Farewell, Sandro Mazzola: Gianni Rivera’s Emotional Tribute

Gianni Rivera remembered Sandro Mazzola in an interview with *Il Fatto Quotidiano*: “Sandro Mazzola and I had a great relationship. It’s true, we played for different teams, but we respected each other, and together we made great strides, in the interest of all the other players,” the Milan legend said with emotion.

Together, the two had founded the players’ union: “We experienced a wonderful era of Italian soccer together, and we were also convinced that we had contributed to the creation of the players’ association—an important achievement for the entire profession. Sandro was a lovely person. We got along well.”

Speaking on Radio 1, Mazzola then recalled the Inter icon once more: “First and foremost, he was a major rival because he played for the other Milan team. But we also had a friendly relationship since we played together on the national team. And there was a period when they decided to have us play alternately; we never understood why.”

“Even though he was an Inter fan, we had a great relationship; we established the Italian Players’ Association and paved the way to improve players’ lives. We had great respect for one another.”

“The passing of Sandro Mazzola is a profound loss for me and for all of Italian soccer,” said President Giovanni Malagò in a statement to 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. 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.”