Tributes have been paid to Salvatore ‘Totó’ Schillaci after the Italian striker died aged 59, after being diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022. Schillaci is best remembered for 1990 World Cup on home soil and his six goals that won him the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer, his last coming in the third-place match against England as Italy won Bronze. Many will remember him as the face of Italia 90.
Schillaci had a club career that included top sides Juventus and Inter with the latter saying that he made “entire nation dream during the magic nights of Italia 90” and the former referencing the World Cup in their tributes.
“We immediately fell in love with Toto,” the club said. “With his desire, his story, his passion. We at Juve were lucky enough to get excited about him before, in that incredible summer of 1990, the whole of Italy did.”
The World Cup in Italy would be one of the highlights of his career which saw Schillaci win 16 caps for his country. While Luciano Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma was the soundtrack of the tournament, it was Schillaci’s goal celebrations that are among its most iconic and memorable images, along with the half a dozen goals he scored for the Azzurri.
He also finished as runner-up to Germany’s World Cup winning Lothar Matthäus in the Ballon d’Or.
With Roberto Baggio being the other half of the strike partnership, he opened his goalscoring at Italia 90 coming off the bench for a goal against Austria before finding the net against Czechoslovakia, Uruguay, the Republic of Ireland, Argentina, and England.
While that World Cup didn’t quite work out for the home side, thanks to a penalty shootout loss to Argentina, Schillaci will nonetheless be remembered as an Italian football legend, something that puts him in great company.
Image: Sailko
