Italian football mourns Inter legend Mazzola

Son of Valentino Mazzola, the legendary leader of the great Torino side who perished in the Superga air disaster in 1949, Sandro joined Inter as a young boy, playing his whole career with the Nerazzurri and contributing to the success of the "Grande Inter".

Mazzola was the embodiment of Helenio Herrera’s legendary side, playing a pivotal role in the team's first major European Cup triumph against Real Madrid in 1964. In total, he won four league titles, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups, appearing 417 times and scoring 116 goals.

Mazzola also scored 22 goals in 70 games for Italy, winning the 1968 European Championship and reaching the World Cup final two years later. After retiring in 1977, Mazzola had several roles as director at Inter and other clubs.

Mazzola with Inter coach Helenio Herrera HUM Images/Universal Images Grou

"He was one of the greatest footballers in history – and not just in the history of the Nerazzurri," said an Inter statement. "How difficult it is to find the right words to bid farewell to someone who wrote history in such an indelible and unprecedented way."

Fellow Inter legend and current vice-president Javier Zanetti paid tribute to Mazzola, saying: "You were, and will forever remain, a legend. A true gentleman, a guiding light, and a class act, both on the pitch and in life. A symbol of Inter and Italian football on the global stage, for generations past and for all time.

“I owe you so much, Sandro. You were one of the most important figures for me back when I was a boy in Argentina dreaming of Inter. You were among those who brought me to Milan, a gift for which I will be forever grateful."