Totò Schillaci has died: the hero of the Magic Nights of Italia ’90 was 59 years old

Totò Schillaci has died: the hero of Italia ’90 was 59 years old

Totò Schillaci, the former footballer who made Italy dream at the 1990 World Cup, has died at the age of 59: he died in the pneumology department of the Civico hospital where the hero of the “magic nights” had been hospitalized for a few days due to colon cancer.

Schillaci’s condition had improved as the day went by until the sudden worsening on Tuesday, September 17.

In the latest bulletin issued by the hospital, in fact, it was written: “In the last 24 hours the clinical conditions of the patient Salvatore Schillaci have significantly worsened, the pharmacological and instrumental support of the cardiorespiratory functions currently allow a stationary vital parameters. The patient is also currently undergoing pain therapy, is pharmacologically sedated and is continuously cared for by the medical and nursing staff and by his family members”.

Who was Totò Schillaci

Salvatore Schillaci, known as Totò, was born in Palermo on 1 December 1964. Raised in the working-class neighbourhood of San Giovanni Apostolo, he began playing in the youth teams of AMAT Palermo, a neighbourhood team that represented the Palermo municipal company of the same name.

Hired by Messina, who at the time were playing in Serie C2, Schillaci contributed with his goals to the Sicilian team’s promotion to Serie B.

A striker with a great eye for goal, in 1998-1999, again with Messina, he scored 23 goals and thus became top scorer in Serie B.

The following year he was signed by Juventus for 6 billion lire: in his first season in black and white he scored 15 goals in 30 league games, making a decisive contribution to the Turin club’s double in the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.

His excellent season convinced the then Italian coach, Azeglio Vicini, to call him up for the 1990 World Cup. During the World Cup, which was held in Italy, Totò Schillaci became the absolute protagonist of the competition, scoring 6 goals and becoming the top scorer of the competition. Unfortunately, the striker’s goals were not enough for Italy to reach the final, stopping in the semi-final, defeated by Maradona’s Argentina.

After the World Cup, the striker played two more seasons with Juventus but with performances below expectations.

He moved to Inter for 8.5 billion lire, with the Nerazzurri, in two seasons, he scored 11 goals in 30 games. In April 1994 he landed in Japan, in the ranks of Júbilo Iwata, becoming the first Italian footballer to play in Japan. In total, with the Japanese team, he scored 56 goals in 78 games.

Totò Schillaci married twice, first with Rita and then with Barbara Lombardowith which he participated in the tenth edition of Beijing Express. In addition to his wife Barbara, he leaves behind three children.