In Memory of Gaetano Scirea

A Farewell to a Legend

I have in front of me the cover of Guerin Sportivo from that time, with a simple yet powerful title: GOODBYE FLAG. So many memories come rushing back.

I see myself inside Heysel, watching our captain read a message to the fans. With his signature calmness, he urged everyone to stay composed: “We play for you.” His words, spoken in the midst of tragedy, embodied his character—graceful, responsible, and dignified.

I recall the 800-kilometer journey I made in a single day to lay a flower at the small cemetery in Morsasco, where he rests. It was the least I could do for a man who symbolized everything great about Juventus and football itself.

The Embodiment of Juve’s Values

It would be fitting if the fans who occupy the curva named after him, and the celebrated players who perform in front of it, always honored his memory—not with quick, fleeting tributes but with meaningful actions. Gaetano Scirea was the true emblem of Juve’s style, a role model in every sense.

Alberto Tarantini, a fierce defender who won the World Cup with Menotti’s Argentina, once said:

“I would not have felt so sorry for any opponent. He was a true gentleman, the most loyal player I have ever known.”

A Moment of Legacy

I remember Perugia, the Renato Curi Stadium, on October 4, 1995. It was a charity match between Juventus legends and an all-star selection, held as a farewell to Stefano Tacconi.

From the stands, I focused on one player in particular—Riccardo Scirea, Gaetano’s son, wearing the iconic number 6 shirt and the captain’s armband. The moment of his substitution filled me with emotion. Dino Zoff, legendary goalkeeper and coach that day, stood up from the bench and embraced Riccardo. It was a moment that sent shivers down my spine—a silent tribute to a father’s enduring legacy.

The Humility of a Champion

There exists an old audio cassette titled A World Champion Tells, in which Gaetano narrates his own career with the grace and humility of a true gentleman.

Recalling his first league title in 1975, he says:

“We won the championship, and after the last match, we celebrated until dawn in a club. When I left, it was already morning, and as I walked home, I saw workers at the tram stops, heading to work. I don’t know why, but I felt a sense of shame. I felt as though life had given me too much. Me, just a simple boy, had won the championship.”

This anecdote speaks volumes about his character. Even at the peak of his success, he remained deeply grounded, never losing his sense of perspective.

The Poet’s Tribute

Roberto Mussapi, in his book La Polvere e il Fuoco, dedicates a passage to the 1982 World Cup victory and pays tribute to Scirea:

“But he, who anticipated as if he had no opponent, who fought with time and not with man… And no clash was necessary, he always acted by prediction, always determined the play alone, in the heart of the game and yet removed from its noise—from the tumult of Gentile and Tardelli, from the rapid sprint of Bruno Conti, from the arrows of Rossi. He played the game in advance, against an invisible opponent: linear, Apollonian in running, silent. Him, more than anyone, I remember…”

A Poem for Scirea

Finally, I share a beautiful poem written in his honor by Roman journalist Lino Cascioli:

That silence that is born from the roar of passions,
now belongs to you night and day,
for all the infinite eternal plot that tangles time.
We pass, and you remain.
Your vague sphinx smile remains to tell us
that the secret is suitable for a champion,
like the Enigma in a fairy tale, like the veil that clouds it to a nude.
In the discordant Babel of dazed faces that crowd life,
you remain like the profile of a child who sleeps,
and laughs on the trail of a dream.”

The Lost Elegance of Football

In today’s football, dominated by theatrics, excess, and unrestrained egos, Scirea’s grace and integrity feel like a distant memory. He represented everything that football should be—elegance, discipline, and sportsmanship.

But perhaps it is an illusion to hope for another Scirea. His brand of football no longer exists.

Yet, for those who remember him, his values remain a beacon—a reminder that football is not just about winning, but about winning with honor.

Gaetano Scirea will forever be remembered—not just as a player, but as a man whose spirit defined an era.