The coffin of Sandro Mazzola entered the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio. It was greeted by the prolonged applause of the hundreds of fans present. Then came moments of deep contemplation. White roses and ranunculus lay atop the coffin, with the iconic number 8 shirt he wore fixed to the front of the casket.
"Your name remains among the pages of our history. Your memory in the heart of our Curva. Goodbye Sandro": Inter's ultras, in the square in front of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan, bid farewell to Sandro Mazzola with a banner on the day of his funeral.
Hundreds of fans attended, wishing to pay tribute to the Inter legend who passed away on Saturday at the age of 83. Many former Nerazzurri players were present, including Aristide Guarneri, European champion with Italy in 1968 and twice winner of the European Cup alongside Mazzola, as well as Giuseppe Bergomi, Francesco Toldo, Ivan Ramiro Cordoba and Esteban Cambiasso. Gianfelice Facchetti, son of Giacinto, also entered the basilica, shortly before Inter president Giuseppe Marotta.
"He was an important person for me. He pushed for my debut under Bersellini, he was the one who gave me my first contract and followed my entire career. But what I always like to emphasise about Sandro is that he was never a divisive person, despite being an Inter legend. He was truly a great champion. He is one of those champions who doesn't represent just one club's colours, but belongs to everyone." So said former Inter captain Giuseppe Bergomi, upon arriving at the Basilica.
"A legend has left us, a figure who generated so many emotions." Inter president Beppe Marotta spoke these words about Sandro Mazzola, an icon of Italian football who passed away on Saturday at the age of 83. "The primary duty is to preserve the values that this memory holds," Marotta added upon arriving at the funeral at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, "and which we must pass on to our young players, including those in our youth academy. Sandro embodied these values, which are very important for the future lives of our young players."
Juventus chief executive Giovanni Carnevali and sporting director Ricky Massara were greeted with applause from a section of Inter supporters outside the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, where Sandro Mazzola's funeral was being held. Applause also greeted AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni and Daniele Massaro. On Sunday, during Juventus-Atalanta, part of the bianconeri's curva had turned their backs to the pitch, failing to respect the minute of silence. Juventus, in a statement, had immediately distanced themselves from such behaviour.
"I remember being at the seaside, I was ten years old, during Italy-Germany 4-3, a small television set — we fell in love with that Italy team and with football. Thank you Sandro." These were the words of FIGC president Giovanni Malagò, upon arriving at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio for Sandro Mazzola's funeral.
Monsignor Faccendini: 'The people of Milan say thank you and see themselves in him'
"This is the sanctuary of Saint Ambrose and of the Milanese people. Here the Milanese rediscover their religious and civic roots. Milan and its people say thank you to him who brought prestige to the city. It is an occasion to give thanks and to recognise oneself in a man and in his values": these were the words of Monsignor Carlo Faccendini, abbot of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, in the homily at the funeral of Inter Milan icon Sandro Mazzola. "This is not only a great gesture of love and solidarity, but also a gesture of faith. In an interview he recounted a meeting with Padre Pio alongside Picchi, a story of freshness and extraordinariness. From that moment Mazzola began to pray on his knees, with a fresh and genuine faith," the monsignor recalled, retracing Mazzola's life from "a childhood saddened by the loss of his father, his first kicks of a ball nearby, then his very strong bond with Inter which was like a mother to him. He became a champion, winning trophies and sharing the spotlight with Rivera. His humanity made him loveable and appreciated by everyone. He had a very strong attachment to his family, which gave Sandro great balance and with which he faced the extremely difficult period of his illness with serenity. Today, having reached the final whistle, we entrust Sandro to the embrace of the Lord."
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