Monday, 04 September 2006 15:02:58
MILAN Giacinto Facchetti was born in Treviglio, Bergamo province on 18 July 1942. A gifted all-round sportsman in his youth, he played football for his local team and achieved good results in athletics championships. At the age of sixteen he was already a promising young player courted by Bergamo-based side Atalanta and Inter. Facchetti chose the Milanese Nerazzurri, and would go on to become a legend.

Facchetti made his Italian top-flight debut on 21 May 1961 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Inter beat Roma 2-0. The following Sunday in Milan he scored the first of his 59 goals for Inter in a match against Napoli. It was Helenio Herrera, coach of the legendary Great Inter side of all time, who combined Facchetti's attacking and defending abilities and invented the role of the modern full-back.

In his playing career Facchetti won 4 Italian league titles, 2 European Cups, 2 Intercontinental Cups and a Coppa Italia. He collected a total of 476 Serie A appearances for Inter. His international career was just as extraordinary. Facchetti earned 94 Italy caps (70 as captain), won the 1968 European championship with Italy in 1968 and captained the Azzurri against Brazil in the World Cup final in Mexico in 1970.

After his playing career Facchetti took up various managerial positions at Inter, including technical director, board member, worldwide ambassador and vice president. On 30 January 2004 Massimo Moratti handed him the highest office: Facchetti was the first player in Inter's history to become president. Under his administration, Inter won a Scudetto, two Italian Cups and two Italian Super Cups.

An icon of world football, Facchetti held a number of institutional roles within FIFA and UEFA along with the great champions who have written the history of the sport.