He was one of the defining figures of the 1990 World Cup. Now Schillaci has died of cancer at the age of only 59.
Former Italian international Toto Schillaci – one of the heroes of the 1990 World Cup – has died at the age of 59. The former Inter Milan and Juventus Turin striker succumbed to cancer in a hospital in Sicily’s capital Palermo, his family announced. Schillaci – whose real first name was Salvatore – had been suffering from cancer for years.
At the 1990 World Cup in his home country, where the German team won its third title, the Sicilian-born player was one of the key figures. With six goals, he was the top scorer of the entire tournament. He was also named best player. But he was unable to prevent Italy’s defeat in the semi-final against Argentina.
The sports newspaper “Gazzetta dello Sport” honored him on Wednesday as the “Bomber delle Notti Magiche” (“Bomber of the Magic Nights”). In total, Schillaci played 16 international matches. At the end of his career, in 1994, he became the first Italian footballer to move to Japan, to play for Jubilo Iwata. Schillaci was married twice and leaves behind three grown-up daughters.
Source: Stern
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