FACCHETTI TRIBUTES

Please post your tributes here to a great man, a great player, and a friend to Italy and our football.



Lasciate un messaggio di cordoglio.








Dal popolo Milano le piu' sentite condoglianze.

Addio ad un uomo che mi ha fatto sentire orgoglioso di essere interista ogni volta che ha aperto bocca.

Addio ad un uomo e ad un calciatore unico e irripetibile.

ADDIO GIACINTO!

RIP LEGEND



One of the greats of Italian football.

Just heard the news, absolute Legend.

Saw highlights of him play in the 1972 European Cup Final and 1970 World Cup Final, Cruijff described him as the 'best Italian defender' he has faced

RIP

Helenio Herrera, widely perceived as the innovator of catenaccio, always underlined the importance of Herrera in his team

Without the foraging full-back nothing would function.

RIP good man.

Beautiful personal tribute from Massimo Moratti on Inter.it



Caro Cipe,

non sono riuscito a dirti quello che volevo, per paura di farti capire che il tempo era inesorabile e la malattia terribile.
Scusami, ma credo che ti debba ringraziare soprattutto per la pazienza che hai sempre avuto con me.
Per i tuoi occhi che sorridevano, fino alla fine, ai miei entusiasmi o all’ironia con cui cercavo di superare insieme a te momenti difficili.
Pochi giorni fa, pochissimi, mi parlavi con un filo di voce - e con l’espressione di chi ti vuole bene - dell’Inter, proiettando il tuo pensiero in un futuro che andava oltre le nostre povere, ignoranti, possibilità umane.
Qualche mese fa ti chiedevo un po’ scherzando un po’ sul serio come mai non riuscivamo ad avere un arbitro amico, tanto da sentirci almeno una volta protetti, e tu, con uno sguardo fra il dolce e il severo, mi rispondesti che questa cosa non potevo chiedertela, non ne eri capace.
Fantastico. Non ne era capace la tua grande dignità, non ne era capace la tua naturale onestà, la sportività intatta dal primo giorno che entrasti nell’Inter, con Herrera che ti chiamò Cipelletti, sbagliandosi, e da allora, tutti noi ti chiamiamo Cipe. Dolce, intelligente, coraggioso, riservato, lontano da ogni reazione volgare.
Grazie ancora di aver onorato l’Inter, e con lei tutti noi.



Massimo Moratti

I quote a good nerrazzuri friend of mine, for he sums it up for all of us:

As soon as my eyes had cleared, I posted the following on rec.sport.soccer.

"Giacinto Facchetti has passed away.

He was the hero of my youth and a man whom embodied class in the boardroom and on the pitch. Sitting in the stands at San Siro, I admired his runs up the flank for the Nerazzurri.

Watching on televsion I saw the very same power and grace working for the Azzurri.

His indomitable presence on defense - rising up high over others to head the ball away from his team's goal - was constant assurance to the only two sides he played for as a professional - Inter and Italy.

Even in his days after retiring as a player he remained a true one-club, one-nation man. A breed that is now virtually extinct.

Beyond this all, is the simple fact that his passing leaves a hole for which there will be no patching.

You can read all the articles and books and listen to all the stories of his glories on the field and his accomplishments off of it - but the most important to me by far is the simple fact that the man was respected by *everyone*. He was a true competitor, but he was also a true sportsman. Simply put - he had class.

He played almost 700 matches of soccer and only received one red card (not for a foul or profanity, but for applauding a referee's decision.)

Giacinto Facchetti was known as 'Cipe' to his friends - the result of being mistakenly called 'Cipelletti' by the manager of the La Grande Inter, Helenio Herrera.

Arrevederci Cipe - sarai sempre con noi.

Goodbye Cipe - you will always be with us.

- Riff

Now I post the following here alone - to my Black 'n' Blue brothers like Roberto and Donnie, Eddy, Gautum and all you others too numerous to mention .....

To my Nerazzurri brothers and sisters I can only say that this man was my Inter hero - the man whom I regarded as a class act on the pitch and off it - he was a singular individual that carried himself in the same classy manner at all times. As much regard as I have for Javier Zanetti or had for Mazzola, Boninsegna, Corso, Zenga and even Bergomi, none of that surpassed the esteem and respect with which I held Giacinto Facchetti. He will always be in my mind the perfect example of what it is to be Interista.

We are all a little poorer today for his passing.

- Paul (Riff)

There is nothing to add - a fantastic tribute Bluenine by your friend.