Il Grande Torino and the Superga Air Disaster

My guest is Roberto Pennino, whose book Immortal Torino covers the story of ‘Il Grande Torino’ – the Great Torino FC side that dominated Italian football in the 1940s. Tragically, the team and coaching staff all died as their plane descended into Turin on the way home from a friendly match in Lisbon against Benfica, crashing into the Basilica di Superga. Roberto discusses the background to the tragedy and the impact on the city of Turin.

In this podcast, we cover:

Il Grande Torino’s Historical Context: Roberto looks at the rise of Torino Football Club in post-World War II Italy, a period when the country sought positive symbols to rally around amidst economic hardship and social rebuilding.

Torino’s Playing Style: Torino was renowned for their avant-garde playing style, comparable to Total Football, which was revolutionary in Italy at the time. This style contributed significantly to their dominance in Italian football.

Key Figures: The podcast highlights important figures such as Valentino Mazzola and coach Leslie Lievesley, among others, who played crucial roles in the success and unique tactics of Torino during the 1940s.

Superga Air Disaster: The discussion includes a detailed account of the events leading to the Superga air disaster on 4 May 1949, where poor weather conditions and a series of unfortunate decisions led to the plane crash that killed the entire team.

Impact on Torino FC, Turin and Italian Football: The crash had a profound impact, symbolically and practically, on Torino and Italian football, marking the end of an era and significantly altering the future trajectory of the club.

Legacy and Memory: Every year, Torino commemorates the tragedy with a ceremony at Superga, where the names of the victims are read out, emphasising the theme “The tragedy is not to die, but to be forgotten.”

Comparison to Other Tragedies: We discuss parallels between the Superga disaster and other similar tragedies in sports, notably the Munich air disaster involving Manchester United (1958), highlighting how such events have lasting effects on clubs and communities.

Cultural and Memorial Significance: We touch on how the tragedy is remembered in Turin, with physical memorials at Superga and cultural references throughout the city, underscoring the team’s enduring legacy and the community’s ongoing respect and remembrance.

For more on the Grande Torino squad and coaching staff, check out this previous podcast, where I visited the historic Stadio Filadelfia in Turin.

Disclosure: Roberto and I share the same publisher in Pitch.

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