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SAD! Italy’s 1990 FIFA World Cup star Schillaci dies at 59
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci, left, and Argentina’s Juan Simon chase the ball during the FIFA World Cup 1990 semifinal in Naples, Italy on July 3, 1990 [File: AP
Former Italy and Juventus striker Salvatore Schillaci, a star of the 1990 FIFA World Cup on his home soil, has died at the age of 59, his former clubs Inter Milan and Juventus said.
Schillaci led Italy to their third-place finish in 1990, winning the Golden Boot for his six goals during the tournament, including in the semifinal against Argentina and in their third-place victory over England.
“A football icon is leaving us, a man who has entered the hearts of Italians and sports fans around the world,” Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on X on Wednesday.
“Salvatore Schillaci, known by everyone as Toto, the striker from the magic nights of Italia ’90 with our national team. Thanks for the emotions you gave us, for having made us dream, celebrate, embrace, and wave our national flag. Bon voyage, champion.”
Italian media reported that Schillaci died at Palermo’s “Civico” hospital after suffering from bowel cancer.
The Sicilian’s wide eyes as he celebrated his goals became one of the enduring images of that World Cup.
Italy were knocked out on penalties by Argentina in the last four, as Napoli legend Maradona helped dump out the host nation in front of his own fans in Naples.
Schillaci was awarded the Golden Ball as player of the tournament and was later named as the runner-up for the 1990 Ballon d’Or men’s player of the year award, behind World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus of West Germany.
He had started Italy’s opening World Cup game as a substitute but came off the bench to score the winner in a 1-0 victory over Austria.
After the excitement of 1990, Schillaci scored only one more goal for Italy and did not appear for them at any other major tournaments.
A small, bustling striker, Schillaci, nicknamed “Toto”, had been a late developer, spending the early years of his career playing in the lower leagues for Sicilian club Messina.
He was the top scorer in Serie B, the Italian second division, in 1988-89, earning him a move to Serie A giants Juventus.
“We immediately fell in love with Toto. With his desire, his story, his passion,” Juventus said in a statement.
“We at Juve were lucky enough to get excited about him before, in that incredible summer of 1990, the whole of Italy did.”
Schillaci helped Juventus to claim the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup in 1989-90 before winning the latter trophy again four years later with Inter Milan.
Serie A President Lorenzo Casini paid tribute to Schillaci.
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“He was a champion who lit up the “magic nights” of Italia 90,” he said.
“His desire to reach the top levels in soccer has been and will remain a source of inspiration for so many youngsters pursuing their dream of playing in Serie A.”
He then became the first Italian player to play in Japan’s J League and won the league title with his club Jubilo Iwata in 1997.
He retired from football in 1999.
(Source: News Agencies)
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Lukaku keeps Napoli top of Serie A with Roma winner
Romelu Lukaku ensured Napoli maintained their one-point lead at the top of Serie A with the only goal in Sunday’s 1-0 win over his old club Roma.
Belgium striker Lukaku poked home his fifth Napoli goal seven minutes after half-time in Naples, handing veteran Claudio Ranieri a defeat on his return to management with his boyhood club Roma.
Napoli lead Atalanta, Inter Milan and Fiorentina by a point in a crowded title race which is yet to offer up a clear favourite for the Scudetto.
Lazio can join the chasing trio on 28 points with a home win over Bologna in Sunday’s late match, with Juventus four points off the pace in sixth.
Napoli were the better team at the Stadio Maradona and should have been ahead as early as the second minute when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia somehow sent a free header wide from less than six yards out.
Kvaratskhelia was also involved four minutes after half-time with a pinpoint cross from which Lukaku glanced just wide.
Ranieri has a job on his hands at Roma, who are four points above the relegation zone in 12th, but his team were unlucky not to level in the 66th minute when Artem Dovbyk thwacked a header off the bar.
– Reborn Kean –
Moise Kean continued his revival at Fiorentina by netting in a 2-0 win at Como which was his team’s seventh in a row in Serie A.
The 24-year-old has been reborn in Florence after failing to score a single goal at Juventus last season and has scored seven times in his last four matches in Italy’s top flight.
“Obviously people look at the goal, but the whole team has worked very hard with him… he’s developing and starting to reap the rewards,” said Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino.
Kean’s 68th-minute strike was his ninth in 12 league appearances under Palladino, whose team host champions Inter next weekend.
Fiorentina didn’t have things all their own way, and had David de Gea to thank for a superb triple save on the hour mark when they still only led by Yacine Adli’s 20th-minute opener.
Como are one point and place above Lecce, who are just inside the relegation zone and take on bottom side Venezia on Monday, after a fifth defeat in a worrying seven-match winless run.
– Vieira denied –
Patrick Vieira was denied a winning start as Genoa manager after a late penalty gave fellow Serie A strugglers Cagliari a 2-2 away draw.
Roberto Piccoli lashed home his spot-kick two minutes from the end after being fouled by Aaron Martin, snatching a point for Cagliari with his team’s second penalty of the game.
“My players delivered an good performance and focused on what we practised in training,” said Vieira.
“I’m disappointed for then because I think they deserved to win today.”
Vieira, who replaced sacked Alberto Gilardino on Wednesday, was heading for a debut win at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris after goals in each half from Morten Frendrup and Fabio Miretti which put Genoa ahead in the 59th minute following Razvan Marin’s early penalty for the away team.
The draw leaves Genoa in 16th, level with Cagliari and two points above Lecce.
AFP
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Obasanjo narrates how he escaped becoming drug addict
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he almost became a drug addict.
He spoke in Abeokuta over the weekend at the second edition of ‘Fly Above The High’ anti-drug campaign conference organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network.
Obasanjo stated that smoking during his youthful age led to chronic coughing and almost became an addiction.
The former President, while lamenting the increase in drug abuse among Nigerians and other West Africans, urged Nigerian students and young people to refrain from abusing psychoactive drugs, saying that they ruin life rather than enhance it.
“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out.
“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.
“We found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.
He cautioned against stigmatization and urged individuals who are already addicted to psychoactive drugs to get help.
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