Hyderabad: Italian football star Salvatore Schillaci has passed away at 59. Schillaci, who was also known as ‘Toto’ accrued six goals for the national side in the 1990 World Cup and won the Golden Boot. Italy lost in the semi-final of the tournament but Schillaci was awarded as Golden Ball as the best player and gained hero status. The footballer was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022 and died after a brave battler with the cancer.
Capped in 16 internationals Schillci scored seven goals in his career. He had also played for Italian giants Inter Milan and Juventus after starting his club career at Messina.
His breakthrough came in the 1988-89 season when he became the top goal-scorer in Serie B. His success in Serie B handed him a contract at Juventus where he won both the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup in the 1989-90 season with the club.
Schillaci gained some more fame in the 1990 World Cup as he netted six goals for the team including crucial goals in the semi-final against Argentina and the third-place playoff match against England.
Also, his passionate celebration after scoring goals became one of the moments he was known for in the footballing world. He was also in the runner-up for the 1990 Ballon d'Or. The footballer then joined Inter Milan and won the UEFA Cup with the club in 1994.
Schillaci inked history by becoming the first Italian to play in Japan’s J-league. He featured for Jubilo Iwata and helped them win the title in 1997. He retired from professional football in 1999.
