It’s almost impossible to write about Torino’s past without
alluding to the Grande Torino and the
terrible fate that befell them: the near total annihilation of their squad in
the Superga air disaster of 1949. At the time of the accident, Torino had won
four scudettos on the bounce and were
well on their way to adding a fifth. Moreover, the club comprised the backbone
of Italy’s national team, contributing as many as ten players for a game
against Hungary in May 1947. Torino went on to win the title in 1949 after it
was agreed that all clubs involved would field their youth teams for the four remaining
games of the season, which was a fitting gesture.
Unsurprisingly, a period of decline ensued, but by the
middle of the 1960s Torino had re-established itself as a force to be
reckoned with, culminating in 1968’s Coppa Italia triumph (this, despite the
tragic death of star-player Luigi Meroni in a bizarre motoring accident). A
second Coppa Italia followed in 1971, and in 1976 Torino were crowned champions
having wrestled the scudetto from the hands of city rivals Juventus. Indeed, I Granata had a good time of it
throughout the 1970s: not once did they finish outside of Serie A’s top ten and
every year but two qualified to play in Europe. Such consistency could not be sustained
and the 1980s represented a torrid time for
Torino, although not without its highlights.
Torino have consistently worn maroon shirts, usually
with white shorts and black socks, although during the early 1980s they
opted for maroon socks. From 1984 through to 1989 their kit was supplied by
Adidas, who did a good job on it. Torino managed a second-place finish in 1985,
four points behind champions Verona (this was when just two
points were awarded for a win). Over the next three seasons they finished 5th,
11th and 7th consecutively, before being relegated to Serie B in 1989 after placing
a lowly 16th. When the club won promotion back to Serie A the following
season, they teamed up with Abbigliamento Sportivo – or ABM for short – in an association that would
last the next three seasons.
The strip ABM came up with was an exercise in minimalism. No trim and no micro-patterning,
just a plain burgundy, collared shirt. Shorts were
kept white but the socks reverted to black, giving the kit a better
balance. The fit was loose without being overly baggy. Class.
During Torino’s tenure in Serie B, white-goods
manufacturer Indesit had been the club’s
sponsor and remained so after their return to Serie A, whereupon they ended up a
very respectable fifth. Thereafter, it was Beretta
– purveyor of cured meats – who paid to have their name on the shirt, and they benefitted
from the exposure when Torino made it into the 1991-92 UEFA Cup Final, only to lose
to Ajax on the away goal rule. This was the season that saw Enzo Scifo joining the
moustachioed Rafael Martín Vázquez in midfield. It’s been said that Vázquez never really settled at Torino, whereas Scifo, who had returned to Italy to redeem himself after failing to make much of an
impact at Inter three years earlier, did. The club finished
third in the league behind Juventus and champions AC Milan, thus qualifying
for the UEFA Cup for a second year in succession.
Vázquez subsequently returned to Real Madrid, by way
of Marseille, while Scifo went on to win the Coppa Italia with Torino in
1993, knocking Juventus out along the way. It was this iteration of ABM’s strip
that was best. Very little changed save for the addition of a
rather tidy snap-fastened placket in place of the preceding V-neck. Unfortunately Torino clinched the Coppa Italia
in Rome wearing their away kit, which was nice but not great. In any
case, it had been a successful three years and a testament to the
managerial talent of the late Emiliano Mondonico.
In the summer of 1993 Enzo Scifo left for AS Monaco,
goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani moved to Lazio, Walter Casagrande returned to
Brazil and Lotto took over as Torino’s kit supplier. Lotto’s shirts, as you
may know, were made on the cheap and the badges and logos were often sublimated,
rather than sewn on as separate, three-dimensional entities. In 1996 Torino
were relegated and have been flitting between Series A and B ever since.
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