Sandro Mazzola reminisces about his early Inter debut and his mother's influence
In a candid interview, 82-year-old Sandro Mazzola recalls his first match against Juventus, his mother's refusal to let him join the club, and his memories of football legends.
Sandro Mazzola, the celebrated midfielder who embodied Helenio Herrera's "Grande Inter" and Italy's 1968 European triumph, died in Milan at the age of 83. Born in Torino in 1942, he spent his entire club career with Inter from 1961 to 1977, playing 570 matches, scoring 162 goals and captaining the side for seven seasons after Mario Corso. Internationally, he earned caps from 1963 to 1974, winning the European Championship and reaching the 1970 World Cup final.
He was a Ballon d’Or contender nine times, finishing second in 1971 behind Johan Cruijff. Post-retirement, Mazzola held executive roles at Inter, Genoa and Torino, and later appeared as a technical analyst for Rai Sport. He entered the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and Inter’s Hall of Fame in 2022.
