Gaetano Scirea, Fuoriclasse on and off the field.
The epitome of decency, chivalry, courage, skill, talent and even personality, Gaetano Scirea has been forgotten by many people in the world of football. A quiet man, Scirea was the key player of the Azzurri team that won the World Cup in 1982. He also played a crucial and vital role for Juventus. He played the Libero position and he won all the possible trophies. Scirea is one of the five players in the history of European football to have won all the international trophies for clubs recognized by UEFA and FIFA. Scirea is also one of the nine players in the history of European football to win all three major UEFA football competitions. Gaetano Scirea wrote poetry in football.
The player
Unlike the other defenders who used ruthless tactics, including his partner and friend, Claudio Gentile, Scirea was renowned for his class and his sportsmanship. Scirea never received a red card in his career. (702 matches) and contributed to the development of Libero position. Scirea did not hesitate to leave the defensive line to help his team and he was frequently involved in the construction of the game while he also scored 36 goals in 702 matches. In the end of his career, Scirea played a more defensive role as a centreback. During the 80s, Juventus did not lack fuoriclasse. Although there were players like Bettega, Zoff, Tardelli, Platini, Brady, Boniek, Gentile, and Furino, to name a few, yet one player stood above everyone: “Il Capitano” Gaetano Scirea. He was a clean fighter, able to give confidence and strength to the team.
He began his career with Atalanta. Initially he was used as a midfielder, but he was moved to the Libero position after joining Juventus, a position that later would make him a legend. His strong performance for Atalanta allowed him to be transferred to the Italian giant Juventus. On his arrival, there was a lot of criticism because the fans were used to Sandro Salvadore, but after a few matches the class of Gaetano conviced everyone. His dedication and professionalism, 14 seasons and 554 games with the Bianconeri have made him a club legend, a “Bandiera”.
During a match against a small Italian team, opponents constantly attacked his right foot until his foot bleed. He played fearlessly throughout the match, using the flat of his right foot only to control the ball for the rest he used his “weak” foot, the left; his partner Giuseppe Furino then declared: “He did it so naturally, I was surprised.”
L’Uomo fuori dal campo ( The man off the field)
Giuseppe Furino in an interview to Juventus TV: “You could always find Scirea, it was very hard not to find him. Wherever you were, he was never far away and he was an important figure. You could always lay it off to him and he would give the ball back. You could always find him, he’d be near you”.
Gaetano Scirea knew how to score, make assists and when to make the passes. He often took everything on his shoulders, and took responsibility to calm the situation. The legendary Juventus midfielder Sergio Brio enjoyed playing in front of Scirea and even thanked him for his career. Brio said: “If I made a mistake, you could hear vaffanculo, even from him, its not like he was a saint, but yes I must say that it was always constructive and never insulting”
Even foreign players such as Michel Platini had never met such a player, as altruistic, which always put the interests of the group above his own.
His life
Scirea was born on May 25th, 1963 in Cernusco sul Naviglio in Lombardy, northern Italy. Scirea was born in a modest family with his father working for Pirelli. He started playing football, the sport that would later give him worldwide fame, with 7vs7 matches in Cinisello Balsamo, a small town in the province of Milan.
As a person, Scirea was shy and introverted but regardless of these attributes, he was known for his great character and his ability to be close to his teammates. Filled with calm, Scirea was known for bringing a positive aura and helped many people in his lifetime.
His friendship with Dino Zoff was built throughout his time at Juventus. As Zoff said, “What I remember most is not the laughs we had, it was after the World Cup and we were savouring this joy without laughing about victory. We talked very little that evening”. Marco Tardelli has compared Zoff and Scirea’ room to Switzerland because it was always calm and peaceful. He was a man who always took time for his friends and family, Scirea was a man of few words, but was respected and loved by everyone.
Shortly after hanging up his boots, Juve gave him a role at the club as collaborator. He was the assistant of his friend Dino Zoff (then coach). On September 3, 1989, at the request of Zoff, Scirea visited Poland to oversee the club Gornik Zabrze, future opponent of Juventus in the UEFA Cup. After the game, the president of the local club, a translator and a driver accompanied the former Italian champion to Warsaw. But the Fiat 125 was hit by a van. The car caught fire because of gasoline cans present in the trunk. Despite a rapid transport to the hospital, Gaetano Scirea died after the accident. Only the President of the Polish club survived. The “Domenica Sportiva” was the first to relay the news. Everyone was in tears in the studio. Tardelli, a former partner of Scirea, present on set fainted. Juventus players, learned the tragic news while in Verona after a match played earlier in the afternoon. The whole of Italy mourned his fuoriclasse.
His legacy
Scirea’s name became attached to various youth tournaments and fair play prizes as a model for sportsmanship and athletic excellence. In 2005, the former Azzurri coach, Enzo Bearzot proposed the withdrawal of the number “6” at Juventus and the national team in recognition of the career of Gaetano. The “Curva Sud” of the Juventus Stadium is called “Curva Scirea”
During his 16 years career , Scirea won almost every trophy there was to win. His awards include seven Scudetti (1974–1975, 1976–1977, 1977–1978, 1980–1981, 1981–1982, 1983–1984, 1985–1986), two Italian Cup (1978–1979, 1982–1983) , 1 UEFA Cup (1976–1977), one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1983–1984), a European Cup (1984–1985), one UEFA Super Cup (1984) and one Intercontinental Cup (1985), with Juventus. He also won the World Cup with Italy in 1982.
More than two decades have passed since the death of Gaetano Scirea, but he still remains one of the most respected Juventus legends. Epitome of professionalism on and off the field, Scirea was a great example to many, including children. Nobody in the modern football comes close to his class and sportsmanship. A forgotten hero, Gaetano Scirea is certainly one of the best defenders in the history, if not the best.
His romanticism, his inimitable class helped the growing of football, tactically, technically, but also morally. Gaetano Scirea, a gentleman of football, a real fuoriclasse
“I am happy, because I loved football since childhood, and I managed to make it my job.”
“Juve is a more than a team, I don’t know how to explain it but I am proud to be part of it”
