Inter Milan has lost one of its heroes: former attacking midfielder Sandro Mazzola, who during his career only wore this jersey and that of the Italian team, died at the age of 83, the nerazzurro club announced on Saturday.
“Sandro Mazzola was one of the greatest footballers in history. Not just from the history of the Nerazzurri,” the Milan club said in a press release.
With Inter, who dominated Italy in the 1960s, he won the championship four times (1963, 1965, 1966, 1971) and lifted the European Champion Clubs’ Cup twice in 1964 and 1965.
Mazzola, who scored 158 goals in 565 appearances under the national tunic, notably splashed his class in the first final won against Real Madrid (3-1), with a successful double.
Which earned him a nice tribute from the legend opposite, the Hungarian Ferenc Puskas. “I played against your father, you are worthy of him. Here is my jersey,” the “galloping major” had told him.
His father died in the Torino plane crash
This father was Valentino Mazzola, a great Torino player who died in the Superga tragedy, a plane crash in 1949 which included 18 players from the Piedmont club, including 8 Italian internationals, among the victims.
With the Nazionale (70 caps, 22 goals), this dribbler with an elegant mustache, who was also characterized by boundless creativity on the pitch, was not to be outdone: home winner of Euro-1968 and finalist of the Mexican 1970 World Cup, only defeated by the great Brazil of King Pelé.
The following year, he failed just behind Johan Cruyff in the race for the Ballon d’Or. After 17 seasons in the pros, Mazzola hung up his boots in 1977 and joined the management of Inter, before becoming sporting director of Torino.
