FIGC president Giovanni Malagò and the FIGC join Sandro Mazzola’s family in mourning the passing of one of the most beloved champions of Italian football, who died overnight at the age of 83. A minute’s silence will be observed in his memory at all matches in every competition taking place this weekend. Flags will fly at half-mast at the FIGC headquarters in Rome and at the Federal Technical Centre in Coverciano.

The son of Torino legend Valentino Mazzola, who died in the Superga tragedy, Sandro Mazzola was an Inter legend in his own right, wearing the Nerazzurri shirt from 1961 to 1977 and winning four Scudetti, two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. He also enjoyed an extraordinary career with the national team, making 70 appearances and scoring 22 goals. With Italy, he became European champion in 1968, played at three editions of the World Cup and reached the final at Mexico ‘70, a tournament also remembered for his famous ‘staffetta’ with Gianni Rivera. In 2014, he was made part of the ‘Hall of Fame’ of Italian football.

“The passing of Sandro Mazzola is a profound loss for me and for the whole of Italian football,” said FIGC president Giovanni Malagò. “A legend has left us, one of the figures who helped make Italian football great around the world. Sandro was a symbol, a captain, a champion capable of spanning an era and becoming part of our collective memory. Valentino’s son knew how to turn an immense surname into an equally great story, built through 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 football.”