Legendary Italian soccer player, Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci has died, aged 59.
A statement by the Palermo hospital where he was being treated for colon cancer disclosed this on Wednesday.
Schillaci was diagnosed with colon cancer and was admitted to Palermo Civico Hospital in September.
Schillaci rose to international fame at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where he starred for the national team, nicknamed Azzurri, scoring six goals to win the golden boot.
Italy finished third in the tournament, but Schillaci’s personal efforts were rewarded, beating Lothar Matthäus and Diego Maradona to win the golden ball as the tournament’s best player.
He would go on to score just one more goal for the national side, against Norway the following year.
Born in Palermo, Schillaci also enjoyed success at club level for several Italian clubs, most notably with Juventus and Inter Milan.
