Toto Schillaci: Tributes paid after Italy great dies aged 59 - 'Made a nation dream'
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Published 18/09/2024 at 11:26 GMT+1
Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci, the hero of Italy's memorable 1990 World Cup run, has died aged 59. Tributes have been paid to the Azzurri legend, who won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball in the tournament on home soil as Italy reached the semi-finals. His former clubs Juventus and Inter wrote that "his desire showed in every game he played" and that he "made an entire nation dream."
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Italian football is in mourning after former Juventus, Inter and Italy striker Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci died aged 59 on Wednesday.
Schillaci rose to global fame during the Italia ‘90 World Cup on home soil, where he finished as top scorer with six goals and won the Golden Ball as best player.
The striker became a national hero for his exploits as the Azzurri reached the semi-finals, where they lost to Argentina before beating England to claim third place.
Later that year, he placed second in the Ballon d’Or vote behind Germany’s Lothar Matthaus.
"His desire, his story, his being so wonderfully passionate, and it showed in every game he played,” Juventus wrote.
"We at Juve were lucky enough to get excited about him before, in that incredible summer of 1990, the whole of Italy did, captivated by those wonderfully energetic celebrations of his.”
“He made an entire nation dream during the ‘Magic Nights’ of Italia ‘90,” Inter wrote on social media.
At club level, Schillaci rose through the ranks in his native Sicily with Messina before joining Juventus in 1989.
He won the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup during his three years in Turin before spending two seasons at Inter, winning another UEFA Cup, and ending his career in Japan with Jubilo Iwata, where he won the J League title.
Schillaci revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer and was receiving treatment.
"A football icon leaves us, a man who entered the hearts of Italians and sports lovers around the world,” said Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
Salvatore Schillaci, known to all as Toto, the bomber of the magical nights of Italia '90 with our national team. Thank you for the emotions you gave us, for making us dream, cheer, hug and wave our Tricolore. Have a good trip, champion."
Schillaci was called up for Italy’s World Cup squad in 1990, just two months after earning his first senior cap.
Initially starting the tournament on the bench, he came on against Austria in the opener to score the winner and earned himself a starting spot alongside Roberto Baggio for the next game.
Both strikers scored in a 2-0 win over Czechoslovakia, and Schillaci found the net again in the last 16 against Uruguay and quarter-finals against the Republic of Ireland.
He was on target again against Diego Maradona’s Argentina in Naples, but the Azzurri suffered a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat before Schillaci added a sixth tournament goal against England in the third-place play-off.
Six of Schillaci’s seven Italy goals came in the tournament, with the other arriving against Norway in a Euro 1992 qualifier.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that a minute’s silence will be observed in every division from today until the end of the week, while Inter will wear black armbands in tribute for their UEFA Champions League game against Manchester City on Wednesday.
"Schillaci was a champion, who lit up the 'magical nights' of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, also winning the titles of top scorer and best player of the competition," said Serie A president Lorenzo Casini.
"His desire to emerge and reach the highest levels of football has been and will continue to be a source of inspiration for the many young people who chase the dream of playing in Serie A.”
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