Sandro - Courage

Some family names arrive before you do. They precede you, wait for you and sometimes even make life harder. Your task is to catch up with them. And perhaps, one day, to walk alongside them.

Sandro Mazzola was born on 8 November 1942. He was six when he lost his father, Valentino, a legend of Grande Torino.

A name that carried enormous weight, a story already written. Sandro would write another, entirely his own, all in the same shirt.

Benito Lorenzi, known to everyone as “Veleno”, turned up at the Mazzola home with a pair of boots and Sandro’s first ball. Sandro was eight, and Inter became a second home. They took him to the stadium, to training, into the dressing room. He met Giuseppe Meazza, who taught him the secrets of the game. Many years later, he would say that Inter had been “a mother” to him.

On 10 June 1961, in Turin, Inter had to replay their match against Juventus after it had been abandoned following a pitch invasion. In protest, Angelo Moratti sent out the Primavera side. Among those youngsters was Sandro, just 18, who had to get through an oral exam at school before he could travel. Juventus won 9-1, with Sívori scoring six. Inter’s only goal came from a Mazzola penalty. A debut that did not go unnoticed.

His story gathered pace. Helenio Herrera found him a role all of his own, somewhere between midfield and attack. In the derby on 24 February 1963, he scored after just 13 seconds. It remains the fastest goal in the fixture’s history.

His place among the greats was sealed in Vienna on 27 May 1964. The European Cup final: Inter vs. Real Madrid. Sandro was 21 and, before the game, stood spellbound watching his idols: Puskas, Di Stefano, Gento. Luis Suarez had to bring him back down to earth: “We’re off to play the final. Are you going to stay here watching Alfredo?” Mazzola went out and scored twice. Inter won 3-1 to claim their first European Cup. At the final whistle, Puskas, one of the greatest players of all time, gave him his shirt: “I played against your father. You’re worthy of him.”

Then came more moments of sheer, unforgettable joy. The overhead kick against Independiente. The goal that earned Inter their First Star in 1966. The 1971 derby, when Mazzola scored the second, keeping Inter on track with the senior players’ famous points predictions.

Four Scudetti, two European Cups, two Intercontinental Cups. Runner-up to Cruyff for the 1971 Ballon d’Or. Seventeen seasons, 565 competitive appearances, 158 goals. And just one shirt.

Sandro continued to serve Inter as a director, helping to bring Ronaldo to the Club. He kept coming back, telling stories, getting emotional. Asked how he wanted to be remembered, he replied: “As a good man who still gives it a go, even when winning is impossible, like in that 9-1 defeat.” Perhaps that was what Sandro Mazzola was all about: the courage to give it a go. Always. He carried a legendary surname. He left behind a first name every bit as great.

Sandro. To everyone, forever, Mazzola.