 Facchetti withInter Milan in the 1966–67 season | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Giacinto Facchetti[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1942-07-18)18 July 1942 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Treviglio, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 4 September 2006(2006-09-04) (aged 64) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Milan, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Left-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956 | GSD Mario Zanconti | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1957–1960 | Trevigliese | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1978 | Inter Milan | 476 | (59) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964 | Italy U21 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1977 | Italy | 94 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Giacinto Facchetti (Italian pronunciation:[dʒaˈtʃintofakˈketti]; 18 July 1942 – 4 September 2006) was an Italianfootballer who played as aleft-back forInter Milan from 1960 to 1978. He later served as Inter chairman from January 2004 until his death in 2006. He played 634 official games for the club, scoring 75 goals, and was a member of "Grande Inter" team under managerHelenio Herrera which won fourSerie A titles, aCoppa Italia, twoEuropean Cups, and twoIntercontinental Cups. He placed second for theBallon d'Or in1965.
Facchetti representedItaly internationally on 94 occasions, including threeFIFA World Cups. He was also elected to the1970 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team, in which Italy were runners-up. He was alsocaptain of the national side for a record 11 years that won Italy's first everUEFA European Championship on home soil in1968, where he was also elected to theteam of the tournament.
Facchetti is remembered as one of the first prominent attacking full-backs and is considered among the best players at his position. Known for his pace, technique, intelligence, physique, and stamina, he formed a strong defensive partnership with Tarcisio Burgnich in Inter’s catenaccio system and with the Italy national team. He was also recognized for his discipline and leadership, serving as captain for both Inter Milan and Italy for several years.
In March 2004,Pelé named him one of theTop 125 greatest living footballers as part ofFIFA's 100th anniversary celebrations. In 2006, theCampionato Nazionale Primavera was named after him. In 2015, he was posthumously inducted into theItalian Football Hall of Fame.
Born inTreviglio, in theprovince of Bergamo of theItalian region ofLombardy, Facchetti began his career with his hometown club, GSD Mario Zanconti, as aforward, due to his pace, powerful shot, and technique.[2] While playing for Trevigliese, he was noticed byHelenio Herrera, then manager of Inter, who launched him inSerie A in the late 1960–61 season as anattacking full-back on the left, due to his physique, energy, and tackling ability, in addition to his offensive attributes; he made his club and top-flight debut on 21 May 1961, in a 2–0 away win overRoma.[3]
The change of role proved to be an effective choice, and eventually, Facchetti developed into one of the most effective defenders in Italian football, forming a notable partnership in defence with fellow Italian full-backTarcisio Burgnich. Facchetti's innovative playing style as one of the first European overlapping full-backs, combining hard defending with offensive prowess, played a key role in the defensive yet counter-attackingcatenaccio system of Herrera's "Grande Inter" side that dominated Italian, European, and World football in the 1960s;[4][5] whilst conceding few goals defensively, Facchetti was also able to contribute offensively with numerous goals and assists.[6][7][8] He held the record for most goals in a singleSerie A season by a defender, with 10 goals scored during the1965–66 season, until it was broken byMarco Materazzi during the2000–01 season.[9]
Facchetti spent his entire professional career with Inter, later captaining the side (afterArmando Picchi,Mario Corso, andSandro Mazzola) during his final season with the club, between1977–78. With his club, Facchetti won fourscudetti in1963,1965,1966, and1971, oneItalian Cup in 1978, twoEuropean Cups in1964 and1965, and twoIntercontinental Cups in1964 and1965.[6][4] Due to his performances for Inter, Facchetti also narrowly missed the opportunity to become the first defender to win theBallon d'Or, placing second in1965, after narrowly missing out on atreble winning season with Inter that year; Inter won the Serie A and the European Cup, but were defeated in the1965 Coppa Italia final byJuventus. Facchetti's 59 goals in Serie A made him the most prolific defender in the history of the Italian league.[9]
Facchetti made his debut forItaly on 23 March 1963, in a 1–0 away win in aEuropean qualifier againstTurkey. He wascapped 94 times (arecord at the time, since overtaken only byDino Zoff,Paolo Maldini,Fabio Cannavaro, andGianluigi Buffon) wearing the captain's armband 70 times for a record period of 11 years and scoring three goals between 1963 and 1977; he is currently his nation'stenth-highest appearance holder. He played for his country at the1966,1970, and1974 FIFA World Cups, captaining Italy in the latter two editions of the tournament. Facchetti also captained the Italian squad to victory atEuro 1968, wearing thenumber 10 shirt, after advancing to the finals by calling the coin toss correctly following extra time against theSoviet Union, before winning the final overYugoslavia 2–0 in the replay match,[10] as well as being named to theTeam of the Tournament. He was also named to theTeam of the Tournament in the 1970 World Cup, where he helped his team to thefinal of the tournament, only to be defeated 4–1 byBrazil.[6][4]
Regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, Facchetti's pace, stamina, power, and excellent physical and technical traits allowed him to excel as an offensive full-back orwing-back.[11] As a former forward andmidfielder, he was known for his ability to make attacking runs down the left flank and get into good offensive positions in the area which allowed him to either score or assist goals due to his powerful shot andcrossing ability,[3][6][9] and was known for his tendency to cut into the centre in order to strike on goal, which was very unusual for full-backs at the time.[12][13][14] He was among the best offensive full-backs, alongsideAntonio Cabrini andVirgilio Maroso.[15]
A strong, large, elegant, and hard-working footballer who was good in the air, Facchetti was highly regarded for his ability with either foot, as well as his distribution, and ball skills; he also excelled defensively, playing as asweeper as he lost some of his pace later in his career, due to his technical skills, distribution, intelligence and ability to read the game or start plays from the back after winning back the ball, as well as his man-marking ability, positioning, anticipation, and tackling.[7][8][16] A precocious talent in his youth, he also stood out for his longevity in his later career.[13] In addition to his footballing ability, he was also known for his correct behaviour on the pitch, as well as his leadership;[8][11][14] he was sent off only once throughout his entire career for sarcastically applauding the referee.[7]
Over the years, Facchetti held various managerial positions atInter Milan, including technical director,[4][17] board member,[18] worldwide ambassador,[citation needed] and vice-chairman.[18] Facchetti was elected chairman of Inter on 19 January 2004, following the resignation of previous chairmanMassimo Moratti.[17][19] After a long illness, he died ofpancreatic cancer in Milan on 4 September 2006. He is survived by his wife Giovanna and his four children Barbara, Vera, Gianfelice and Luca.[7][4]
The role of Facchetti in the events that led toCalciopoli remaines the subject of debate. As chairman of Inter, which benefitted from the decisions of the sports justice, he was charged of Article 6 violation (related tomatch-fixing warranting relegation), by theFIGC prosecutor Stefano Palazzi in July 2011. Palazzi presented a report on theCalciopoli bis investigation, originating from facts that emerged in the related criminal proceeding in Naples and at the time judged not relevant in the sports proceedings five years earlier, in which, among others, Facchetti was accused of violating Article 6 of the then Sports Justice Code,[20][21] which was an offence consisting of "a consolidated network of relationships, of a non-regulatory nature, directed to alter the principles of impartiality, impartiality, and independence of the refereeing sector", actions that Palazzi judged to be "certainly aimed at ensuring an advantage in the standings for Inter".[22][23] Thestatute of limitations regarding any acts committed led Palazzi himself to declare the impossibility of proceeding and verifying the allegations.[24]
Facchetti was defended by former Italy's players likeGianni Rivera andGigi Riva, as well as Moratti, among others. Riva said that "Giacinto was an extraordinary person clean, honest, a constant exemple, he was our angel. Anyone who knew Facchetti knows he was a true man, who dedicated his life to sport. Anyone who talks about him now would do well to keep quiet, because Giacinto was honest and deserves respect."[25][26] Moratti said that this was "nothing new: they are judging what had already been seen and what someone else had considered inconsistent and unimportant",[27] that "I don't accept it and Inter don't accept it, and what makes it all in very bad taste is the fact that Facchetti is involved, a person who is no longer with us, whom I admire and respect for his honesty",[28] and that considering Facchetti as in the accusations of Palazzi was "offensive, serious, and stupid".[29]
In 2010,Luciano Moggi, banned for football for life, publicly accused Facchetti of "lobbying referees". In a 2011 interview, public prosecutor Giuseppe Narducci stated: "Facchetti committed no crime. Those phone calls have no criminal value. They have nothing to do with the power structure we uncovered, which governed all of Italian professional football. It was something unique, unprecedented in the past, an association that brought together not only individuals and clubs, primarily Luciano Moggi's, but also parts of federal structures. The association controlled the referee designators. Calciopoli-bis? A furious campaign to make everyone appear guilty. They want to make Facchetti's phone calls look similar to Moggi's, but that's not the case at all."[30][31]
In 2015, Facchetti's son Gianfelice, representing the Facchetti family, sued Moggi for libel. Moggi was acquitted by the Milan court of the charge of defaming Facchetti in a television broadcast.[32] Moggi accused Facchetti "of having also requested and obtained special treatment in the refereeing of Inter's matches". The judge dismissed the lawsuit and acquitted Moggi, finding "with certainty a good truthfulness" in his statements and citing the existence of "a sort of lobbying intervention on the part of the then chairman of Inter towards the referee class ... , significant of a relationship of a friendly [and] preferential type, [with] heights that are not properly commendable."[33] The sentence was upheld on appeal in 2018,[34] and passed judgment in 2019.[35]
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In March 2004,Pelé named Facchetti one of theTop 125 greatest living footballers as part ofFIFA's 100th anniversary celebrations.[36] Following Facchetti's death in 2006, he was named one of the year'sGolden Foot "Football Legends", and was also the recipient of theFIFA Presidential Award. Known for his discipline as well as his playing ability throughout his career, thePremio internazionale Giacinto Facchetti was also established in his honour later that year, and is currently awarded annually to a football personality who was stood out for their honesty, correct behaviour, and sportsmanship.[37] Also after his death, theCampionato Nazionale Primavera included Facchetti's name for the official renaming of the championship to Campionato Primavera Tim – Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti. Inter posthumouslyretired the number 3 shirt in his honour.[4]
On 22 September 2008, a square inCesano Maderno, a town of theMetropolitan City of Milan, was renamed in honour of Facchetti.[4][38] Facchetti is featured in the football video gameFIFA 14's Classic XI (a multi-national all-star team), along with compatriotsBruno Conti,Gianni Rivera, andFranco Baresi.[39] In 2015, he was posthumously inducted into theItalian Football Hall of Fame.[40] EI-INA, anAirbus A320neo in the fleet of Italian flag carrierITA Airways, bears his name. The aircraft was most notably used to transportPope Leo XIV in his firstapostolic journey toTurkey andLebanon.[41]
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Inter Milan | 1960–61 | Serie A | 3 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1961–62 | 15 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||
| 1962–63 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 0 | – | 33 | 4 | |||
| 1963–64 | 33 | 4 | – | 9 | 0 | 42 | 4 | |||
| 1964–65 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 41 | 3 | ||
| 1965–66 | 32 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 12 | ||
| 1966–67 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 46 | 6 | ||
| 1967–68 | 28 | 7 | 9 | 2 | – | 37 | 9 | |||
| 1968–69 | 30 | 6 | 3 | 1 | – | 33 | 7 | |||
| 1969–70 | 28 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 42 | 6 | ||
| 1970–71 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 5 | ||
| 1971–72 | 27 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 44 | 6 | ||
| 1972–73 | 29 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 44 | 4 | ||
| 1973–74 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 2 | ||
| 1974–75 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 1 | ||
| 1975–76 | 28 | 3 | 10 | 0 | – | 38 | 3 | |||
| 1976–77 | 27 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 2 | ||
| 1977–78 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 476 | 59 | 85 | 10 | 68 | 6 | 629 | 75 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1963 | 5 | 0 |
| 1964 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 7 | 1 | |
| 1966 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1967 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1968 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1969 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1970 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1971 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1972 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1973 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1974 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1975 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1976 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1977 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 94 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 November 1964 | Stadio Luigi Ferraris,Genoa, Italy |  Finland | 6–1 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 2 | 7 December 1965 | Stadio San Paolo,Naples, Italy |  Scotland | 3–0 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 3 | 22 March 1967 | GSP Stadium,Nicosia, Cyprus |  Cyprus | 2–0 | Euro 1968 qualification |
Palazzi writes: 'Inter appears to be the only club against which, in hypothesis, concrete consequences can arise on the sporting level, even if indirectly with respect to the outcome of the disciplinary procedure.'
Inter Milan, which was awarded the 2006 championship revoked from Juventus, violated Article 6 of the Sports Justice Code, the one about offences. This is the conviction expressed by the [FIGC's] federal prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, in the conclusions attached to the device on the open investigation 'as soon as we have received news of the new facts that have emerged and therefore before the complaint presented by Juventus ... The facts are lapsed, but the statute of limitations can be waived', confirms the federal prosecutor.
Awards and achievements | |
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Italy squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
