The Italian Soccer Federation Honors the Memory of Sandro Mazzola: The Decision Regarding This Weekend’s Matches
The Italian soccer community comes together in memory of Sandro Mazzola. Following the passing of the former Inter and Italian national team star, which occurred overnight between Friday and Saturday at the age of 83, the FIGC, joining the family in their grief, has ordered that a minute of silence be observed at all matches scheduled for this weekend. The Federation has also decided to fly flags at half-mast both at its headquarters in Rome and at the Federal Technical Center in Coverciano.
“The passing of Sandro Mazzola is a source of deep sorrow for me and for all of Italian soccer,” President Giovanni Malagò told the Italian Football Federation’s official channels. “A legend has left us—one of the figures who helped make our soccer great around the world. Sandro was an icon, a captain, a champion who spanned an era and became part of our collective memory. He was Valentino’s son, who knew how to transform an immense surname into an equally great legacy, built on talent, personality, courage, and extraordinary humanity. I like to think that he has finally been reunited with his father and those champions with whom he shared one of the most beautiful chapters in Italian soccer.”
The son of Valentino Mazzola—a symbol of the “Grande Torino” team that perished in the Superga tragedy—Sandro, in turn, wrote an indelible chapter in the history of Italian soccer. Wearing the Inter jersey from 1961 to 1977, he won four Scudetti, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups, becoming one of the most iconic figures of the “Grande Inter.”
His career with the Italian national team was also extraordinary, as he made 70 appearances and scored 22 goals. In 1968, he was crowned European champion, and during his career he participated in three World Cups, reaching the final of Mexico ’70—a World Cup that remains etched in the collective memory, in part due to his famous give-and-go with Gianni Rivera. In 2014, his name was inducted into the Italian Soccer Hall of Fame.
