All great stories begin, “Once upon a time…”. Ours also begins like this: once upon a time there was a Great Inter side, capable of winning in Italy, in Europe and in the world. It wore the black-and-blue-striped shirt, boasted players of the calibre of Armando Picchi, Luis Suarez, Giacinto Facchetti, Mario Corso and Sandro Mazzola, and was led by a Wizard, an Argentine coach named Helenio Herrera. This team won everything; the players became legends and their formation became a poem to be memorised. It was they who won the tenth Scudetto in Inter’s history in 1966, the First Star which marked the beginning of a new chapter, one that continues to this day, the day in which the Nerazzurri won their 20th Scudetto and the Second Star on their chest. It is a chapter to retrace through its milestones.
1970/71: THE SCUDETTO OF PRIDE
November 22, 1970: Inter lost at Napoli and after seven games found themselves seven points behind the Neapolitans, who were top of the table, and six points behind second-placed AC Milan. The Nerazzurri started the campaign with Heriberto Herrera in the dugout, but Giovanni Invernizzi replaced him two fixtures ago. The defeat in Naples was the trigger that awoke the pride of the champions: those remaining from the Grande Inter side, like Facchetti, Corso, Burgnich and captain Mazzola, pictured the final table, imagining the Nerazzurri’s and their opponents’ results to see a comeback that seemed impossible. It may have been impossible for everyone else, but not for Inter, who went on an unstoppable run. In the second half the season, the Nerazzurri beat AC Milan 2-0 thanks to goals from Corso and Mazzola, then defeated Napoli 2-1 with an extraordinary brace from Boninsegna. The comeback was no longer just a dream, and ended with the Scudetto win. On 2 May 1971, Inter beat Foggia 5-0 at San Siro, Boninsegna’s wonderful overhead kick opening things up, while AC Milan were beaten in Bologna. The Nerazzurri were Italian champions for the 11th time: the Corriere della Sera at the time said that the triumph was the result of “the impetuous, furious, irresistible pursuit of the Nerazzurri, splendid and rough in their charge”, dictated by “character, moral strength, physicality and awareness of one’s own strengths. An undisputed and indisputable superiority.” Facchetti said it was “the victory of the old guard”, Corso said it was “the most memorable feat in the history of the Italian league”. Boninsegna ended top scorer with 24 goals and what seemed impossible came true.
