Валентино Маццола: «Grande Torino» капитаны және Италия футбол тарихындағы легенда

Italian footballer (1919–1949)

Valentino Mazzola (; 26 January 1919 – 4 May 1949) was an Italian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. Considered one of the great number 10s in the history of football Mazzola was the captain and symbol of the "Grande Torino", the team recognised as one of the strongest in the world during the second half of the 1940s, with whom Mazzola won five Serie A championships. He was also captain of the Italy national team for two years. He became known during his spell at Venezia, where he played as a midfielder, a playing position he held throughout his career that allowed him to expand his fame beyond Italy. In his later seasons, he was considered one of the best players in Europe in his role. He died at the age of 30 in the Superga air disaster.

He was born in Cassano d'Adda, Ricetto, a neighbourhood of abandoned homes to a very modest family. His father, Alessandro, was a labourer for Azienda Torinese Mobilità and died in August 1940, hit by a truck. His mother's name was Leonina Ratti and his four brothers were Piero, Silvio, Carlo and Stefano. He had an unsettled childhood; in 1929 his father was fired from his job because of the Great Depression. To help his family, Valentino sought work the following year, just as he finished the first year of grade school. He found employment as a baker's boy, then, at age 14, the linen mill at Cassano d'Adda. In the summer of 1929, at age 10, he threw himself into the river Adda to save the life of a boy four years his junior from drowning: his name was Andrea Bonomi, the future football player and captain of Milan. A Juventus fan at a young age, he was nicknamed "Tulen" for his habit of kicking old tin cans: which Valentino would kick on his journey between home and
the linen mill. He played in his local neighbourhood team, the "Tresoldi" and was noticed by a football fan who worked as a test driver for the Alfa Romeo factory in Arese, who offered Valentino a place in the Alfa Romeo team and a job as a mechanic. Vittorio Pozzo contributed to the recognition of the bodies, which took place late in the night. The funeral, attended by over half a million people, was held on 6 May; the bodies were brought to Palazzo Madama, from where the procession departed, continuing to the Duomo. On the same day the FIGC proclaimed Torino champions of the 1948–49 season, four rounds before the end, approving the proposal of Inter, Milan and Juventus.

Mazzola made his debut for the national side on 5 April 1942, in a 4–0 friendly home win over Croatia. He scored his first international goal on 19 April, in a 4–0 friendly home win over Spain. Overall, Mazzola played 12 matches with the Italy national team between 1942 and 1949 and scored 4 goals, also serving as the side's captain between 1947 and 1949.

Mazzola is considered one of the best football players of all time, and perhaps the first modern all around footballer; a well rounded, versatile, and hardworking player, he was capable of playing in any position on the pitch, and was known for his strong character and winning mentality, as well as his ability to lead his teammates to victory with his charismatic presence and leadership (Mazzola was famous for raising his shirt's sleeves when his team was not playing well as a signal to his teammates and the fans). Mazzola was a quick, strong and energetic midfielder, with excellent technical qualities and dribbling skills, as well as notable stamina, positional sense, vision, creativity, and accurate shooting and passing ability with both feet. Because of his tactical intelligence and many attributes, he was capable of both scoring and creating goals for his team. He was also an excellent playmaker, and highly regarded for his ability to orchestrate his team's attacking moves. Although he was usually deployed as an attacking midfielder, he was also capable of playing in more offensive roles, as a main forward, as a winger on either flank or as an inside or supporting striker. Despite his small stature, he excelled in the air, due to his power, timing, heading accuracy, and elevation, which allowed him to beat larger players for the ball. Although he was mainly renowned for his offensive and creative capabilities, Mazzola was also highly competent defensively, often pressing and tackling opponents in order to win back possession, and was even capable of being deployed as a central midfielder, or as a defender. In the Milan area, players who insist on dribbling rather than passing are called "Veneziani" (Venetians). This is a reference to when Mazzola played for Venezia, as well as his penchant for undertaking individual dribbling runs. José Altafini, a forward who won the 1958 World Cup with Brazil and also played for Italy, is called "Mazzola" in his home country due to his resemblance to Valentino.