Thousands turn up at funeral of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci

PALERMO, Sicily (AP) — Thousands of people turned up for the funeral of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci on Friday.

Schillaci died on Wednesday at the age of 59 following a battle with colon cancer. The Italy striker was top scorer at the 1990 World Cup that his country hosted and epitomized a player exceeding expectations on soccer’s biggest stage.

The funeral took place at the main cathedral in Palermo. Schillaci never played for the Sicilian team but he was born and raised in the city, where he also set up a soccer youth academy after moving back when he retired.

Schillaci’s coffin was decorated with an Italy jersey and a Palermo one, as well as with scarves of the various teams he played for — Messina, Juventus and Inter Milan. He ended his career at Japanese team Jubilo Iwata, retiring in 1999.

Schillaci had never scored for Italy before the 1990 World Cup, having previously only played once for the national team. Overall, he made 16 appearances for Italy and scored seven goals — six of them at the World Cup, where the Azzurri finished third.

He also won the Golden Ball award in 1990 as the tournament’s top player ahead of Lothar Matthaus and Diego Maradona.

There was space for around a thousand people in the cathedral and thousands more packed the square outside. They chanted Schillaci’s name and applauded when the hearse arrived and again when the coffin was brought back out after the funeral service.

Thousands had also passed through the public viewing of Schillaci at Palermo’s Renzo Barbera stadium in the days ahead of the funeral.

Schillaci’s two brothers were among the pallbearers, along with nephew Francesco Di Mariano, who plays for Palermo and passed through his uncle’s soccer academy.

Many former teammates were in attendance, including Giuseppe Bergomi, who played with Schillaci for Inter and Italy and was also Azzurri captain at the 1990 World Cup. Among the other figures from the world of soccer were Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina and Antonio Matarrese, who occupied the post in 1990.

There was a collection at the service, with the funds going towards the renovation of an area that includes two soccer pitches, one of which will be named after Schillaci.

A wreath of flowers from world soccer’s governing body FIFA was laid at the entrance to the cathedral. It bore the words “to the hero of Italia 90.”

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Pallbearers carry the coffin of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore Toto' Schillaci, during his funeral ceremony at the Palermo cathedral, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse via AP)

The coffin of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore Toto' Schillaci during his funeral ceremony at the Palermo cathedral, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse via AP)

The coffin of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore Toto' Schillaci, during his funeral ceremony at the Palermo cathedral, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse via AP)

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore Toto' Schillaci, during his funeral ceremony at the Palermo cathedral, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse via AP)

Mourners gather next to the coffin of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore Toto' Schillaci, during his funeral ceremony at the Palermo cathedral, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse via AP)

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore Toto' Schillaci, during his funeral ceremony at the Palermo cathedral, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse via AP)

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Italian World Cup hero Salvatore Toto' Schillaci, during his funeral ceremony at the Palermo cathedral, Italy, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Florian Wirtz starred and Patrik Schick scored four goals as Bayer Leverkusen routed Freiburg 5-1 on Saturday to keep the pressure on Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich over the winter break.

Wirtz, who has yet to extend his Leverkusen contract, set up a hat trick for Schick and scored his seventh league goal of the season.

Leverkusen dominated but needed patience before Schick broke the deadlock with a chip over the goalkeeper right before the break.

Wirtz, who’d played Schick through, score after the break when he displayed brilliant close control to elude a defender before firing the ball inside the near post from a narrow angle.

Vincenzo Grifo pulled one back four minutes later, but Wirtz floated in a precise cross for Schick to head Leverkusen’s third in the 67th, then laid the ball back for Schick to fire Leverkusen’s fourth in the 74th.

“For a striker, it's a dream to have this player behind you,” Schick said of Wirtz.

Schick scored again with a header to a corner three minutes later — the only goal that didn’t involve Wirtz.

Leverkusen stayed four points behind Bayern after its eighth straight win across all competitions.

Leverkusen resumes its league defense at Borussia Dortmund on Jan. 10, while Bayern visits Borussia Mönchengladbach on Jan. 11.

Brazilian goalkeeper Kauã Santos endured a game to forget as his Eintracht Frankfurt was shocked by 10-man Mainz 3-1.

Frankfurt had 34 shots at goal compared to nine by the visitor, which played with a man less from the 21st after captain Nadiem Amiri was sent off for catching Ellyes Skhiri’s right ankle with his studs.

Santos had already conceded an unfortunate own goal. The 'keeper played out a short pass to Skhiri, who was immediately under pressure from two Mainz players. Skhiri sent the ball looping back toward Santos, who deflected it onto the crossbar, from where it rebounded back off Santos’ arm and in.

Mainz’s Paul Nebel then scored with a deflected shot for 2-0, and Santos was at fault again when a botched pass invited another Mainz attack. Nebel grabbed his second goal in the 58th.

Rasmus Kristensen, who struck the crossbar in the first half, scored Frankfurt’s consolation in the 75th.

“We were already there for Kauã as a team on the field,” Frankfurt defender Robin Koch said of Santos' bad day. “He's a young player, these things happen. But he's a good guy, he'll come out of it and the same will help him with his development.”

Regular goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and reserve Jens Grahl were out with illness.

Johannes Eggestein fired promoted St. Pauli to a 1-0 win at Stuttgart, last season’s runner-up. Stuttgart had won its last four games across all competitions.

Union Berlin’s winless run stretched to nine games across all competitions as Bo Svensson’s team slumped to a 4-1 defeat at Werder Bremen.

Holstein Kiel ended its five-game losing run by routing Augsburg 5-1, and Borussia Mönchengladbach won at Hoffenheim 2-1.

There were tributes with silences before all the games for the victims of an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg the night before.

“There are always more important things than football,” Freiburg coach Christian Günter said.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Leverkusen's head coach Xabi Alonso applauds before the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Leverkusen's Patrik Schick, second left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Leverkusen's Patrik Schick, left, scores the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Leverkusen's head coach Xabi Alonso before the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Leverkusen's Patrik Schick celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, center, scores his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Leverkusen's Patrik Schick, second left, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Stuttgart'sAnthony Rouault , left, and St. Pauli's Carlo Boukhalfa, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and FC St. Pauli, in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Hoffenheim'sValentin Gendrey, left, and Moenchengladbach's Robin Hack, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Sinsheim, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Jan-Philipp Strobel/dpa via AP)

Werder's Derrick Koehn, left, and Berlin's Rani Khedira, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and 1. FC Union Berlin in Bremen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Carmen Jaspersen./dpa via AP)

Augsburg's Marius Wolf, left, challenges for the ball with Kiel's Finn Porath, centre, and Shuto Machino during the Bundesliga soccer between Holstein Kiel and FC Augsburg in Kiel, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Molter /dpa via AP)

The Kiel defense blocks a free kick from Augsburg's Phillip Tietz, third from right, during the Bundesliga soccer between Holstein Kiel and FC Augsburg in Kiel, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Frank Molter /dpa via AP)

Stuttgart's Yannik Keitel, right, reacts during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and FC St. Pauli, in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Mainz' Danny da Costa, left, and Frankfurt's Farees Chaibi, right challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Mainz' scorer Paul Nebel, left, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Mainz' head coach Bo Henriksen gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Mainz' Paul Nebel, front, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Frankfurt's head coach Dino Toppmoeller gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Mainz 05 in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)