From the Stankovics to the Altobellis: fathers, sons, and a daughter who played for Inter

Football can sometimes give us the most extraordinary stories. It can create powerful, unique, and unforgettable emotions through moments that feel like they're fated. A son sitting in the stands, watching his father in the intensity of the game: seeing him in the Nerazzurri shirt and boots, admiring him as he scores, wins the ball back, battles an opponent, or dribbles past a defender. Perhaps, even then, he is already dreaming of following in his father’s footsteps, of one day wearing that same shirt and those same boots. It is a dream that rarely becomes reality. That child does not know whether he will become a footballer or follow the path his father has carved out on the pitch, but in those moments of imagination, anything is possible.

Perhaps that is where Aleksandar Stankovic’s thoughts returned when, in the 83rd minute of Inter vs. Monza, he looked around and saw San Siro rise to its feet for him. Memories must have come flooding back as emotion filled his eyes and he took in the entire stadium, trying to capture the moment in a single heartbeat. The No. 5 on his back, the same number worn by his father Dejan, who 22 years earlier had first stepped onto that very pitch in that same Nerazzurri shirt (wearing No. 11 on his debut). His introduction, the applause, those first touches in his official first-team debut: an unforgettable moment that saw another father-son pairing become part of Inter history, with both having made at least one appearance for the Nerazzurri.

Six pairs have achieved this feat in total: six fathers and six sons, connected by the Nerazzurri colours. Six different stories, but one shared legacy that has become part of Inter’s history.

DEJAN AND ALEKSANDAR STANKOVIC

The latest chapter, the most recent story. Aleksandar was born and raised in Milano while Dejan was playing a starring role during one of the most successful eras in Inter’s history. Having joined the Nerazzurri in 2004, Stankovic became one of the symbols of a team that went on to win everything in Italy and Europe, making 326 appearances and scoring 42 goals while lifting 15 trophies: five Scudetti, four Coppa Italia titles, four Italian Super Cups, one Champions League and one Club World Cup. Dejan won everyone over with his infectious determination and lethal power. His long-range strikes lit up San Siro for years, while his spectacular first-time goals from the halfway line against Genoa and Schalke 04 remain etched in the memories of the Nerazzurri faithful. During the celebrations that followed those triumphs, little Aleksandar, the youngest of his three children, could often be seen by his side or on his shoulders. He inherited his father’s position and his love for the Nerazzurri colours, joining Inter’s youth academy at the age of 12, where he developed as a midfielder, just like his father. Against Monza on matchday one, the legacy was finally complete: a debut in the No. 5 shirt, in midfield, on the San Siro pitch. 22 years of history came full circle in a single moment.

ALESSANDRO AND MATTIA ALTOBELLI

By the time Mattia joined Inter’s youth academy, his father Alessandro had already made a name for himself. Having arrived at Inter in 1977, “Spillo” went on to become one of the greatest strikers in the Club’s history, making 466 appearances and scoring 209 goals, which made him Inter’s second-highest all-time goalscorer. He also won one Scudetto (1979/80) and two Coppa Italia titles (1977/78 and 1981/82) with the Nerazzurri. He made his mark with his elegance, his eye for goal and his remarkable consistency, spending eleven seasons as a key figure in the Nerazzurri colours and becoming one of the most beloved faces of Inter in the 1970s and 1980s. Years later came Mattia, also a striker, who came through the Nerazzurri youth academy and won the Primavera title in 2002. His first-team debut came in December of the same year, in the Coppa Italia against Bari: just one competitive appearance, but enough to make this family story even more special.

GIUSEPPE AND REGINA BARESI

A unique story: a Nerazzurri captain's armband passed from father to daughter. An armband that remained securely on Giuseppe Baresi’s arm for years. Having joined Inter in 1976, he spent 16 seasons as one of the pillars of the Nerazzurri, making 559 appearances, which made him the fifth-most capped player in Inter’s history, while winning two Scudetti, two Coppa Italia titles, one Italian Super Cup and one UEFA Cup. A defender and midfielder, captain and leader, Beppe lived through an entire era of Inter’s history, becoming one of the Club’s most iconic players: a constant presence, an armband on his arm and an enduring bond with Inter that continued even after he retired from playing. That legacy was carried on by his daughter Regina, who wore the same armband on the pitch with the same passion and in the same colours. A striker and captain of the Inter Women’s team, she played a leading role in the team’s development, helping guide them from Serie A2 to Serie A and securing promotion to the top flight in 2019 with the newly established Inter Women. For years, she was one of the faces of Inter Women, becoming one of the Club’s most iconic players.

LENNART AND EVERT SKOGLUND

A story that began in Sweden and made its way to Milano, spanning two generations of football. Lennart “Nacka” Skoglund was one of the great stars of Inter’s post-war era, a pure talent who captivated San Siro with his technique and imagination. Having joined the Nerazzurri in 1950, he made 246 appearances and scored 57 goals, winning back-to-back Scudetti in 1953 and 1954. Alongside Lorenzi and Nyers, he formed one of the most famous attacking trios in Nerazzurri history, and it was his brace against Triestina that secured Inter’s second consecutive title. Twenty years later, following in his father’s footsteps, came Evert, also a midfielder who had come through Inter’s youth academy. He made 16 competitive appearances between 1971 and 1974, a shorter spell than his father’s, but one that allowed him to experience the emotion of wearing the same colours as his father.

CAMILLO AND MARCO ACHILLI

The first surname to be passed down from father to son on an Inter shirt. Camillo’s Inter journey began in 1945, in the immediate aftermath of the war, when the Nerazzurri were still some way from the great successes that would follow in the years to come. He spent six seasons in midfield, making 198 appearances and scoring 18 goals, and etched his name into Inter history with a goal in the February 1946 derby against Milan. Almost 20 years later, his son Marco followed in his footsteps, coming through Inter’s youth academy before making his way into the first team. Like his father, Marco was a midfielder, making eleven competitive appearances for the Nerazzurri between 1967 and 1971. In his final season with the Club, he lifted Inter’s 11th Scudetto.

LUIGI AND ANSELMO ROBBIATI

Almost half a century separated Luigi and Anselmo Robbiati’s spells with Inter. Both were brief, but each became part of the Club’s history despite their experiences coming nearly 50 years apart. Luigi, a defender, made his debut in 1954 and recorded four appearances over four seasons, while Anselmo wore the Nerazzurri shirt just once, in the Coppa Italia clash between Inter and Lecce on 19 September 2000. Just a few minutes on the pitch, but enough to write his name into Inter history.