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The Italy of the rich and the poor, in which Maradona had put his finger on the sore spot after his boisterous arrival at Napoli, became flesh and blood in that European summer of 1990, that of the magical nights heralded by the unmistakable, liquor-soaked voice of Gianna Nannini. That World Cup that seemed to introduce football into a modern era of more rigid tactics, that of new technologies and of local pride in recovering the greatness of 1982, when Dino Zoff lifted the third World Cup. Italy arrived with a bittersweet experience as a semi-finalist in Euro 1988, but its league dominated the world as the most powerful with three teams fighting for the top: Inter of the GermansMilan of The Dutch and Diego’s humble Napoli. And after them, the Old Lady, Juventus, who, in desperation for the prominence lost from the mid-80s, turned to a second-division scorer to reverse the trend: Salvatore Schillaci, today in the news for his early and painful death, at the age of 59.
Totò Schillaci and Juan Simon during the Italy-Argentina match at the 1990 World CupDiether Endlicher – AP
Totò was just under 5’7″ and his intense, bulging eyes were the perfect gateway to a personality shaped in San Giovanni Apostolo, Palermo, in the tumultuous capital of Sicily. He was formed at Messina, where he played in the depths of the lower divisions until he caught the eye with 23 goals in 35 Serie B games. Juventus bought him immediately for the 1989/90 season and he responded with more goals, which caught the eye of Azeglio Vicini, the national coach. He played only one friendly in the run-up to the World Cup. Schillaci entered the national team through the window and ended up as a national hero, with six goals in seven games in that World Cup in which Argentina dealt him a knockout blow in the semi-finals. Italy was left with an everlasting song, a consolation of third place and a legendary character as the tournament’s top scorer: the little giant Schillaci, the one with the crazy face and baldness who shouted every victory with his heart in his throat. “In those weeks, Totò took on the appearance of a poetic character, a goblin descended from the moon to perform miracles,” the journalist Furio Zara masterfully describes in his profile in the Sports GazetteSchillaci represented precisely the humble player who has the voracity to want to take on the world. As they say in the football world, a player with hunger.
Schillaci came on in the first two games (he scored the winning goal in the first, against Austria) and was already a starter against the United States, where he also scored. He continued to score: one against Uruguay in the round of 16, the one that won against Ireland in the quarterfinals and the one that won partially against Argentina in the semifinals, which Caniggia and Goycochea’s penalties reversed on the night of divided hearts at the San Paolo stadium in Naples. Totò even scored against England, in the always bittersweet match for third place. It was an unfair consolation for a man who seemed destined for total glory in that month of magical nights.
Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci, with a different appearance, when he participated in the reality show “The Island of the Famous” in 2004Antonio Calanni – AP
It was his highest peak. A flash of lightning. In the national team, he barely played a handful of more matches. Without exaggeration, one of the most remembered footballers in the history of the World Cup has meager numbers with the shirt. blue: 16 matches and 7 goals, 6 of them in Italia 90.
From then on, he never again had such a footballing relevance. A couple more seasons at Juve, Inter’s attempt to revive his goalscoring streak, but his fire seemed to have gone out in that Italian summer. He did find shelter in the fledgling Japanese league, which in the 1990s tried to take off and attracted stars from all over the world. He retired in 1997.
What followed his disappearance from the world of football was as ephemeral as it was dizzying. You can choose the Totò that appeals to you the most. The one who cut coconuts and shouted hilarious phrases on the reality show La Île des Celebrities; the one who accepted Silvio Berlusconi’s invitation to a councillor position for Forza Italia; the one who set up a sports centre in Palermo where hundreds of kids dream of being a top scorer in a World Cup.
He was born in Palermo on December 1, 1964 and married twice, to Rita and Barbara. He leaves behind three children, Jessica, Mattia and Nicole. Colon cancer, which forced him to undergo two operations, ended his life early. His great companion Roberto Baggio said goodbye to him via Instagram: “Goodbye my dear friend, once again you have surprised me. The magical nights of Italia 90 that we lived together will remain engraved forever in my heart. Brothers of Italy forever.”
Totò, the little unstoppable player in the box, the one with the crazy face who will always take us back to the magical nights of that Italian summer, has passed away.
Conocé The Trust Project
