Italian football mourns Ernesto Pellegrini

Ernesto Pellegrini, Italian entrepreneur and Inter president from 1984 to 1995, has died at the age of 84 on the day of the UEFA Champions League final between the Nerazzurri and Paris Saint-Germain in Munich.

"President Ernesto Pellegrini has left us," read a statement on the club's website. "For 11 years he led Inter with wisdom, honour and determination, leaving an indelible mark on the history of our club."

An Inter fan since childhood, in 1984 Pellegrini achieved his dream, taking over the club from Ivanoe Fraizzoli and becoming the Nerazzurri's 17th president, a role he held for for 11 years. During his tenure Inter won the so-called "Scudetto of records" in 1989, the Italian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup in 1991 and 1994.

'A great man, a great president'

In his early years as president, he famously signed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge while other Germans like Lothar Mathäus, Andreas Brehme and Jürgen Klinsmann joined the Nerazzurri ranks later on alongside Italian greats including Walter Zenga, Giuseppe Bergomi and Nicola Berti.

"When I woke up and received this message I was very sorry, I'm sad and hurt," Rummenigge said. "He was an exceptional person, like a second father to me. When I stopped playing, a beautiful friendship was born between us."

"A great man, a great president," former Inter defender Bergomi added. "We will miss him. He was a person with a big heart who helped his former players."

Pellegrini was never just an entrepreneur. He was a man who believed in the moral obligation to give back. In 2013 he founded the Fondazione Ernesto Pellegrini Onlus, and the following year opened the solidarity restaurant Ruben, in the heart of Milan. The project, which welcomes up to 350 people in financial difficulty every evening, offers a complete meal for €1 in an elegant setting, without queues, without humiliation.

In 2022, Pellegrini also became part of the Hall of Fame of Italian Football, in the 'Italian Managers' category.

"An entrepreneur, a manager, a gentleman who left an indelible mark on the history of Italian football," said Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). "His contribution of genuine passion and profound respect will not be forgotten."