Il Grande Torino

60 years ago today one of the greatest football teams that ever lived was killed in a plane crash at the Basilica of Superga. 18 members of the legendary squad: Valerio Bacigalupo, Aldo Ballarin, Dino Ballarin, Milo Bongiorni, Eusebio Castigliano, Rubens Fadini, Guglielmo Gabetto, Ruggero Grava, Pino Grezar, Ezio Loik, Virgilio Marosso, Danilo Martelli, Valentino Mazzola, Romeo Mente, Piero Operto, Franco Ossola, Mario Rigamonti and Julius Schubert were killed. 5 club officials an organiser, three journalists and for aircraft crew also died.

Of the great squad only Sauro Tomà, who was injured and missed the flight, survived. Il Grande Torino was one of the best exponents of attacking football ever. In the 1947-48 season they scored 125 goals, conceding just 33 - a goal difference of an incredible +92. They were unbeaten at home for years and won five consecutive Serie A titles, despite two years break due to the war. Some of their records still stand 60 years on, including a match in May 1947 when no less than 10 members of that great side started an international for the reigning World Cup holders against the emerging Hungary. They won 3-2.

Il Grande Torino RIP.

You're a cheery fellow aint you

They deserve to be remembered for what they were, one of the greatest football teams that ever lived. In Torino they are remembered and comemorated every year with a pilgrimage of sorts to the Basilica. It is done by people who not only never saw them play, but were not born. They are that important to Torino and Italy. They are still important and remembered with affection even now. The point of mentioning it was to commemorate their achievements. Nobody says the Busby Babes should be forgotten just because it was over 50 years ago. They deserve to be remembered as one of the best that England produced - at least they could have been. Il Grande Torino deserve nothing less and judging by today several Italians agree. Pretty obvious really.

Weren't most young european men dead in the late 40s?

It's about Italians Kimbo.

Kimbo wrote:Weren't most young european men dead in the late 40s?

No, but a fair few were. The performances of Il Grande Torino was a source of pride and unity to Italy after the war. That is partly why they are so important. They still are. They really were an incredible team. But for Superga they could well have left no doubt that they were the best ever. Torino has won Serie A 7 times - five in a row was by Il Grande Torino. The last four seasons they were unbeaten at home in the league - 93 matches with only ten draws.

Good article in Fourfourtwo this month about the great Torino team and their rivalry with Juve.

In Italy to my knowledge only two teams have had the honor of being called Il Grande and it is Torino+Inter who had their period in the 60's winning two European cups in a row if I remember correct. I think though that Il Grande Torino is regarded as the better of the two even if Inter managed to win the European cup( I know it didn't exists when Torino were on top)

Sgoater1 wrote:Good article in Fourfourtwo this month about the great Torino team and their rivalry with Juve.

In the 1930s Juve won 5 in a row as well, but even they don't compare with that Torino side. They were incredible.

Super Elitist wrote:In Italy to my knowledge only two teams have had the honor of being called Il Grande and it is Torino+Inter who had their period in the 60's winning two European cups in a row if I remember correct. I think though that Il Grande Torino is regarded as the better of the two even if Inter managed to win the European cup( I know it didn't exists when Torino were on top)

And here's a bit of useless trivia for you, both il Grande teams had a Mazzola wearing the number 10 shirt, Valentino for Torino and his son Sandro for Italy - a rare case of football genes passing from father to son.

EMP wrote:

Sgoater1 wrote:Good article in Fourfourtwo this month about the great Torino team and their rivalry with Juve.

In the 1930s Juve won 5 in a row as well, but even they don't compare with that Torino side. They were incredible.

Where the hell have you been watching 1940s football?

Kimbo wrote:

EMP wrote:

Sgoater1 wrote:Good article in Fourfourtwo this month about the great Torino team and their rivalry with Juve.

In the 1930s Juve won 5 in a row as well, but even they don't compare with that Torino side. They were incredible.

Where the hell have you been watching 1940s football?

Torino. Il Grande Torino is a very, very big thing here. Anyone who knows and appreciates good football cannot come to Torino without bumping into il Grande Torino and rightly so.

The Superga commemoration was well attended. There is a large tablet bearing the inscription of all the victims of the disaster at the back of the basilica, where the crash occurred.

Every year Torino supporters and Italians too remember il Grande Torino on the anniversary of the crash by climbing the mountain to pay tribute. They are appreciated as if it happened yesterday, because they were that special in Torino and Italy too. They could had a few more years, but the fact that they are considered the best Italy produced - the best of the il Grande teams and their records, some of which still stand today six decades later shows how truly special they were.

They have very long memories in Torino. The commemoration was attended by the entire Torino squad, youth teams, etc. and a certain Emanuele Filiberto. He was jeered whenever his face appeared on the large screen. One of the few words of Italian I understood before coming is "ladro" which they kept chanting at him. I thought that he must have been a player who left for better pay, but comes every year hoping they will understand or come to forgive him.

Turns out he was not a player, but Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, grandson of Umberto II, the last King of Italy. The Savoys are hated in parts of Italy, as they were accused of enriching themselves at the expense of the country during the unification wars and brutally suppressing dissent. Ladro is loosely translated as brigand or highwayman.