2 minute read
How Panini Stickers are Made
ESPANA 82
While Italy and Paolo Rossi reigned in Spain, Panini introduced ‘shinies’ to their World Cup sticker albums for the first time.
Advertisement
By the time the World Cup was held in Spain, Brits had gone mad for Panini’s sticker collections. The stand-out addition since the Argentina 78 album was the appearance of shiny badges, first introduced for an international tournament in Europa 80. There were also three extra foil stickers at the front of the album displaying the World Cup trophy, the tournament logo, and the mascot – Naranjito, the little orange.
Every team was splashed across two pages each, apart from Cameroon, Algeria, El Salvador, Kuwait and New Zealand who only got one. Two of these teams made contrasting marks on the 1982 World Cup – Algeria’s 2–1 victory over West Germany was a fonder memory than El Salvador’s humiliating 10–1 loss to Hungary.
The 19 countries given doublepage spreads were treated to a team group, 16 individual player stickers, and a shiny badge depicting their governing body logo, all featuring a smiling Naranjito in the corner of each foil. Teams with only a single page were still represented by a badge, team group and 16 players, two players on each sticker.
Italy was the first team in the album, perhaps an omen as to what was to come, and with three British qualifiers – for the first time since 1958 – there was great excitement in the build-up to the tournament.
When Bryan Robson – who still had a perm in Espana 82 – scored
ESPANA 82 ALBUM FACTS
PAGES: 48 ALBUM PRICE: 20P NUMBER OF STICKERS: 427 PACKET COST: 6P FOR 4 STICKERS
after 27 seconds in England’s opener against France it seemed that it really might be their time. Although Ron Greenwood’s men only conceded one goal in five matches, it was a lack of firepower in the second round that proved their undoing – not helped by the absences due to injury of Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking, both of whom were only fit enough to appear as substitutes in the last game against Spain.
Scotland’s Group 6 was an eventful one, which ultimately ended with Jock Stein’s team missing out on qualification for the next round on goal difference. The Scots defeated plucky underdogs New Zealand 5–2, only to be outclassed by Brazil in their next encounter as the South Americans unleashed all of their tricks in an easy-on-the-eye 4–1 win. As the Soviet Union had managed to restrict Brazil to a late 2–1 defeat, Scotland needed to beat their rival for second spot when they met in the final round of games. Joe Jordan gave Scotland a dream start, but the Soviets hit back with two goals. Graeme Souness – adding his trademark moustache to a Panini World Cup album for the first time – hit a second, but it wasn’t enough and the Scots exited at the first round again.
Northern Ireland enjoyed a happier climax to their first-
