Few footballers have captured the public’s imagination so briefly and yet so strongly as former Italian footballer Salvatore, Toto, Schillaci. His recent and untimely death allows us to reflect on his golden summer of 1990, and the generation of football fans for whom his name will forever be etched in their minds.
Not only was his moment in the sun a world cup, but it was a home World Cup, with almost limitless pressure on the Italian squad and a nation desperate to regain the trophy. It was a star-studded squad; Baresi, Maldini, Bergomi, Mancini and Vialli to name just a few, along, of course, with the great Roberto Baggio.
However well any of these names managed to perform, the host’s defining image of the tournament would likely be the manic celebrations of Toto Schillaci after scoring one of his six goals in the tournament, enough to win him the Golden boot that year.
It would be easy to be overly critical of Schillaci’s club career, especially given his rather underwhelming, if not disastrous, spells at Juventus and Inter, but the fact was he was a good player who happened to have a truly outstanding tournament. Perhaps there is a certain nostalgia to be found in that too; you could never really have a complete unknown breaking his way onto the world stage in such dramatic fashion in today’s over-analytical, statistically driven and sterile sport.
As a result, his legacy is one never to be forgotten, and should be celebrated. Schillaci’s passing comes under two years after his teammate in Italia 90 Gianluca Vialli’s, and both of their untimely deaths are reminders of just how fleeting life can be. Toto Schillaci will be sorely missed by all.
Photo credits: “Italia ’90, le notti magiche di Totò Schillaci” by NazionaleCalcio is licensed under CC BY 2.0.