“Grande Torino wrote unforgettable chapters in the history of our football – a story we must pass on to future generations so as not to lose the heritage of values embodied by a team that symbolised the country’s rebirth and captured the hearts of millions of Italians.” On the 77th anniversary of the Superga air disaster, FIGC president Gabriele Gravina paid tribute to the 31 people who lost their lives on 4 May 1949.

GRANDE TORINO AT THE FOOTBALL MUSEUM. It is possible to experience the memory of the Grande Torino side at the Museo del Calcio via a range of memorabilia: from the Granata shirt of Virgilio Maroso, worn for the pre-season tour in Brazil in the 1948, to the Azzurri shirt of Romeo Menti. The museum also houses another item belonging to the Vicenza-born player: a Fiorentina pin from the club he once played for and remained deeply attached to, which he always carried with him. After the crash on the hills of Superga, former Italy coach Vittorio Pozzo – called upon to identify the bodies of players he had coached – recognised Menti precisely because of that pin. Also on display are Aldo Ballarin’s shinpads and cigarettes, recovered from the crash site, Valentino Mazzola’s postal ID card, and a gold medal in his memory. To commemorate the victims of the Superga disaster, the Azzurri wore a special shirt in mourning for an entire year. Carlo Parola’s kit is preserved at the Museo del Calcio, featuring a black mourning stripe sewn onto the left sleeve. It is the number 5 shirt he wore for Italy against Austria on 2 April 1950 in the Central European International Cup.