Toto Schillaci and the Italia 90 goal-scoring run that fans will never forget

Italian icon Salvatore Schillaci, the apical scorer astatine the 1990 World Cup, has died aged 59.

Schillaci, amended known arsenic 'Toto', scored six goals to triumph the Golden Boot astatine the 1990 World Cup connected location soil.

In 2014, BBC Sport spoke to the Italian astir the tourney and his life. This is simply a mentation of the interrogation published backmost then.

Salvatore Schillaci ended the 1990 World Cup arsenic the astir fashionable antheral successful Italy. But helium started it being attacked by 3,000 aggravated fans who trapped him successful his car, spat astatine the windows and kicked the bodywork.

That was his invited to the Azzurri's pre-World Cup grooming campy successful Florence, erstwhile helium unwittingly drove into a riot sparked by his nine broadside Juventus signing Fiorentina's prima striker Roberto Baggio.

Schillaci, who had to beryllium rescued by police, was the incorrect antheral successful the incorrect spot astatine the incorrect time. Things could not person been much antithetic aboriginal that summer, arsenic helium scored extremity aft opportunistic goal.

That helium was successful the Italy squad astatine each was improbable enough. The swarthy Sicilian striker, who ne'er went to schoolhouse and grew up successful poorness connected the streets of Palermo's slums, had started his vocation 9 years antecedently earning £1.50 per extremity for a section amateur side.

True, helium was present a £3m striker - the interest Juventus had paid Messina to motion him successful 1989 - and had won the Uefa Cup and Coppa Italia, but helium was inactive comparatively unknown. He had conscionable played his archetypal play successful Serie A astatine the property of 25 and his archetypal planetary call-up was for the finals.

Schillaci had done it the hard way, but the antheral amended known arsenic 'Toto' - a shortened mentation of his Christian sanction - would marque Italy's World Cup his own.

Six goals gave him the Golden Boot arsenic the tournament's apical scorer, the Golden Ball arsenic the champion subordinate and leader status, contempt the hosts falling successful the semi-finals.

In 2014, Schillaci discussed the 4 weeks defined his life, the fall-out from his spectacular emergence from obscurity to go 1 of the astir celebrated footballers successful the world, and what happened next.

He was amazed and amused to larn a charismatic champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse was named aft him.

"Ha, that is caller to me. I've heard astir a batch of things but ne'er the horse!" the 49-year-old told BBC Sport. "In that play I cognize a batch of radical successful Italy named their canine 'Toto' though."

It was not the lone mode his sanction came into fashionable usage. "When radical arrived successful Italy astir that clip the archetypal happening they would accidental to the borderline constabulary was, 'Toto Schillaci'," helium added.

"And a batch of Italians person told maine that erstwhile they went abroad, the archetypal happening radical said to them erstwhile they recovered retired they were Italian was my name. That makes maine precise happy."

His stint arsenic an unofficial ambassador was brief. Injuries and a nonaccomplishment of signifier meant helium scored lone 1 much extremity for his state aft the World Cup, and helium was discarded during an unsuccessful qualifying run for the 1992 European Championship. His bequest has lasted a batch longer.

"There person been times erstwhile radical person conscionable burst into tears erstwhile they conscionable me," Schillaci said. "It is large that erstwhile I conscionable radical I spot a large grin connected their faces, they are truthful blessed to conscionable me.

"I deliberation occurrence is hard won truthful it is bully erstwhile radical inactive retrieve you. The pugnacious happening is erstwhile radical nary longer admit you. So I don't caput the attraction astatine all."

The information it was his lone infinitesimal successful the prima means Schillaci belongs to Italia '90 arsenic overmuch arsenic Italia '90 belongs to him. And, wherever helium is successful the world, helium knows the petition that is coming arsenic soon arsenic helium is recognised.

"The eyes, the eyes. Every clip I conscionable radical they ever privation maine to bash the 'wild eyes'," Schillaci said with a laugh. "It was an instinctive motion that has stuck successful people's minds, and I person done it many, galore times."

Whether helium was pleading for a punishment oregon greeting different goal, that acheronian Schillaci look would go a acquainted show connected his ever-expressive face, starting consecutive aft helium came connected successful Italy's archetypal crippled against Austria.

"I had got the past spot successful the squad truthful I did not adjacent expect to beryllium connected the bench," Schillaci recalled. "I thought I would beryllium watching from the stands.

"So, precocious successful the game, with the people 0-0, erstwhile the manager Azeglio Vicini called maine implicit and told maine to get warmed up due to the fact that I was coming on, I could not judge it. I asked him, 'do you mean me?'.

Sitting adjacent to Schillaci was goalkeeper Stefano Tacconi, his Juventus team-mate, who told him to "go connected and people a header similar John Charles" and, emulating the Wales and Juve legend, helium did conscionable that with a slug decorativeness that, remarkably, was the archetypal extremity with his caput each season.

"When I scored, I conscionable started moving and did not halt until I got to the bench, wherever I hugged Tacconi due to the fact that of what helium had said to me," Schillaci explained. "It was an immense joy."

Another substitute quality followed successful a constrictive triumph implicit the United States, this clip a fruitless one, earlier Vicini bowed to fashionable sentiment and played Schillaci from the start, partnering him with Baggio against the Czech Republic.

They some scored successful a 2-0 triumph and Italy's World Cup was yet up and running. 'Italy successful delirium with Schillaci-Baggio', work the header connected the beforehand of Gazzetta Dello Sport, 'How beauteous you are'.

Two much goals followed to descend Uruguay successful the past 16 and Republic of Ireland successful the quarter-finals, cementing Schillaci's leader status. He was seen arsenic the saviour of the nation. Even Magic Nights - the authoritative opus of the World Cup - became his idiosyncratic anthem.

By now, comparisons were being made with Paolo Rossi, the inspiration erstwhile Italy won the 1982 World Cup.

"Rossi was a champion," Schillaci said up of a semi-final against Argentina that his broadside were expected to win. "I americium an ordinary, humble guy. I conscionable anticipation I tin proceed to bash what I person been doing."

He did, opening the scoring with different poacher's effort, but this clip it was not enough. Italy passed England's grounds of 499 minutes without conceding astatine a finals earlier their extremity was breached successful the 2nd fractional - and the fairy communicative was finished erstwhile they went retired connected penalties.

Every nationalist paper successful Italy utilized the header 'End of a dream' portion Gazzetta and Corriere dello Sport simply enactment 'NO' successful immense letters connected their beforehand pages.

"We deserved to win," reflected Schillaci. "I deliberation if we had beaten Argentina we would person gone connected to triumph the World Cup."

That was not rather the extremity of the Schillaci story, however. The time earlier West Germany bushed Argentina successful the final, helium grabbed his sixth extremity of the tourney successful the third-place play-off against England, putting him up of Czech Tomas Skuhravy arsenic the tournament's starring goalscorer.

"After the tournament, I went distant to determination quiet," Schillaci says. "Everybody wanted a portion of maine but I conscionable wanted to get distant from it all, particularly aft the symptom of our semi-final defeat."

The adjacent clip helium made the headlines, it would beryllium for a little savoury reason. The pursuing November, helium was banned for 1 crippled for threatening to person Fabio Poll changeable aft the Bologna subordinate punched him during an on-pitch row.

By then, the goals were drying up too. He scored lone 5 successful the league successful the 1990-91 play and six the pursuing campaign. An injury-plagued determination to Inter Milan successful 1992 failed to revive him and helium ended his vocation successful exile - albeit a lucrative 1 - arsenic the archetypal Italian to play successful Japan's fledgling J-League.

While helium was inactive successful Serie A and struggling to regain his World Cup form, Schillaci said: "Even if I were to driblet retired of the Italian team, I volition inactive person with maine for the remainder of my beingness the fantastic memories of Italia '90."

He inactive had them aft returning to his location metropolis to tally the younker academy helium utilized to play for.

What was wide from talking to Schillaci was that, portion helium enjoyed reliving past glories erstwhile helium was asked to play successful accumulation matches, helium was besides blessed his fame did not alteration him excessively much.