Meazza, Zanetti… Who are the 5 best players in Inter Milan’s history?

In the 113 years that FC Internazionale Milano has been in existence, a large group of football greats have defended the club’s colours. Zanetti, Meazza, Ronaldo, Eto’o, Sneijder, Ibrahimovic, Maicon, Milito, Suarez, Bergomi, Mazzola and so on. All of the aforementioned kicked for the Nerazzurri and kicked very well. But not all of them can fit into the top five best ever footballers that the fans at San Siro could sing odes to.

Luis Suarez

Don’t be alarmed, this isn’t Luis Suarez, who until recently was still rolling for Barcelona and is now shooting for Atlético Madrid. However, the two namesakes definitely share a goal scoring appetite. The Spanish footballer, who was at Inter from 1961 to 1970, was bought by the Italian big club from Catalan Barcelona for a then record transfer sum of 175,000 euros.

The skilful midfielder helped the Nerazzurri to win three league titles with his playmaking skills and is historically ranked among the best Spanish players. He managed to score 55 goals in 329 games.

Ronaldo

Although he spent just six seasons at Inter, he is one of the finest of Milan’s black and blue. The Brazilian, as Canaries are wont to do, enjoyed his football. And a lot of it. The dribbling, the tackles, the two-footed cannonball, the speed and the predation. He had it all.

José Mourinho said recently that he has yet to see another striker this complex. Ronaldo’s 25 goals in his debut season in Italy is still a record.

He has played just 99 games for the Nerazzuri, but still boasts 59 goals and 12 assists, among other things, and was also named Serie A Player of the Decade. Despite his health problems, he is considered one of the best footballers ever.

Giacinto Facchetti

Understandably, the defenders’ representative must not be missing from the list. Giacinto Facchetti played as a stopper and left-back, from which he managed to score 76 goals in 637 competitive matches.

It could be said that his style was ahead of his time and as a defender he went out to support the attacking efforts of his teammates far more often than was the norm at the time.

During his time in northern Italy from 1960 to 1978, he managed to win the Scudetto four times and was a very prominent figure in the so-called “Grande Inter” under the leadership of Helenio Herrera.

Javier Zanetti

The Argentine footballer was known, among other things, for his versatility. During his rich career he played in the attacking, midfield and defensive ranks, and in each position he played his part with ease. However, he played most of his games at right-back, right and central midfielder.

The Buenos Aires native led his team as captain in three decades and was a captain in his own right. He was never one of the extravagant sportsmen, he just played his part exceedingly well and let his performance speak for him without any unnecessary talk around.

Under his leadership, Inter won 16 trophies, making Zanetti’s tenure one of the most successful periods in the club’s history. He played 858 games for Inter (the club’s previous record), scoring 21 goals and assisting a further 18.

Giuseppe Meazza

Arguably the greatest of the great players in Inter Milan’s history. After all, with the shared Nerazzurri stadium itself bearing his name, he must have been an exceptional footballer.

Meazza, who incidentally also tried his hand at a stint with rival AC or Juventus, is still the club’s top scorer with 255 goals in 382 games. He played for the blue and black from 1927 to 1940 and then returned for the 1946/47 season.

He was especially valued for his dribbling ability, passing, creativity and a certain amount of elegance with which he moved around the pitch. It’s a good thing that a player of his calibre hasn’t completely fallen into obscurity. He must have been a joy to watch.

Source: Transfermarkt