Riccardo - the Bus

Imagine a minibus, perhaps one of those slightly battered models from the 1970s. A small bus full of thirteen-year-old boys.

They’re on their way to Inter training, with the team we would now call the Under-14s. The journey isn’t particularly long, but it isn’t short either, so they start chatting to pass the time. “Nice to meet you, I’m Giuseppe.” “I’m Riccardo.” From that moment on, they’ll become like brothers. Bergomi and Ferri, two Inter legends.

Riccardo came from Castelnuovo, not far from Crema, deep in the heart of the Po Valley. Inter was a dream, and he had no intention of letting the opportunity slip away. His debut came on October 11th, 1981, exactly 45 years ago, when Bersellini brought him on for Pasinato in an Inter vs. Cesena match. After another couple of seasons on the bench, he became a regular starter and remained one for more than a decade. A pillar of both Inter and the Italian national team, he was a hero of the 1989 Scudetto-winning side, tasked with marking opponents such as Van Basten, Careca and Vialli. This was before playing out from the back became the norm: defenders marked man-to-man, and Ferri was always sharp in anticipating his opponents, holding his own despite not being particularly tall for his position at just over six feet. In total, he spent 13 seasons at the club, winning two UEFA Cups and the record-breaking Scudetto. Ricky was one of the team's charismatic leaders, and even today, 32 years after his final appearance as a player, he continues to embody the Nerazzurri spirit, now serving on the bench as Club Manager. His farewell was an emotional one, coming in his 418th and final appearance in an Inter shirt, against Salzburg in the UEFA Cup final. The trophy was secured, and with it came his goodbye at San Siro, a stadium that had once seemed like a dream to a boy from the Crema area but had become his home for more than a decade. And, of course, standing beside him, his hands firmly gripping the trophy, was Uncle Bergomi himself, Giuseppe.