On this day 50 years ago, Helenio Herrera’s ‘Grande Inter’ were stunned by Celtic in the European Cup final.
Herrera joined the Nerazzurri from Barcelona in 1960, and built what is arguably the greatest side in the club’s history.
The Argentine may not have invented catenaccio, as he would later claim, but he perfected it.
The Beneamata lined-up with defenders strictly man marking, with a sweeper zonally marking in behind to clean up anything which slipped through the net.
On this day 50 years ago, Helenio Herrera’s ‘Grande Inter’ were stunned by Celtic in the European Cup final.
Herrera joined the Nerazzurri from Barcelona in 1960, and built what is arguably the greatest side in the club’s history.
The Argentine may not have invented catenaccio, as he would later claim, but he perfected it.
The Beneamata lined-up with defenders strictly man marking, with a sweeper zonally marking in behind to clean up anything which slipped through the net.
However, contrary to popular belief, that side were not purely defensive. Herrera pointed out that his side contained the overlapping skill of Giacinto Facchetti, who would score 12 goals in the 1965-66 season.
The Grande Inter won the Scudetto in three out of four years from 1963 to 1966, winning back-to-back European Cups in 1964 and 1965.
Having been beaten by Real Madrid in the 1966 semi-final, the Nerazzurri returned the final in 1967.
After conceding just one goal in their run to the semi-finals, Herrera’s side needed a play-off to beat CSKA Red Flag after two 1-1 draws, but Renato Cappellini’s goal saw them through at the Dall’Ara in Bologna.
Their opponents in Lisbon would be Scottish champions Celtic, and while Scottish football was more powerful than today, the Beneamata were nonetheless favourites.
Famously, the entire Hoops first XI was born within a 30-mile radius of Glasgow, but Inter also boasted a starting line-up comprised entirely of Italians.
With seven minutes played, Cappellini won a penalty, and Sandro Mazzola stepped up to put his side ahead.
As was their style, Inter retreated into their defensive shape, hoping to find space on the break late on and kill the match.
However, Celtic manager Jock Stein had warned pre-match “we are going to attack as we have never attacked before” and he was as good as his word.
The Bhoys poured forward with wave after wave of attack, and goalkeeper Giuliano Sarti was forced into a number of fine saves.
Just after the hour mark, Tommy Gemmell equalised with a thumping strike from the edge of the box which Sarti could do nothing about.
Inter had been pegged back, but they were unable to change the flow of the game and, with five minutes remaining, a Bobby Murdoch strike was diverted past the Nerazzurri goalkeeper by Stevie Chalmers.
Celtic became the first British side ever to win the European Cup, and remain the only Scottish team ever to have done so.
For Inter it proved to be the death knell of that great side, and the Beneamata wouldn’t lift the famous trophy again until Jose Mourinho’s side completed the Treble in 2010.