Italian football loses one of its giants. Sandro Mazzola died at the age of 83, after a long illness that had tormented him for a long time. One of the most iconic former footballers of all time, capable of writing important pages in the history of Inter and the National Team, leaves. A professional career developed only with the black and blue jersey and that of the National Team, with his name that became legendary even before he took his first steps on the field, thanks to his father Valentino, who lost his life in the Superga tragedy.
"The desire to remember is mixed with discretion". This is how Inter announced the death of Sandro Mazzola during the night. A long memory for the one who dedicated his entire life to the Milanese team, first as a promising young talent, then as an established champion and then as a manager. Apart from the black and blue, in his life completely dedicated to football there have been only a few other colors, namely the blue of the Italian jersey and the garnet for the period spent at the end of his career as a professional in the management of the Turin club. A way to close the circle and try to do something for the team where his father had played, the unforgettable icon
From father Valentino to his football debut
And it was precisely from his father that Sandro could not help but inherit his love for football, with the awareness that he also had to face the weight of a big surname. This, however, has always been an incentive for him and, after being registered by Inter, he made his debut at the age of just 18 in Serie A, in an unforgettable match, where Angelo Moratti activated the youth team against Juventus as a form of protest. Thus, in that 1-9 defeat, his first goal came, from the penalty spot, for a fiery baptism in football.
The Great Inter and international triumphs
An extraordinary career, in which he became the symbol of Helenio Herrera's "Great Inter". A modern footballer, capable of reading the game intelligently and making the best use of speed, explosiveness, important technical qualities, dribbling and a sense of goal. And so the midfielder Mazzola dominated the world with his team, also winning the first Champions League, with a double of his own. On that extraordinary night in the Vienna Prater, therefore, it was his signature in the victory over Real Madrid. With Inter he won 4 championship titles (1963, 1965, 1966, 1971), 2 consecutive Champions Leagues (1964, 1965) and 2 Intercontinental Cups.
The unforgettable dualism with Gianni Rivera
He also had a special connection with the blue jersey, where he became a great protagonist. His most prestigious success is undoubtedly the triumph in the 1968 European Championship, played at home, although when thinking of Sandro Mazzola it is impossible not to associate his name with Gianni Rivera: one of the most significant and unforgettable rivalries and exchanges of our football, with a
a constant alternation that materialized in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, that of the 4-3 victory over Germany, an iconic match. The captain of Inter and that of Milan, who would later often and happily share the field, first as opponents and then as teammates.
New life on television and illness
In 1977, he retired from playing football, after 116 goals in 417 matches and many unforgettable pages. His relationship with the sport remained inseparable, as his career as a manager, first at Inter and then at Torino, confirmed. He then began a new life as an opinionator and commentator, always in a measured manner, without ever raising his voice. This was the trait that accompanied him both on and off the field. In recent years, illness had forced him to reduce his appearances both on the field and on television.
