Who was Sandro Mazzola? All about Inter Milan and Italy’s legendary midfielder who passed away at 83

Sandro Mazzola, one of the greatest midfielders in Italian football history, has died at the age of 83. His cause of death has not been announced publicly. Inter Milan confirmed the death of the club legend on Saturday. Mazzola spent his entire professional career with Inter and became one of the defining figures of the famous ‘Grande Inter’ team of the 1960s.He won major domestic and European honours with the Nerazzurri and also enjoyed a celebrated international career with Italy.Who was Sandro Mazzola? Football star leaves behind an unforgettable Inter Milan legacySandro Mazzola joined Inter Miami as a young player and remained with the club for all 17 seasons of his professional career. He became a key part of Helenio Herrera’s great Inter side that dominated European football during the 1960s.His greatest club moment came in the 1964 European Cup final against Real Madrid. Mazzola scored twice as Inter secured a 3-1 victory. The performance earned him praise from Hungarian football legend Ferenc Puskas, who had also played against Mazzola’s father, Valentino.Valentino Mazzola was one of the biggest stars of Torino’s famous ‘Grande Torino’ team. He died in the 1949 Superga air disaster, which killed 31 people. The tragedy happened before Sandro had reached his seventh birthday.Mazzola continued to build his own legacy at Inter. He won four Scudetti and helped the club win back-to-back European Cups in 1964 and 1965. He was also the Serie A top scorer in 1965.His performances made him one of the leading players of his generation. In 1971, he finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting behind Johan Cruyff.Mazzola was equally important for Italy. He represented the national team for 70 matches and scored 22 goals. His biggest international honour came at the 1968 European Championship. Italy defeated Yugoslavia 2-0 in the replayed final in Rome to win the trophy.Two years later, Mazzola helped Italy reach the 1970 World Cup final in Mexico. Italy eventually lost 4-1 to Brazil, led by the legendary Pele.Inter paid tribute to its former captain and symbol after his death.The club said, “There are those who enter history. And then there are those who become the very history of Inter itself. From a young Nerazzurri boy to an eternal symbol, Sandro Mazzola has spanned generations, winning, thrilling, and passing down the love for these colours. He shone on the field, and he shines even now, the star with the moustache.”The statement added, “Who, as he has often recounted, had just one, final wish: ‘To be remembered as a good man, who always gives his all, even when it seems impossible.’”Inter president Giuseppe Marotta also paid tribute, saying, “Today, another piece of the Nerazzurri legend leaves us. Sandro was Inter: he joined the club as a boy and chose to stay here forever, one shirt, seventeen seasons, an entire lifetime. With (Helenio) Herrera’s Grande Inter, he wrote chapters that nobody will ever erase. Today, it is our duty to preserve his memory, because a club is only as great as its memory. And Sandro’s memory will remain with us, forever.”Mazzola retired from professional football in 1977 after a 17-year career. He later remained involved in the game. He held an executive role at Inter before becoming sporting director at Torino.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.