“The Grande Torino side is a true national monument. Remembering and honouring them ahead of the anniversary of the Superga tragedy reflects our values of unity and respect, going beyond a mere sporting significance. That immortal side and their extraordinary teamwork that turned them into myth represents an important page in the history of Italy”. Gabriele Gravina paid tribute to the memory of the Grande Torino with these words on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the tragedy.

On 4 May 1949, the aeroplane that was carrying the Granata side back to Italy after playing a friendly against Benfica in Lisbon crashed into the Superga hill. 31 people lost their lives and Italian football suddenly found itself mourning a loss of some of the best players of all time. Winning five Scudettos in a row, the side was also an integral part of the Italy National team as almost all of its players were called up to wear the Azzurri shirt.

THE GRANDE TORINO SIDE AT THE MUSEO DEL CALCIO. It is possible to experience the memory of the Grande Torino side at the Museo del Calcio via a number of mementoes: 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 that has enriched the collection since last January. The Museum already had another item in remembrance of the player from Vicenza: a pin from his former club, Fiorentina, that he was very fond of and that he always had with him. After the Superga crash, former head coach Vittorio Pozzo was asked to identify the players’ bodies and managed to recognise Menti from this pin. 

Also on display at the Museo del Calcio are the shin guards and cigarettes belonging to Aldo Ballarin that were found at the site of tragedy; a postal identity card (in Italian: tessera postale di riconoscimento) of Valentino Mazzola and a gold medal in his memory. For an entire year, the Azzurri played with a special shirt to represent the mourning: Carlo Parola’s strip is housed at the Museo del Calcio with the black armband sewn onto the left sleeve. It is his number 5 shirt worn for Italy vs. Austria on 2 April 1950 as part of the Central European International Cup.