first year in the Italian top flight, Fortunato made 33 appearances and scored 3 goals, including the equaliser in a 2–2 home draw against eventual champions Milan, which helped Genoa avoid relegation. Juventus and International debut Fortunato's performances with Genoa during the 1992–93 season caught the attention of Juventus boss Giovanni Trapattoni, who brought the promising youngster to the Turin club the following season for 12 billion Lire. The left-back was an instant hit, and was awarded the number 3 shirt, which had belonged to former Juventus full-back Antonio Cabrini during the 1980s. Fortunato started his first season with Juventus strongly, and soon became known for his endless running along the flank and his fine left foot, which he would use to provide accurate crosses for the likes of forwards Roberto Baggio, Fabrizio Ravanelli, and Gianluca Vialli. His most important attribute was that he loved being a team player, both on and off the pitch. His charm and great personality won the hearts of many, so much so that former Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi described him as "a revelation of Italian football", and called the Juventus star to make his one and only international appearance in a World Cup qualifier against Estonia, on 22 September 1993, in Tallinn. Fortunato took Paolo Maldini's place and played alongside veteran and national team captain Franco Baresi in a game that Italy won 3–0. The left-back showed striking similarities to Maldini and he was initially even in Sacchi's plans for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Illness and death However, during the second half of the 1993–94 season, the player suffered an unexplained loss of form, and struggled to complete matches due to a lack of energy; he was subsequently dropped from the national team after doctors announced that he had a rare form of leukemia in May 1994. Fortunato initially struggled to find a suitable bone marrow donor, and underwent chemotherapy in a hospital in Turin and an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant from his sister, Paola; he was later transferred to a hospital in Perugia, and after a second bone marrow transplant from his father, appeared to have made a full recovery. The following season, he was included in the Turin club's roster, and was even called up to join the team by new coach Marcello Lippi for Juventus's clash with Sampdoria in Genoa on 26 February 1995, although he later watched his teammates