Editing Inter Milan (section)

===''Grande Inter'' (1960–1967)===
[[File:1964–65 European Cup - Inter Milan's Suárez, Facchetti, Peiró and Bedin with the trophy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|[[Luis Suárez (footballer, born 1935)|Luis Suárez]], [[Giacinto Facchetti]], [[Joaquín Peiró]] and [[Gianfranco Bedin]] with 1965 European Cup trophy]]

In 1960, manager [[Helenio Herrera]] joined Inter from [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] and in his first season as a coach in Milan, after having lead the table for most of the season, lost the title in the last games of the season, with the infamous episode during Juventus–Inter held in Turin in April 1961 when the match was stopped after 30 minutes when Juventus supporters invaded, the pitch, with Inter being awarded the game 2–0. Then, after two months, in June before the last decisive match of Serie A with the two teams tied in first place, the [[Italian Football Federation]], presided by Juventus president [[Umberto Agnelli]], decided that the match between the two teams had to be replayed after the last game scheduled for the season; with Inter loss and a draw for Juventus, the following match became useless and in open contestation. Angelo Moratti ordered Herrera to put Inter youth team against the Turinese squad: the match ended 9–1 for Juventus with the only goal scored for Inter by an 18 year old [[Sandro Mazzola]] who later would become one of the greatest legends in the history of the club.

[[File:1973–74 Inter Milan - Sandro Mazzola and Helenio Herrera.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|[[Helenio Herrera]], the most successful coach in club's history, guided Inter for a record 9 seasons]] After his first season in Milan, Herrera brought with him for a record fee of 25 million pesetas<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 April 2025 |title=Luis Suárez: Spain's first EURO superstar|url=https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/news/0253-0d80144ac44a-042b512864ec-1000--luis-suarez-spain-s-first-euro-superstar |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710214303/https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/news/0253-0d80144ac44a-042b512864ec-1000--luis-suarez-spain-s-first-euro-superstar |archive-date=10 July 2023 |access-date=11 April 2025 }}</ref> Spanish midfielder [[Luis Suárez (footballer, born 1935)|Luis Suárez]] who won the [[European Footballer of the Year]] in 1960 for his role in Barcelona's [[La Liga]]/[[Inter-Cities Fairs Cup|Fairs Cup]] double.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 August 2019 |title=Who Single-Handedly Changed the Beautiful Game |url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/08/07/helenio-herrera-innovator-who-single-handedly-changed-beautiful-game |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305022746/https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/08/07/helenio-herrera-innovator-who-single-handedly-changed-beautiful-game |archive-date=5 March 2024 |access-date=21 March 2024 |publisher=Sport Illustrated}}</ref> Herrera would transform Inter into one of the leading teams in Europe that would win three Serie A titles in four years, two [[European Cup]]s and two [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]]s in a row.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 August 2019 |title=Grande Inter – A tribute to the eternal side from Milan |url=https://www.elartedf.com/grande-inter-tribute-internal-milan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321195239/https://www.elartedf.com/grande-inter-tribute-internal-milan/ |archive-date=21 March 2024 |access-date=21 March 2024 |publisher=El Arte Del Futbol}}</ref> He modified a 5–3–2 tactic known as the "''Verrou''" ("door bolt"), which created greater flexibility for counterattacks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 April 2013 |title=Great Team Tactics: Breaking Down Helenio Herrera's 'La Grande Inter' |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1606149-great-team-tactics-breaking-down-helenio-herreras-la-grande-inter |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022170657/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1606149-great-team-tactics-breaking-down-helenio-herreras-la-grande-inter |archive-date=22 October 2023 |access-date=21 March 2024 |publisher=Bleacher Report}}</ref> The ''[[catenaccio]]'' system was invented by an Austrian coach, [[Karl Rappan]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sahu |first=Amogha |date=2 August 2011 |title=World Football: The 5 Greatest Tactical Innovations in Football History |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/787166-world-football-the-five-greatest-tactical-innovations-in-football-history |access-date=25 May 2020 |publisher=Bleacher Report}}</ref> Rappan's original system was implemented with four fixed defenders, playing a strict man-to-man marking system, plus a [[playmaker]] in the middle of the field, who plays the ball together with two midfield [[Winger (association football)|wings]]. Herrera would modify it by adding a fifth defender, the [[Sweeper (association football)|sweeper or libero]], behind the two [[centre back]]s. The sweeper or ''libero'', who acted as the free man, would deal with any attackers who went through the two [[centre back]]s.<ref name="Helenio Herrera: More than just catenaccio" /> Inter finished third in the Serie A in his first season, second the next year and first in his third season. Then followed a back-to-back [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] victory in 1964 and 1965, earning him the title "''il Mago''" ("the Wizard").<ref name="Helenio Herrera: More than just catenaccio">{{Cite web |title=Helenio Herrera: More than just catenaccio |url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=61622/profile.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116143638/http://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=61622/profile.html |archive-date=16 January 2017 |access-date=10 September 2014 |website=www.fifa.com |publisher=FIFA}}</ref> The core of Herrera's team were the goalkeeper [[Giuliano Sarti]], the attacking [[Full-back (association football)|full-back]]s [[Tarcisio Burgnich]] and [[Giacinto Facchetti]], [[Armando Picchi]] the sweeper, Suárez the playmaker, [[Jair da Costa|Jair]] the winger, [[Mario Corso]] the left midfielder and [[Sandro Mazzola]], who played on the inside-right.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mazzola: Inter is my second family |url=https://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/707/431/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009215949/http://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/707/431/index.html |archive-date=9 October 2014 |access-date=11 September 2014 |publisher=FIFA}}</ref><ref name="leggenda">{{Cite web |title=La leggenda della Grande Inter |trans-title=The legend of the Grande Inter |url=http://www.inter.it/it/societa/storia2005-2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019213304/http://www.inter.it/it/societa/storia2005-2.html |archive-date=19 October 2012 |access-date=10 September 2014 |publisher=Inter.it |language=it}}</ref><ref name="sempreinter">{{Cite web |date=15 October 2012 |title=La Grande Inter: Helenio Herrera (1910–1997) – "Il Mago" |url=http://www.sempreinter.com/2012/10/15/la-grande-inter-helenio-herrera-1910-1997-il-mago/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911110359/http://www.sempreinter.com/2012/10/15/la-grande-inter-helenio-herrera-1910-1997-il-mago/ |archive-date=11 September 2014 |access-date=10 September 2014 |publisher=Sempre Inter |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Great Team Tactics: Breaking Down Helenio Herrera's 'La Grande Inter' |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1606149-great-team-tactics-breaking-down-helenio-herreras-la-grande-inter |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220192454/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1606149-great-team-tactics-breaking-down-helenio-herreras-la-grande-inter |archive-date=20 December 2014 |access-date=10 September 2014 |website=Bleacher Report}}</ref><ref name="Obituary">{{Cite news |last=Fox |first=Norman |date=11 November 1997 |title=Obituary: Helenio Herrera – Obituaries, News |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obitaury-helenio-herrera-1293412.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100303163359/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obitaury-helenio-herrera-1293412.html |archive-date=3 March 2010 |access-date=22 April 2011 |work=The Independent |location=UK}}</ref>

[[File:Formazione dell'Inter 1964-1965.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|La "Grande Inter" in 1964–1965 season standing from left to right: [[Giuliano Sarti|Sarti]], [[Aristide Guarneri|Guarneri]], [[Giacinto Facchetti|Facchetti]], [[Carlo Tagnin|Tagnin]], [[Tarcisio Burgnich|Burgnich]], [[Armando Picchi|Picchi]] (c). Front row from left to right: [[Jair da Costa|Jair]], [[Sandro Mazzola|Mazzola]], [[Luis Suárez (footballer, born 1935)|Suárez]], [[Mario Corso|Corso]], [[Aurelio Milani|Milani]].]]

After the Serie A title won in previous season, in 1964 Inter reached the [[1964 European Cup Final|European Cup Final]] by beating [[Borussia Dortmund]] in the semi-final and [[FK Partizan|Partizan]] in the quarter-final.{{sfn|Sarugia|2007|pp=59-71}} In the final in [[Praterstadion]], [[Vienna]] they met [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]], a team that had reached seven out of the nine finals to date.{{sfn|Sarugia|2007|pp=59-71}} Mazzola scored two goals and one from [[Aurelio Milani|Milani]] in a 3–1 victory, becoming also the first ever team to win the tournament without losing a single game. 
The team also won the [[1964 Intercontinental Cup|Intercontinental Cup]] after have lost the first match in Argentine against [[Independiente de Avellaneda|Independiente]] 1–0, Inter won second leg 2–0 in San Siro with goals from Mazzola and Corso, in the third decisive match played in [[Santiago Bernabéu Stadium|Santiago Bernabeu]] Inter won in extra-time with a goal from Mario Corso, the first Italian club to win the trophy.

In 1964 Inter added other important players [[Angelo Domenghini]], [[Gianfranco Bedin]] and another Spanish [[Joaquín Peiró]] that played with constance and was decisive in European Cup where three foreign players could play in the same time while in Serie A only two were allowed to play.

A year later, after have defeated [[Liverpool F.C.]] in the semi-final second leg 3–0 recovering from a 3–1 defeat at [[Anfield]] with Facchetti scoring the decisive goal, Inter repeated the feat by beating two-time winner [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] in the [[1965 European Cup Final|final]] held at home, from a Jair goal, and then again beat Independiente in the [[1965 Intercontinental Cup|Intercontinental Cup]] with a 3–0 win in San Siro, with two goals from Mazzola and one from Peirò, and a draw in Argentine, becoming the first European team to win two times in a row the competition. Inter came close to winning the [[Treble (association football)|Treble]] for the first time in European football history that year, after having also won the [[1964–65 Serie A|Serie A title]], but lost the [[1965 Coppa Italia final|Coppa Italia final]] against Juventus in a game played in the last days of August 1965.

[[File:Inter Milan 1971-1972 Sandro Mazzola.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Sandro Mazzola]] played for the highly successful Inter team remembered by the name of "La Grande Inter", during the 1960s.]]

Inter again reached semifinals of the [[1965–66 European Cup|European cup]] in 1966, but this time lost against a Real Madrid team that would go on to win the tournament, while in national championship Herrera's squad won the tenth scudetto in club history, the first [[Star (sport badge)|Star]].

At the end of the season Moratti signed two of the greatest players of all time: [[Franz Beckenbauer]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 November 2014 |title=Beckenbauer: "Nel 1966 avevo firmato per l'Inter, ma poi tutto saltò" |url=http://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/serie-a/inter/2014/11/05/news/beckenbauer_fu_vicino_a_inter-99813075/}}<!-- auto-translated from Italian by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> and [[Eusebio]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mario Gherarducci |date=5 January 2002 |title=Il rimpianto di Eusebio: "Ero dell'Inter, maledetta Corea" |url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2002/gennaio/05/rimpianto_Eusebio_Ero_dell_Inter_co_0_0201053152.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208042816/http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2002/gennaio/05/rimpianto_Eusebio_Ero_dell_Inter_co_0_0201053152.shtml |archive-date=8 February 2014 |page=39 |periodical=Corriere della Sera}}<!-- auto-translated from Italian by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> but after [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 World Cup]] when Italian National Team was eliminated by North Korea, Italian Federation decided to block new signings of foreign players who will last until 1980, avoided the contract with the two players.

In 1967, after Inter eliminated Real Madrid in quarterfinals, with Suárez injured, Inter lost the European Cup Final in [[Lisbon]] 2–1 to [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]]; a week later, despite the first position, with a lost against [[Mantova 1911|Mantova]] in the last match of the championship Inter lost also the Serie A title and a week later the Coppa Italia semifinal against [[Calcio Padova|Padova]], putting an end de facto to the Grande Inter cicle with the first season without trophy since 1961–1962.<ref>{{Cite web |last=UEFA.com |title=The official website for European football |url=https://www.uefa.com/errors/ |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=[[UEFA]] |language=en}}</ref> During that year, the club changed its name to ''Football Club Internazionale Milano'', and in 1968 after 13 years [[Angelo Moratti]] sold the team to [[Ivanoe Fraizzoli]], and also Helenio Herrera left the team.