02 December 2022
One of the most beautiful images from Italia '90: Roberto Baggio and Salvatore Schillaci celebrate together after a goal. Totò is a leading man at that World Cup, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with six goals, after having begun the tournament as a back-up!
THE INTENSITY
Schillaci with Baggio in the summer of the World Cup: an image that makes Bianconeri dream, enchanted by their bond that brought Italy to the threshold of the final. It's not just a question of technique, but also of human understanding: in the third-place play-off, Roberto let Salvatore take a penalty against England.
THE JUVE ATTACK
The Juventus after the World Cup is a very offensive one, with the manager at the time, Gigi Maifredi opting to field many attacking players all at once. Thomas Hässler also gave assists for Schillaci, whilst with Germany, he became a world champion at the 1990 World Cup, but despite a great tournament and a previous season before, the 1990/91 campaign doesn't live up to expectations for Totò Schillaci, who only managed to score a total of eight goals across all competitions.
THE WINNER
When we speak about Schillaci at Italia '90, he is rightly celebrated as a surprise, because he arrived at the World Cup with only one cap for Italy and isn't considered a first choice by manager, Azeglio Vicini. However, it's also true that the Juventus centre-forward has the strength of two big tournament victories on his side: the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia (shown here the final against Milan).
THE SENSE OF GOAL
The Schillaci of Italia '90 seems like a fairy tale. Not only for the speed of his rise, but what strikes everyone is that instinctive sense of goal that leads him to know before anyone else where the ball will end up. He leaves his mark in practically every match, scoring in six out of seven games, and at Juventus he too looked lethal in 1989/90, with the Stadio Comunale entranced by his performances, which translated into 15 goals in 30 Serie A matches.
