Roberto Baggio has paid a heartfelt tribute to his former teammate and friend Totò Schillaci, who passed away at the age of 59. The Italian football legend took to his official Instagram account to share his memories and express his sorrow.
“Hello my dear friend, once again you’ve managed to surprise me,” Baggio wrote. “The magical nights of Italia ’90 that we experienced together will forever be etched in my heart. Brothers of Italy forever.”
Baggio and Schillaci formed a formidable partnership during the 1990 World Cup hosted by Italy, where the Azzurri finished third. Their connection extended beyond the national team, as they also played together for two seasons at Juventus from 1990 to 1992.
Salvatore Schillaci, born in Palermo in 1964, was a successful gamble by Juventus president Giampiero Boniperti, who saw in him the heir to another great Southern Italian striker, Pietro Anastasi. Signed from Messina for 6 million euros, Schillaci was at the pinnacle of Italian football from 1989 to 1994, playing for both Juventus and Inter Milan before concluding his career with Jubilo Iwata in Japan.
However, it was the 1990 World Cup that elevated Schillaci to hero status. As the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, Totò became an unforgettable figure in Italian football history, despite the team’s heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the semi-finals. His performances that year earned him second place in the Ballon d’Or voting, behind only Lothar Matthäus.
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