Thousands of people gathered for the funeral of Italian World Cup star Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci on Friday.
Schillaci passed away on Wednesday at the age of 59 after battling colon cancer. The striker was the top scorer at the 1990 World Cup held in Italy, showcasing his talent on soccer’s biggest stage.
The service was held at the main cathedral in Palermo. Although Schillaci never played for the Sicilian team, he was born and raised in the city, where he later established a youth soccer academy after retiring.
His coffin was adorned with an Italy jersey, a Palermo jersey, and scarves from the teams he played for, including Messina, Juventus, and Inter Milan. He concluded his career with the Japanese team Jubilo Iwata, retiring in 1999.
Before the 1990 World Cup, Schillaci had not scored for Italy, having only made one previous appearance for the national team. In total, he played 16 times for Italy and scored seven goals, with six of those coming during the World Cup, where Italy finished third.
He also received the Golden Ball award in 1990 as the tournament’s best player, ahead of Lothar Matthaus and Diego Maradona.
Thousands more gathered outside the cathedral, filling the square and chanting Schillaci’s name. They applauded when the hearse arrived and again when his coffin was brought out after the service.
Many people had visited Schillaci during a public viewing at Palermo’s Renzo Barbera stadium before the funeral.
His two brothers and nephew Francesco Di Mariano, who plays for Palermo and attended his uncle’s soccer academy, were among the pallbearers.
Many former teammates, including Giuseppe Bergomi, who played alongside Schillaci for Inter and Italy and captained the Azzurri at the 1990 World Cup, were also present. Other notable figures included Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina and Antonio Matarrese, who held the position in 1990.
