Evaristo Beccalossi, large attendance for funeral in Brescia

Huge attendance at the Church of the Conversion of St. Paul in Brescia for the funeral of Evaristo Beccalossi, who died May 6 at the age of 69. Hundreds of people filled the church and churchyard to pay their respects to the historic Inter player, who was greeted by applause, banners and symbols of the teams that marked his career.

The Inter scarf and the Nerazzurri’s number 10 jersey were laid on the coffin, alongside the Union Brescia jersey, recalling his football roots. Nourished was the presence of the soccer world. Present for Inter were vice president Javier Zanetti, sporting director Piero Ausilio and striker Francesco Pio Esposito. Beccalossi’s former teammates also included Giuseppe Bergomi, Ivano Bordon, Marco Branca, Vincenzo Muraro, Claudio Pasinato, Alessandro Scanziani and Giuseppe Baresi. Also present were Francesco Toldo and Marco Andreolli.

During the homily, Fr. Marco Mori remembered Beccalossi with affectionate words full of irony: “At this point Evaristo would go out and smoke a cigarette. He was what we Brescians call a ‘brao gnaro,’ one of us.” The priest then added, as an Inter fan, the wish that the Nerazzurri’s 21st Scudetto could be dedicated to him.

Absent was Alessandro Altobelli, stuck in Kuwait for reasons related to the geopolitical situation. Representing him was his son Mattia, who read an emotional message, “Ciao Evaristo, comrade, accomplice, brother, friend. We were two sides of the same coin. Then the last dribble that I did not expect: you discarded even life, preventing it from taking away your dignity.”