Sandro Mazzola enjoys legendary status in Italy. Born in Turin, he won the national championship cup twice with Inter Milan in the mid-1960s and was European champion with the national team in 1968. The Inter icon also took part in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico when Italy finished second. Today the 78-year-old is a commentator on Italian television.
The “squadra azzurra” is literally showered with hymns of praise in the media. How big is Roberto Mancini’s contribution to this development process?
He is the architect of this construct. He took over the team at a very difficult time, after the unsuccessful qualification for the 2018 World Cup, and formed a sworn unit from it. “Mancio”, whom I know and appreciate very well, managed with a lot of empathy that his boys act with heart and solidarity on the pitch.
Can his players screw up the English party?
In my opinion, the two best teams in the tournament are in the final. As a football fan, you couldn’t ask for a better pairing. There are two teams with different talents and orientations, but they practice very beautiful and successful football. And both have gone through a development process. Of course, it is advisable not to snub the hosts, but I hope that Italy will still thwart the British in front of their home crowd.
How did you experience this pan-European tournament in the midst of a pandemic and with the dramatic incident involving Inter player Christian Eriksen?
If you consider that four or eight teams used to fight for the title, this was a very big number, especially for the countries that also hosted games. And the half-empty stadiums were a glimmer of hope after a long, gloomy period of only ghost games. Regarding Eriksen, whom I like very much as a player and personality, I would just like to say that the relief and confidence after the mild course of his drama outweigh the rest. I hope to see him continue to play in the Inter shirt.
You became European champion with Italy in Rome in 1968. Do you find it insulting when some say it was sheer luck?
Alright There were only four teams at the start. We were lucky on our side in the semifinals against the Soviet Union, which had a very strong team at the time, even if their legendary goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, did not take part in the tournament. After a goalless game, the toss of the coin decided they would go into the final against Yugoslavia, which was also very strong. We needed a replay after the first final ended 1-1. In the second game, in front of a home crowd in Rome, we won 2-0 thanks to goals from Luigi Riva and Pietro Anastasi.
Two years later you played with Italy at the World Cup in Mexico in the historic semi-final against Germany, which is considered to be the “game of the century”. Was the 4-3 victory in the end a Pyrrhic victory because you then lost 4-1 to Brazil in the final?
Hard to say. On the one hand, I am happy that the game was decided in terms of sport, because in the event of a tie, the coin toss would have determined the finalist again. On the other hand, we were of course completely exhausted and at the end of our tether. But regardless of the burden of this epoch-making game, our final opponent Brazil had a team that was extremely strong. Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho. Mamma mia, they were players!
You played for Inter Milan for more than seventeen years. Can you understand today’s players who immediately run away from a tempting offer?
Times have changed and there is a lot of money around. When I was a child and teenager, I had a soccer jersey that my mother kept patching up and that I never gave away. And when it had a hole, I often left it that way because I thought it would bring me luck. Today I see players kissing the club crest on their jerseys when they score a goal to show their fans their loyalty. I find it hard to hold back my smile!
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