FIFA.com: Senor Passarella, how is the FIFA World Cup™ different from any other international competition?
Daniel Passarella: The World Cup is unique. No other competition can compare, not the Copa Libertadores, not the Intercontinental Cup, not the Champions League nor any other tournament in Europe or South America. The World Cup is very different from all of them. Every player in the world would like to take part in one and win it, and we had the good fortune to do just that. There's no greater achievement in football. The most significant thing about winning it, something we've done twice, is the relationship you establish with the public from that moment on. You're sanctified in their eyes, and the first thing they do on seeing you is show you a lot of affection for what you achieved at the World Cup.

What did each of the three FIFA World Cups you appeared in mean to you?
Each of those experiences meant something different. At the first of those (1978) it meant changing the image of Argentinian football, because we'd always said we were the best without ever proving it. With (Cesar) Menotti in charge, we did just that. We achieved it through putting in extra hours and changing the way everything was organised - it took a lot of hard work. It's true that Menotti, being the kind of person he was, never told us we were going to be world champions. He wasn't one who made empty promises; he focused on building a competitive side. We all trained in different ways under him, with very specific and individualised training regimes. He didn't make the forwards run ten laps of the pitch, but he did focus a great deal on precision. He was always on about that: speed and precision. The individual work he made us do helped us realise that we have something the European sides didn't: natural-born technical ability. They have speed. So, he wanted to help to continue developing our technique so we could use it at speed. I remember he used to say that "a car virtually drives itself at 100km/h, but it's very difficult to drive at 250 km/h without crashing." He used to like that, driven balls, powerfully driven passes along the ground. And later on he assembled a good group of players, most of whom had been successful in Europe. All of these factors together meant that Argentina deservedly won the World Cup.

At the 1982 FIFA World Cup the team were unable to repeat their 1978 success. What was missing?
I don't think anything was missing. All the best players were there, although we didn't have the same hunger for glory. If you look back in history, it's very rare for teams to win two successive tournaments. Argentina won in 1978 and things went badly in 1982. We won in 1986 and then played poorly while reaching the Final in 1990. The only one that manage it are Germany.

How would you describe the Italy team that won in 1982?
Italy had a good team, which wouldn't be out of place when compared with all the other teams to have won the World Cup. When Italy arrived in Spain they were under attack from the press and the fans. The coach was on the verge of being sacked, and that's why he famously said "And what do you think now?" to journalists after the tournament was over. But that's happened to a lot of coaches. Zagallo was a controversial choice in 1970, the press were against him and he played with five No10s. In 1978 over here, the same happened to Menotti. Every coach has problems because whatever team you pick is never to everybody's taste, and that's what was happening to Italy. But they had good players who contributed towards winning the title. That's where the difference lies. Menotti could have been very organised but if he hadn't had the players... Like with Bilardo in 1986: if he hadn't had Maradona he wouldn't have won, and that's always been the case with every team. I ended up playing with a number of them when I played in Italy: Oriali, Gentile, Antognoni, Bergomi, Graziani. I played with some of them at Fiorentina and others at Inter. They always stayed faithful to the Italian style of play, with man-to-man markers, Catenaccio and counter-attacking football, but they had gifted players like Antognoni and Tardelli who dictated the tempo of the game and sped things up at just the right time. And they had tactically important players like Scirea, who wasn't spectacular but was always where he needed to be.

And Paolo Rossi? What can you tell us about him?
I have a very good relationship with him for a variety of reasons. We meet a lot at parties and gala evenings. Paolo was a match-winner, as he showed by becoming top scorer at the World Cup (in 1982), and a supreme opportunist. He rarely let a chance get away. We played against him several times and he was very hard to mark, as he was constantly on the move. What's more he was very fast and had the support of a very good Italian team. He faced fierce competition for his place but eventually won that battle and played superbly. Italy also had Zoff in goal, who was a legend on and off the pitch, and Marco Tardelli among others. They formed a great side and in the end became world champions.

Going back to your own achievements. Who was Professor Echeverria?
Professor Echeverria was the team's fitness coach in 1986, and he wanted to buy a flat that cost 17,000 dollars. That was the exact amount of prize money we'd get for qualifying for Mexico 1986. That's why I said to him," Go ahead and get yourself the flat, because we're going to qualify." We all clubbed together to lend him a thousand dollars for the deposit so that he could buy the apartment once qualifying was over. Then, we found ourselves 2-1 down at home to Peru in a qualifier and the dressing room was deathly silent. We needed something to give us a lift ahead of the second half so I stood up, gave the Professor a pat on the back and said, "Don't worry, you're still going to buy that flat." And we drew the game 2-2 and qualified for the 1986 World Cup. Not qualifying for the World Cup would have left an indelible mark. Now that I'm a coach I can safely say that not qualifying leaves a mark that you never get rid of. I've never been relegated or missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, but Argentina weren't playing well at that point and there was a bad feeling in the air at the Estadio Monumental.

You were heavily involved in that last-gasp goal that earned a draw for Argentina and sealed qualification. Can you remember it?
It came from a corner in front of the Centenary stand. They cleared the ball and I quickly turned back thinking they'd catch us on the break, but (Julio) Olarticoechea won it back and crossed it in with his left foot. I went back into the area and controlled it on my chest. I found myself in front of goal, brought it down onto my right foot and got my shot off. The ball spun strangely off my foot and hit the post before rolling along the goal-line. Luckily (Ricardo) Gareca was there to knock it home.

Everybody involved in that game remembers how tough it was to qualify. Is it more stressful as a player or a coach?
Playing in a World Cup is totally different from coaching at one. As a coach you've got so much more responsibility. I'd say that both roles are important, but have nothing in common. Playing is much more enjoyable, you have so much more responsibility when you're a coach. Let me put it this way: it's about passion. If they said you were only going to earn about a quarter of what you earned playing football, or just the same as any office worker, we'd all still play. That's why there's such a big difference between playing and coaching for an ex-player like myself, who was so passionate and put football before everything else. It's like your first love, who you could never be unfaithful to.

You were captain of the 1978 FIFA World Cup side. What implications did the role have within the squad?
I never really felt burdened by the role of captain. In fact, it was chosen in an off-the-cuff way, which meant that I didn't have too much responsibility placed on me. Menotti had divided the team up into groups with those players from the capital, from abroad, the youngsters, from inland areas, in a way that will never be repeated.

(Jorge) Carrascosa was the national team captain at the time, but after he left the team Menotti called us to the Argentinian Football Association headquarters for a training match. We thought we were going to get a training programme but he held a meeting to decide who'd be the new captain. That's when he said, "Daniel's going to do it." I think he was going with what the players felt. I always say the same thing and I learnt it from him: your teammates choose the captain.

Which would you say was you best performance at the 1978 tournament?
I think I performed quite consistently in every match; I wasn't outstanding in any game. I had the opportunity to score a couple of goals which I didn't take, like against the Netherlands, when I messed up two good chances. But I think I performed best in the build-up. The team doctor always told me that the tournament started too late for me, that I'd hit my peak a month before.

How important were the fans in that success?
It's always much better to play at home. The sheer passion of the Brazilian and Argentinian fans is unbeatable. But you have to be careful, because it's sometimes tougher being the host nation. In 1978 for example, there were some people who didn't have faith in the team. But the public at large believed in us. And of course the squad was very confident because Menotti made sure we lost our fear of the European nations. He took us on tour and organised games against Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, which made us realise we could match them.

Does the journey to the stadium on the day of the Final have a special place in your memory?
For me, seeing the Argentinian fans line the route from the training camp to the Monumental was very moving. Everyone was out, from disabled people to old ladies on their knees praying. Then there was the singing inside the ground and the cascading ticker tape. When you arrived at the Monumental back then, you had to walk along the internal corridors, and through the windows we could feel the atmosphere building. On the radio, the commentators were announcing our arrival at the stadium, and the crowd were chanting "Argentina for the Cup". It was truly impressive and made the hairs on the back of our necks stand on end. We ran out convinced we were going to win.

What were the moments leading up the game with the Netherlands like? Were there feelings of confidence or fear in the air?
After we'd beaten Peru, we felt on top of the world. I remember we delayed our return to Buenos Aires from Rosario, where we'd played the game, because of the incredible support we got from the people there. Once we got to our training camp, we had to stay put, although Menotti gave us a lot of freedom there. One evening we asked for some wine with our meal, and we had a great time, laughing and joking. It was all part of his plan to stop us getting stressed. He'd say things like, "If we lose, then so be it. We made the Final didn't we? Who would have thought that?" But we were full of confidence by then, and were telling each other that there was no way we'd lose against the Dutch. That took all the pressure off us.

What do you remember about the game against the Netherlands?
I think we controlled that game and had the clearer chances. Everyone remembers the Dutch hitting the post late on but I believe that, on the balance of play, Argentina were deserved winners. In extra time we were ruthless because we had great players. I repeat: Argentina were better on the day.

How did Menotti react when the game went to extra time?
That was the first time I ever saw him angry. He said to us, "There's 80,000 of us against eleven of them. Are you going to let them win?" It was a real shock, the kind of impetus a team needs at moments like those.

The came the decisive goals. What do you remember about the moment the game finished? What was the first thought that entered your head?
I thought about my mum and dad. My mum used to get really anxious and never wanted to watch my games, but my dad was there with El Tucumano Hernandez, who started me off on the road to being a professional footballer. We completed our lap of honour and once we were back in the dressing room, someone from a security firm came to tell me that they were taking the Cup. But I didn't want to give it up and I said to them, "As if I'd give you the Cup after all we've been through to get it. I don't even know who you are." Well, then came the guys from the international committee and told me I had to hand it over.

You were the first Argentinian to lift the Trophy. How did it feel?
When you're handed the Cup you feel numb, it's like a never-ending orgasm. That might sound vulgar but it's true. You have to experience it to understand. That's the only way I can explain it. It's a feeling of having accomplished the ultimate feat, something you've worked so long for. When someone asks you as a kid what you want to be when you grow up, and you say play for Argentina and become world champion. When you actually do it, you have to pinch yourself to know it's true. I said to myself: "There are millions of us in Argentina, and I get to be the one." It was incredible.

Is it true that you didn't even want to give the Trophy to your team-mates?
Yes, it's true. It felt incredible being there, to be the first Argentinian to lift the Trophy. I didn't want to let anybody else have it.

How does it feel to lift it again now?
It makes me go back in time and remember so many things. I consider that winning the World Cup and being involved in the biggest moments in Argentinian football history was a gift from God. You can't ask for much more than that. Hopefully I can lift it again someday.

If you saw it exhibited in a gallery as a work of art, what would your verdict be?
Perfect!