Italy and Inter Milan legend Sandro Mazzola passes away

Italy and Inter Milan legend Sandro Mazzola, one of the defining figures of the club’s golden era, has died at the age of 83, the club announced Saturday (September 19).

Mazzola spent his entire 17-year senior career with Inter, making 565 appearances and scoring 161 official goals. He helped the Nerazzurri win four Serie A titles and back-to-back European Cups in 1964 and 1965.

He announced himself on the biggest stage in the 1964 European Cup final, scoring twice as Inter beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Vienna. He went on to become one of the central figures of the celebrated “Grande Inter” side under Helenio Herrera.

Mazzola’s story was closely tied to Inter from childhood. After losing his father, Torino and Italy great Valentino Mazzola, in the 1949 Superga air disaster, he developed through Inter’s youth system before making his Serie A debut against Juventus in 1961 at the age of 18. He scored Inter’s only goal in a 9-1 defeat.

At international level, Mazzola was part of Italy’s European Championship-winning team in 1968 and played in the 1970 World Cup final, where Italy finished runners-up.

He retired in 1977 but remained involved in football, later working as a sporting director at Inter and Torino. Inter paid tribute to him as an enduring symbol of the club and a figure whose bond with the Nerazzurri continued long after his playing career ended.