Sandro Mazzola facts for kids
Mazzola with Inter Milan in 1971
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Alessandro Mazzola | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 November 1942 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Turin, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1977 | Internazionale | 417 | (116) | ||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1974 | Italy | 70 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Alessandro "Sandro" Mazzola (born 8 November 1942) is a famous Italian former professional footballer. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder. Sandro spent his whole career with Internazionale and also played for the Italy national team. After retiring, he became a football expert and commentator on Italian TV.
Many people think he is one of the best Italian football players ever. He was known for his speed, hard work, creativity, and great skills. He came in second place for the 1971 Ballon d'Or award in 1971. He played for Inter Milan for 17 seasons, which means he was a "one-club man." With Inter, he won four Serie A titles, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups. He was also the top scorer in Serie A in the 1964–65 season. With the Italian national team, Mazzola won the UEFA European Championship in 1968. He also helped Italy reach the final of the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
Sandro Mazzola is the son of another famous Italian footballer, Valentino Mazzola. His father played for the "Grande Torino" team and sadly died in a plane crash. Sandro's younger brother, Ferruccio Mazzola, was also a footballer.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Sandro Mazzola was born in Turin, Italy, on November 8, 1942. His father, Valentino Mazzola, was a well-known football player. Valentino had just joined the Torino team when Sandro was born.
Sandro's younger brother, Ferruccio, was born two years later. Their parents separated in 1946. Sandro's father took care of him. Sadly, when Sandro was six years old, his father died in a terrible plane crash called the Superga air disaster.
Playing for Inter Milan
Even though their father played for Torino, Sandro Mazzola and his brother Ferruccio joined Internazionale. Sandro played his entire career, 17 seasons, with Inter Milan. He scored 116 goals in 417 league games for the club.
He first played in a Serie A game in 1961. This was under the coach Helenio Herrera. In that game, he scored his first goal from a penalty kick. Herrera's Inter team became known as Grande Inter (Great Inter). They were one of the best teams in Italy, Europe, and the world during the 1960s.
The team was famous for its strong defense, called "catenaccio" tactics. They were also very good at scoring goals quickly on counterattacks. Mazzola helped Inter win four Serie A titles. They won two in a row in 1965 and 1966. In 1965, he was the league's top scorer with 17 goals.
In 1964, Mazzola scored two goals in the European Cup Final. This helped Inter beat Real Madrid and win the trophy. He was also the joint top scorer in that tournament with seven goals. Inter won the European Cup again the next year, beating Benfica.
Inter reached another European Cup Final in 1967 but lost to Celtic. Mazzola scored a goal in that final. He also won two Intercontinental Cups with Inter in 1964 and 1965. In 1972, he played in another European Cup final, but Inter lost to Ajax.
In 1971, after winning his last Serie A title, he came in second place for the 1971 Ballon d'Or award. This award is given to the best football player in Europe.
Mazzola stopped playing professional football in 1977. He had been Inter's team captain since 1970. By the end of his career, he had won many titles. He was also Inter's all-time top scorer in the European Cup/Champions League until Lautaro Martinez broke his record on 5 March 2025.
Playing for Italy
_-_Mazzola_and_Rivera.jpg)
Sandro Mazzola played 70 games for the Italian national team between 1963 and 1974. He scored 22 goals for his country. His first game for Italy was against Brazil in 1963 when he was only 20 years old. He scored a goal in that game from a penalty.
He played for Italy in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. He scored a goal in Italy's first game, a 2–0 win against Chile. His biggest success with the national team came in 1968. Italy won the European Championship that year, and Mazzola was chosen for the Team of the Tournament.
Two years later, Italy went to the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. The coach, Ferruccio Valcareggi, thought Mazzola and another star player, Gianni Rivera, could not play together. He worried it would make the team unbalanced. So, Mazzola started most games because he was very athletic and worked hard.
_-_S._Mazzola,_F._Valcareggi,_F._Capello.jpg)
Later in the tournament, the coach came up with a plan called "staffetta" (relay). Mazzola would start the game and play the first half. Then, Rivera would come in for the second half. This allowed both talented players to contribute. With this plan, Italy reached the World Cup final for the first time in 32 years. They played against Brazil, led by the legendary Pelé. Brazil won the final 4–1.
Mazzola played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup as well. However, the Italian team was older and did not perform as well, getting knocked out in the first round.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing football, Sandro Mazzola worked in management roles. He worked for Inter Milan from 1977 to 1984. He also worked for Genoa and later returned to Inter as a sporting director. From 2000 to 2003, he was the sporting director for Torino.
Mazzola also became a well-known football commentator for Italian TV. He has a special record: he was a commentator for two World Cup finals that Italy won. He commentated on the 1982 World Cup final and the 2006 World Cup final.
How He Played
Mazzola is seen as one of the best Italian footballers ever. He was a quick, talented, and skillful player. He could play in many attacking positions. He was known for his athleticism and how hard he worked on the field. He started as a central midfielder but became famous playing as an "inside-right" forward. He could also play as a main striker or a winger.
As he got older, he played more as a creative offensive midfielder. He had great passing, vision, and ball control. Even though he often played in a creative role, he was also a great goalscorer. He could shoot powerfully and accurately. He was especially known for his amazing speed and dribbling skills. He could run very fast with the ball and beat defenders easily. Besides his skills, Mazzola was also known for his strong character and leadership.
Outside of Football
On July 3, 1968, Mazzola helped start the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) in Milan. This group helps protect the rights of football players in Italy. He founded it with other famous footballers like Gianni Rivera.
Honours
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1970–71
- European Cup: 1963–64, 1964–65
- Intercontinental Cup: 1964, 1965
Italy
- UEFA European Championship: 1968
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1970
Individual Awards
- Serie A top goalscorer: 1964–65 (17 goals)
- European Cup top goalscorer: 1963–64 (7 goals)
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1968
- Ballon d'Or (2nd place): 1971
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2014
- Inter Milan Hall of Fame: 2022
Images for kids
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Mazzola with Inter Milan in 1971
See also
In Spanish: Sandro Mazzola para niños
