FIFA.com: Senor Tarantini, what did it mean to you to play in two FIFA World Cups?
Alberto Tarantini: The 1978 World Cup was the biggest event Argentinian football had ever experienced. You could say it was the moment Argentinian football took off because it came after the 1974 World Cup, after so many disasters, and it was then that Argentina began to be recognised at world level. Let's not forget that the country has always produced really good footballers, but only a few of us were lucky enough to be crowned champions. It was wonderful to win it on home soil.

And the 1982 World Cup?
You can divide that year up into two very different parts: one before the Falklands War and the other after it. It was the most difficult part of the year, although I wouldn't put all the blame on that. When we left Argentina we thought we were winning the war, but we saw a completely different reality when we got to Spain. It was a huge blow for us. We had a great team with (Julio) Olarticoechea, (Juan) Barbas, (Ramon) Diaz and (Gabriel) Calderon although, unfortunately, it just didn't come together on the pitch. The refereeing didn't help much either. It was incredible how little protection Argentina got. Look at the Italy game, for example. The treatment dished out to (Diego) Maradona was just ridiculous.

What are your views on Italy in that tournament?
They were a cracking team made up of the spine of the 1978 side and a few new guys like (Bruno) Conti and (Alessandro) Altobelli. They got better as the tournament went on and deservedly ended up winning the Cup. But you musn't forget Brazil, who played some of the best football of the competition.

What do you think is the biggest difference between the FIFA World Cup and other competitions?
Any player's ambition, no matter where they're from, is to play for their country and be champions. Playing for your national side is a great achievement in itself. And it doesn't get any better than being world champion in your own country. It's hard for me to make a comparison but to give you an idea I'd say that 1978 was the high point of my career. I don't think I'll ever forget it.

What was the key to winning the title?
It was a team with bags of personality, overly attacking if anything, and it had all the qualities Argentinian fans like. It also had some fantastic, world-class players.

Kempes was one of them...
I think he performed as the team did, he got better as the tournament progressed. He didn't hit top form here in Buenos Aires, but he gradually became the focal point of the side at the World Cup. He performed just when we needed him. Of course, everyone remembers his goals in the Final. He had this ability to always be in the right place, just as he showed.

A lot of people have said that the fans had a big part to play in you winning the title. Is that right?
There's no other place in the world where they live and breathe football like here. I was talking to some English journalists a while ago and they told me watching football in Argentina is like going to the theatre. It's different here. Argentinians live for football, and the support we got from the people showed that. To see everyone shouting, crying, kneeling down. I don't think we were the only ones to lift the Cup. The millions who were cheering us on did so too.

What memories do you have of the game against Peru, which took you to the Final?
I felt that Argentina were going to score the goals they needed that day. We had to score four to go through, and of course we managed it. Kempes got the first and I scored the second, which came at a critical time, just before half-time. In the second half we went out to do what we had to do. It was just a case of Argentina playing well. It was the players who won that game and the fans who supported us.

What do you remember about your goal?
I was in the middle of the pitch as it wasn't my job to get up to the opposing penalty area. (Daniel) Passarella was usually there. This time, though, I had a feeling and made my way up slowly. When Bertoni swung the corner in I got up there and stuck my head in. The roar from the crowd is something I'll never forget.

Can you tell us what you spoke about before the game?
We said we had to win and that we had the resources to do it. We were conscious that we had to go out and play as we knew how. No long balls or fouls. We just had to play football. Peru were playing very well too and had just beaten Scotland. Luckily, we managed it.

Obviously Cesar Menotti had a lot to do with it. What can you tell us about him?
His job was to bring some prestige to Argentinian football. He was a pioneer in organising teams properly. He worked hard on international fixtures too and raised Argentina's profile abroad. The facts speak for themselves: he won the World Cup at senior and junior level.

By all accounts, the team talk before the Final against the Netherlands did not last very long.
You can say that again! He told us we'd worked very hard to get that far and that we weren't going to let them take the Cup away from us without a fight. Anyway, what else could he say? We knew exactly what we had to do, above and beyond running our socks off. What I can say is that he didn't put any pressure on us. Anything but. We wanted to go out on the pitch and crush the Dutch.

What was the atmosphere like in the stadium?
If you want an exact description all you have to do is look at the faces of the Dutch when they walk out onto the pitch. That says it all.

Was that the hardest game of the tournament?
Yes, of course. It was the most meaningful and emotional game for a start. I think we were playing with people's emotions when they hit the post in the last minute, but in the end we gave them what they wanted.

What do you remember about that incident, one that could have changed the outcome of the game?
I honestly don't remember that much because I didn't see it at the time. All you could hear was people saying, "It hit the post. It hit the post." It was scarier watching the replay on TV than being in the stadium. I can remember the fans falling silent though.
But that just made the end even more exciting. We made the fans suffer for another 30 minutes but, in the end, it was a very positive thing. Those extra 30 minutes saw us score the final two goals and gave the fans even more to enjoy.

Was there a duel with Dutch player that you remember in particular?
I lost two teeth in a clash with (Johan) Neeskens, but it wasn't a dirty game. We played fairly. Of course, there were one or two tough challenges, but there was never any intent to hurt anyone. When there's a loose ball in a final you do everything you can to win it.

Was that your best game of the tournament?
No. I think my best performance was against Italy, a match we lost 1-0. My most important contribution was the goal against Peru, because it came at a vital moment.

Going back to the Final, when did you realise you were champions?
The thing is, I never felt we weren't going to do it. We had all the adrenaline and the energy we needed to win that game.

What went through your mind when you heard the final whistle?
I wanted to hug everybody. I think that God came down and gave me a helping hand. There were people nearby face down in the turf, grabbing handfuls of grass, the noise was immense... I've never watched the Final again, either on TV or video. It's carved so clearly in my memory that I just don't need to.

Do you remember the moment when you put your hands on the Trophy for the first time?
I didn't get the chance to touch it, but four days later, during a TV programme, I kept hold of it for the entire show. In the stadium at the time, I was pretty much last in line to lift the Trophy, and I didn't quite make it. Once (Daniel) Passarella got his hands on it he wouldn't let go. But nobody can ever take that title away from you, it's the biggest achievement in the game and you have it for the rest of your life. People may call you an ex-footballer but a World Cup winner is a champion forever.

What was the mood like in the changing rooms?
I don't remember it being that noisy. We just tried to get the tension out of our systems. Then, once the pressure had gone, we celebrated at the hotel with our people.

One of the most famous photographs in the history of Argentinian sport was taken that day, "El Abrazo del Alma" (The Heart's Embrace). Do you remember it?
Of course. It was a kid who was looking for me so he could give me a hug at the end of the game. He came onto the pitch and when he hugged me I realised he didn't have any arms. That's when they took that photo. That moment sums it all up - the connection there was between the people and us.

You mention the people. What was the atmosphere like in the streets at the time?
That was the biggest gift of all. It was like something you dream about when you're a kid. It made a huge impression on us forever. There was no difference between the rich and the poor - everyone was truly happy.

How did it feel to lift the Trophy for the first time?
It's very difficult to put into words. You only know what it means when you win it. It's like lifting up your child for the first time. Yes, that's just what it's like, the most wonderful thing a player can experience.

What would you say if you saw the Trophy in a museum?
It's the ultimate expression of triumph, the feeling that you're lifting the world up in your hands. That's it - you've got the whole world in your hands.