Sixty years since Giacinto Facchetti first captained Italy

Italy take on France at San Siro tonight. Sixty years ago, the Azzurri faced the Soviet Union in a friendly at the same ground. It was the first time Giacinto Facchetti wore the captain’s armband for his country. Italy had prepared at Appiano Gentile and named eight Inter players in their starting line-up (four Nerazzurri are currently in the squad). We look back at that evening and Facchetti’s first match as captain.

Italian football was at a turning point in the autumn of 1966. Just a few months earlier, a shock 1-0 defeat to North Korea had knocked Italy out of the World Cup in England at the group stage. In their bid to build a winning team again, the Azzurri turned to the players at the heart of Grande Inter, Helenio Herrera’s magnificent side that had won two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. That was why Il Mago was chosen to work alongside Italy’s new head coach, Ferruccio Valcareggi. The new era began on familiar ground for Inter fans: the training centre at Appiano Gentile, home to the Nerazzurri and still the place where their daily work lays the foundations for success.

Italy’s first match of the new era was a friendly against the Soviet Union at San Siro on 1 November 1966. It was a tough test for the Azzurri, who had never beaten the USSR and had lost 1-0 to them in Sunderland in the World Cup group stage just a few months earlier. Italy needed a fresh start, and the choice of captain was a way to signal it. The armband went to Giacinto Facchetti, the outstanding Grande Inter full-back who embodied Helenio Herrera’s approach to the game. It was a fitting honour for Inter’s No. 3, who shared leadership responsibilities with Armando Picchi, the legendary Inter captain who had also been called up by Italy. Interviewed during the training camp at Appiano Gentile, the pair set out what they believed a good captain should do:

Eight Inter players started for Italy against the Soviet Union at San Siro: Sarti, Burgnich, Facchetti, Guarneri, Picchi, Mazzola, Domenghini and Corso. A ninth, Spartaco Landini, replaced Ottavio Bianchi for the final 15 minutes. The Soviet side included Lev Jašin, the legendary Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper who won the Ballon d’Or in 1963, and forward Igor Čislenko, who had scored the winner in England. Italy won 1-0. Aristide Guarneri, Grande Inter’s centre-back, scored the winner, pouncing on the ball Sandro Mazzola had played into the box after a superb solo move.

The next day’s headlines celebrated Italy’s first win over the Soviet Union. The Grande Inter players helped make that historic victory possible, giving the Azzurri the balance they needed. After the final whistle, Picchi said, “I’ve never been so happy in my life.” Facchetti had kept Čislenko quiet, putting the disappointment of Sunderland behind him and marking his first match as Italy captain in the best possible way.

That victory proved to be the start of a successful new era for the Azzurri. They won the 1968 European Championship and finished runners-up at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. After beating West Germany 4-3 in the semi-final remembered as the Game of the Century, they lost to an unforgettable Brazil side in the final. Giacinto Facchetti captained Italy for 70 matches, leading his teammates and setting an example for them all.

ITALY 1-0 USSR Goal: 22’ Guarneri Italy: G. Sarti, Burgnich, Facchetti, Bianchi (76’ Landini I), Guarneri, Picchi, Domenghini, A. Mazzola, Depaoli, Juliano, Corso. Head coaches: H. Herrera and F. Valcareggi. USSR: Jascin, Andriuk (46’ Afonin), Danilov, Lenev (73’ Porkujan), Scesternev, Khurtsilava, Cislenko, Sabo, Malofeev, Streltzov, Bishovets. Head coach: N. Morozov. Referee: Gardeazabal (Spain).