Schillaci’s Sleepless Night
Italia 90. The eve of the semi-final. Italy have a World Cup final on home soil in their sights. For Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci, it was surreal.
A few months ago, he was a relative unknown on the international stage despite playing for Turin-based giants Juventus. He was a gritty attacker from Sicily who had never even dreamed of becoming the Azzuri’s leading man. But now, with a handful of headline-stealing appearances from the bench and five goals to his name, Schillaci is the tournament’s standout player.
The nation expects something special and the pressure weighs heavily on the shoulders of Schillaci. Sleep eludes him, as it often does before vital games. So, in the early hours, he takes a quiet walk in the grounds of the team hotel. He’s greeted unexpectedly by a group of Italian fans camped outside.
Recognising him, they cheer his name: “Totò! Portaci in finale!” urging him to deliver a place in the final. Schillaci later recalls how the spontaneous encounter lifted his spirits, helping him to convert the pressure he previously felt burdened by into purpose.
In Naples, in what is now known as the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Schillaci finds the net again. It’s a brief moment of euphoria in what will ultimately become a heartbreaking night for Italy, as they crash out on penalties to Maradona’s Argentina.
But even in defeat, it remains a defining moment of the 1990 World Cup, and Totò’s story an insight into a unique bond between player and supporter. For the wide-eyed kid from Palermo, it was a night when the weight of a nation found its way into a sleepless moment. Somehow, it left him feeling a little lighter.
Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci
1964 - 2024