Renato Tavella
Renato Tavella was a writer and journalist born in Turin on 16 July 1947 and who died in the same city on 9 November 2026 at the age of 79. For decades he worked in sports publishing, writing books and contributing to newspapers, magazines, radio and television, devoting himself in particular to the historical memory of Italian football, with constant attention to both Torino FC and Juventus [1].
From the pitch to writing
As a young man Tavella played in Juventus's youth teams, going on to wear the shirt of Italy's national youth representative side. This experience on the pitch would later steer his professional path towards sports journalism and writing [1].
Works
Tavella's first book came out in 1986 with «Nel Paese di Giocapalla» (Graphot Editrice), a children's book illustrated by Anna Laura Pasotto. In 1988 he published «Capitan Valentino», a biography of Valentino Mazzola, and in 1989 «Sei favole e una torta», for which he won the Premio Città di Bordighera [1].
In 1994, for Newton & Compton, he published «Il romanzo del Grande Torino» together with Franco Ossola, tracing the history of the Torino FC team lost in the Superga air disaster of 4 May 1949. The book won the Premio Coni in 1994 and the Premio Selezione Bancarella Sport in 1995, and was reprinted several times. It was the basis for the Rai television drama «Il Grande Torino», directed in 2005 by Claudio Bonivento with Beppe Fiorello, Tosca D'Aquino and Remo Girone, and featuring Michele Placido [1].
Alongside the history of Torino FC, Tavella devoted numerous books to Juventus, the club to which he had been attached since his youth: these include «Il romanzo della grande Juventus», «Dizionario della grande Juventus», «Nasce un mito: Juventus!» and «101 gol che fanno grande la Juventus», all published by Newton & Compton [1].
In 1998 he published «Cento anni di calcio italiano» (Newton & Compton) with Franco Ossola, which again earned him the Premio Selezione Bancarella Sport and the Premio Paladino d'oro of the city of Palermo. In 1999 came «Il calcio di borgata – Storia del Balon all'ombra della Mole» (Il Punto), devoted to Turin's grassroots football, and in 2000 the biography of Ercole Rabitti, «Le fatiche di Ercole» (Il Punto). These were followed by «Il libro nero del calcio italiano» (Newton Compton, 2006) and, among his most recent titles, «Sfida per la vittoria – Storia del calcio italiano durante la guerra e il fascismo» (Newton Compton, 2020) [1].
Death
Renato Tavella died in Turin on 9 November 2026 at the age of 79. The funeral was held the following day, Tuesday 10 November, at 11am, at the Natale del Signore parish church in the Piedmontese capital [1].
Chronology
- — Writer and journalist Renato Tavella, author of numerous books on the history of Juventus and Torino FC, including «Il romanzo del Grande Torino», dies in Turin at the age of 79. TorinoOggi
Sources
- TorinoOggi — 9 November 2026