03 September 2019
"Gaetano Scirea died in a car accident in Poland, where he went to follow the team that was set to be Juventus’ next opponent in the cup.” It is the late evening of Sunday 3 September 1989, the sporting world learns of the tragic news from Domenica Sportiva. It is Sandro Ciotti who interrupts the program and announces the passing of the champion. In Italy, however, at that moment, even before mourning the champion, they cried for the man. Gaetano was only 36 and left behind his wife Mariella and son Riccardo.
Exactly thirty years have passed, but the legacy that Scirea has left is still intact. On the field, where he won everything: a World Cup, seven league titles, all the UEFA cups on offer, an Intercontinental cup, and two Italian cups. But perhaps his legacy, especially outside of the field, can be felt now more than ever.
A picture of the player, and the man, is given by Dino Zoff, who probably had the most points of contact with Gaetano due to their close relationship: “I remember the night after the victory of the World Cup, we tasted joy together, exchanging very few words. Our room was nicknamed "Switzerland" because it was an oasis of serenity.”
Never an excessive person and never one to behave outside of the ordinary, President Giampiero Boniperti recalled his excellent personality: “He never uttered a word against one of his teammates. Scirea was my star in everything.”
To remind the new and old generation about who Gaetano Scirea was, and why thirty years later his figure is still so vivid, the Juventus Museum has created a temporary exhibition about him, which will be open to the public from tomorrow.
