On this day in 1949, the entire Grande Torino squad was killed in a plane crash in the hills above Turin.
The Granata had won five Scudetti in a row, a record which would almost certainly have been higher were it not for the Second World War, which saw two seasons cancelled.
Captained by Valentino Mazzola, Torino were unstoppable in the post-war period, winning the title for four seasons on the spin and scoring over 100 goals in two of those triumphs.
On this day in 1949, the entire Grande Torino squad was killed in a plane crash in the hills above Turin.
The Granata had won five Scudetti in a row, a record which would almost certainly have been higher were it not for the Second World War, which saw two seasons cancelled.
Captained by Valentino Mazzola, Torino were unstoppable in the post-war period, winning the title for four seasons on the spin and scoring over 100 goals in two of those triumphs.
In the 1948-49 season the Granata once again led Serie A, with Inter four points behind with four games to play.
The squad headed to Portugal to play a testimonial match with Benfica for the Portugal captain, Francisco Ferreira.
The Italian champions were defeated 4-3 on May 3, in what proved to be Il Grande Torino’s last match.
While flying home the following day, the weather in Turin was poor and pilot Pierluigi Meroni communicated that he would navigate by the Basilica of Superga.
Some have suggested that crosswinds caused the plane to drift, others that the altimeter was broken, but whatever happened the plane turned left and crashed into embankment of the Basilica.
All 31 people on board were killed, the entire Grande Torino team and coaching staff; as well as three journalists, the flight crew and club officials.
The accident caused an outpouring of grief, and as a mark of respect Torino’s remaining opponents fielded youth teams for the four matches left in the Serie A season.
Today, a monument to the team stands atop the hill at Superga, and Granata supporters still make a pilgrimage to the site every year.
In addition, the team’s stadium has been renamed Stadio Grande Torino, and tonight the Mole Antonelliana which dominates Turin’s skyline will be lit up in Granata.
Il Grande Torino held the record for consecutive Scudetti until last season, the feat only beaten by Juventus.
Were it not for their tragic end though, that Granata side would most certainly have accrued far more.