Torino plane crashed and killed 31 people, including part of the Italian team that was going to the 1950 World Cup
70 years ago, the world said goodbye to one of the greatest football teams ever. Grande Torino, as the Turin wine squad was known, disappeared in a tragic plane crash while returning from a friendly against Benfica in Portugal. The Superga Tragedy was never overcome by the Italians. And, like a scar from a wound, it further intensified the relationship between a city and a club.
With the pilot's visibility impaired due to heavy fog, the plane, which had taken off from Lisbon, with a stopover in Barcelona, when approaching Turin crashed into a wall of the Basilica of Superga, at the top of a hill in the city: 31 people who were in the device lost their lives. But the consequences of the accident were much deeper than that. He destroyed families, ended a national team, scarred a club and changed Italian football forever.
The Grand Torino
Destroyed by the Second World War, Italy saw football as the great outlet for its frustrations. More than that. It was the great reason for the joy of thousands of people who found themselves on the brink of devastation caused by hunger and the lack of perspective for the future.
It is in this context that, led by Valentino Mazzolla, Torino enchanted the country. Unlike the football played in Italy, the bulls preferred offensive play and therefore attracted the public's attention. A strategy marked by this style of play was the so-called “15 minutes at Philadelphia (stadium)”, when the team attacked the opponent for 15 minutes in an overwhelming manner. With a lot of speed, the team set an insane pace that enchanted their fans.
Such dominance can be seen in Torino's achievements this season. The club was five-time Italian champion, four times in a row (from 1945/46 to 1948/49), the last title given by the Italian Federation in honor of those who died in the accident. In 1943, the club became the first team to win the championship and cup in the same season.
The Italian team took advantage of the success of the Turin squad. In 1947, in a match against Hungary, ten of the Azzurri's 11 starters were from Torino. The team, which was based on the Grená club, ended up weakened in the 1950 World Cup after the plane crash, when it lost its main players. In Italy, many say that only heaven could stop this team that no Italian team was able to stop.
The legacy
On the day of the funeral, the players were greeted by almost a million people who took to the streets to say goodbye to the Italian heroes. More than just players, athletes were known in society, owned local businesses and were present in their communities.
Since then, the club has never been able to leave its past behind. The plane crash left a deep mark on Torino fans and local culture. Sports brands, however, are quite visible. The club only became Italian champion again in 1971 and later in 1993 and saw its rival, Juventus, grow and dominate football in the country. Out of respect for the date, the two teams decided to bring forward the city's classic to this Friday.
The Superga tragedy was a metaphor for the times lived in Italy at the time. From frustration with the war, the Torino team gave joy to a people suffering from destruction and hopelessness. But, like everything in life, it was a victim of time. In this case, in the most tragic way possible.
Torino squad. Photo: Reproduction
In memory of: Aldo Ballarin, Danilo Martelli, Dino Ballarin, Eusebio Castigliano, Ezio Loik, Franco Ossola, Giuseppe Grezar, Guglielmo Gabetto, Julius Schubert, Mario Rigamonti, Milo Bongiorni, Piero Operto, Romeo Menti, Rubens Fadini, Ruggero Grava, Virgilio Maroso, Valerio Bacigalupo, Valentino Mazzola.
Pedro Umberto/Rodrigo Cerqueira / Agência o Globo
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