2010 World Cup for similar reasons, despite being included in Marcello Lippi's initial squad, while his last appearance in an Azzurri shirt came over two years ago.
The New Jersey-born international currently plays for Celta Vigo on loan from Fiorentina.
In the interview, Paolo Rossi also spoke about Juventus' 2-1 defeat to Inter Milan at the weekend, which proved that "nothing can be taken for granted in football," and how surprised he was to see another top forward, Gonzalo Higuain, left on the bench for such an important fixture.
"I ask myself how you can keep Higuain out?" Rossi said. "He's exceptional and nobody doubts that, but I hope this doesn't mean that he has upset some sort of balance, even if he's playing with a phenomenal player in [Paulo] Dybala, who seems to me to be the modern version of [Omar] Sivori."
With such attackers, Rossi believes Juve do have a chance of winning the Champions League this season, even if it will not be easy.
"They've got all it takes to do it, but historically the Champions League has been cursed for Juve," Rossi said.
"They need to learn how to manage the pressure like Real Madrid did. They were chasing the Decima and could never win it, but then that day arrived."