MADRID, 18 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Former Italian international player Salvatore Schillaci, popularly known as ‘Totò’ Schillaci, has died at the age of 59 after an illness that had kept him hospitalised for the last few days, leaving Italian football without the top scorer of the 1990 World Cup in which, as hosts, they finished third thanks to the success of an unusual striker.
“He was the hero of Italia ’90, the symbol of those ‘Magical Nights’ that remain in the hearts and memories of millions of Azzurri fans. The world of football is in mourning for Salvatore ‘Totò’ Schillaci, who passed away prematurely today at the age of 59,” the Italian Football Federation confirmed in a statement.
Schillaci, born in Palermo, reached the peak of his football career suddenly, at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, becoming the top scorer with 6 goals and leading Italy to the semi-final, which they lost on penalties to Argentina, and to achieve third place.
“A minute of silence will be observed in his memory before the matches of all the championships scheduled from today until the weekend,” said the FIGC, whose president, Gabriele Gravina, recalls the “uncontrollable celebrations” in which his face was a symbol of shared joy, adding that “they will forever remain the common heritage of Italian football.” “Totò was a great footballer, a tenacious symbol of will and redemption,” said Gravina.
Schillaci began his career at Messina, making 219 appearances and scoring 61 goals in seven seasons and helping the Sicilian club to double promotion from Serie C2 to Serie B. He joined Juventus in 1989 and as a Bianconeri scored 15 goals in his first season, winning the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup.
This earned him a call-up to the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where he arrived as a substitute and a possible substitute. “And in Italy ’90 he was the hero that nobody expected, coming off the bench and taking over in the second half of the opening match against Austria, when ten minutes from the end at the Olympic Stadium in Rome he headed in a cross from Gianluca,” the federation recalled.
With 6 goals he was the tournament’s top scorer and was awarded the World Cup’s best player, finishing second in the Ballon d’Or rankings behind Germany’s Lothar Matthaus. But, and hence his unusual career, he ‘stagnated’ at that World Cup and with Italy he ended his career with just 16 games played and 7 goals. He only scored one more time after that apotheotic World Cup.
After leaving Juventus, he played two seasons at Inter Milan (30 games and 11 goals) and then finished his career in Japan, at Jubilo Iwata, becoming the first Italian footballer to play in the Japanese championship.