{"product_id":"immortal-torino","title":"Immortal Torino","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt was just after five o’clock on 4 May 1949 as the Avio Linee Italiane Fiat G.212, carrying 18 players of AC Torino and 13 other passengers, was preparing to land at Turin’s Aeritalia airport.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eThick fog meant visibility was poor, and strong winds had blown the plane off course. Disorientated, the plane was around ten miles from the runway and flying in excess of 100mph, when suddenly, out of the fog emerged the Basilica of Superga. With no time for the pilot to react, the plane crashed into the Basilica, killing all 31 passengers instantly – including manager Erno Egri Erbstein, English coach Leslie Lievesley, and three well-known Italian sports journalists: Renato Casalbore, the founder of \u003cem\u003eTuttosport\u003c\/em\u003e, Renato Tosatti, \u003cem\u003eGazzetta del Popolo\u003c\/em\u003e, and Luigi Cavallero, \u003cem\u003eLa Stampa\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnown as \u003cem\u003eGrande Torino\u003c\/em\u003e, in honour of their achievements, AC Torino had dominated their domestic league, and on the international stage their players were the backbone of the national team. They were on the verge of winning their fifth successive championship, when they flew to Lisbon to face Benfica in a friendly on 1 May, before flying home via Barcelona three days later. Two days after the crash AC Torino were declared Italian champions, before the club’s reserve and youth team players completed the club’s fixtures and topped the table by five points.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished to coincide with the 75th anniversary of one of Italian football’s most heartbreaking tragedies, and drawing on testimonies from colleagues and team-mates who survived, \u003cem\u003eImmortal Torino\u003c\/em\u003e is the emotional story of the rise and tragic fall of one of Italian football’s greatest ever teams.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57401284493694,"sku":"NW9781801507707","price":17.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9781801507707.jpg?v=1778676141","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/en-eu\/products\/immortal-torino","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}