Inter’s condolences for Osvaldo Bagnoli

FC Internazionale Milano and the entire Inter family join in mourning the passing of Osvaldo Bagnoli and, in remembering him, send their deepest sympathies to his family.

Humble, respectful, genuine: Osvaldo Bagnoli was an authentic man, someone who fully reflected Milano and his Bovisa neighbourhood, where he was born on 3 July 1935 and where he grew up. A person of great intelligence, Bagnoli was a footballer for 18 years before becoming a coach, the role in which he became known and widely appreciated. A thougtful, methodical and meticulous manager, Bagnoli was known for writing down every useful note for training sessions and matches in a notebook - his faithful “quadernètt”, as he called it. His masterpiece as a coach was the Scudetto won with Hellas Verona in the 1984/85 season, during his nine-year spell in charge of the club. Then, after two seasons at Genoa, in 1992 came the call from Inter: a Milanese coach for Inter, tasked with reviving the Nerazzurri through his hard work and dedication. Bagnoli built a team around Ruben Sosa and came close to achieving an incredible feat, almost overturning an 11-point deficit to AC Milan (two points for a win). His second season was not as successful, and his Inter adventure ended in February 1994 after a total of 56 matches in charge. He did not buy newspapers, but he read them, memorised them, and kept himself informed while sitting at the bar counter. A man from another era, a man of old-fashioned values who was never afraid to go against the grain: humble and reserved, yet gifted with exceptional intelligence. In 2017, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.

Inter was his final chapter as a coach. Today, the Club remembers Osvaldo Bagnoli with great affection, the “Wizard of Bovisa”, one of the most iconic managers in Italian football history.