The year is 1990. Salvatore Schillaci, unexpectedly called up by Azeglio Vicini to the Italian national team for the World Cup, becomes the tournament's top scorer. However, he would never reach such heights in football again. At the same time, his cousin, Maurizio, two years his senior, is playing for Juve Stabia, a team largely unknown outside Italy. The destinies of the two would take completely different paths.
Salvatore, also known simply as "Toto," became a symbol of the "one-tournament wonder" - a star that faded before it truly had a chance to shine. Antonio Maurizio never reached the level of his younger cousin. In the 1980s, he played a few matches in Serie A for Palermo and Lazio. However, drug problems and serious injuries forced him to end his career prematurely. Today - more than 30 years after retiring from football - he finds himself in a dire situation.
Maurizio Schillaci needs help. The former footballer is living on the streets of Palermo with his dog Ciccio, without a home, and a group of concerned volunteers has launched a campaign to assist him
- reports klix.ba, quoting one of the volunteers. Giusy Caldo shared an appeal on social media.
As you know, we are helping Maurizio Schillaci, a homeless man with a dog on Piazza Verdi. He is undergoing a health protection program and tests, and we are also helping him take care of his dog. Maurizio is severely malnourished. He's tired of store-bought food, and he told me that he misses the flavors of home
- Caldo wrote, calling for volunteers to set up a shift system to cook and bring homemade food.
Italian media have also covered Schillaci's story. Chiara Ferrera, a journalist for sportcily.it, describes the daily life of the former footballer:
He has now left drugs behind, but he cannot find a job or even a place to stay. The street has become his lonely home, though he is not lacking the affection of those who haven't forgotten him.
His story was also told in a film produced by the Experimental Cinematography Center titled "Burnt Out".
