17 Facts About Giacinto Facchetti

Giacinto Facchetti was an Italian footballer who played as a left-back for Inter Milan from 1960 to 1978.

Giacinto Facchetti later served as Inter chairman from January 2004 until his death in 2006.

Giacinto Facchetti played 634 official games for the club, scoring 75 goals, and was a member of "Grande Inter" team under manager Helenio Herrera which won four Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups.

Giacinto Facchetti placed second for the Ballon d'Or in 1965.

Giacinto Facchetti was elected to the 1970 World Cup All-Star Team, in which Italy were runners-up.

Giacinto Facchetti was captain of the national side that won Italy's first ever UEFA European Championship on home soil in 1968, where he was elected to the team of the tournament.

Giacinto Facchetti is remembered as one of the first truly great attacking full-backs.

Giacinto Facchetti is regarded as one of the best football players ever at his position, due to his pace, technique, intelligence, physique, and stamina.

Giacinto Facchetti formed a formidable defensive partnership with fellow full-back Tarcisio Burgnich in Inter's defensive catenaccio system and with the Italian national side.

The change of role proved to be an effective choice, and eventually Giacinto Facchetti developed into one of the most effective defenders in Italian football, forming a notable partnership in defence with fellow Italian full-back Burgnich.

Giacinto 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-attacking catenaccio system of Herrera's "Grande Inter" side that dominated Italian, European, and World Football in the 60s; whilst conceding few goals defensively, Giacinto Facchetti was able to contribute offensively with numerous goals and assists.

Giacinto Facchetti was capped 94 times wearing the captain's armband 70 times and scoring three goals between 1963 and 1977; he is currently his nation's ninth-highest appearance holder.

Giacinto Facchetti played for his country at the 1966,1970, and 1974 FIFA World Cups, captaining Italy in the latter two editions of the tournament.

Giacinto Facchetti was elected chairman of Inter on 19 January 2004, following the resignation of previous president Massimo Moratti.

Giacinto Facchetti is survived by his wife, Giovanna, and four children.

In 2010, Luciano Moggi publicly accused Giacinto Facchetti of sporting illicit.

Moggi accused Giacinto Facchetti "of having requested and obtained special treatment in the refereeing of Inter's matches".