On This Day at the World Cup – July 7: Toto Schillaci Claims Golden Boot

Italy finished Italia 90 in third place on this day 36 years ago when they beat England 2-1 in an entertaining play-off in Bari.

With both teams reeling from penalty heartbreak in the semi-finals against Argentina and West Germany respectively, the Azzurri took the lead with less than 20 minutes to go courtesy of Roberto Baggio’s second goal of the tournament.

David Platt hit back 10 minutes later before Salvatore Schillaci fired home an 86th-minute penalty to earn the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer on six goals.

Bari was a curious choice for a third place play-off, one largely motivated by the fact the city was the birthplace of the Italian FA president Antonio Matarrese, who had championed the construction of a new stadium specifically for the World Cup.

Platt, incidentally, would call the Stadio San Nicola home from the following summer, leaving Aston Villa to join Bari and begin a five-year spell in Italy that would take him to play for Juventus and Sampdoria.

Bari may have dropped to Serie C last season, but it remains as passionate a football city as it was when Platt arrived over three decades ago. The largest city in Puglia is steeped in history and stunning culinary tradition, making it the ideal destination for a calcio trip away from the beaten track. We spoke to a local fan to get the lowdown.

Tickets for the Stadio San Nicola are easy to get and we have all the info you need in our stadium guide.