20 years without Giacinto Facchetti

20 years. 20 years since the sky suddenly turned upside down, as Susanna Wermelinger wrote on this website while searching for words that could never truly be found to say a final goodbye to Giacinto Facchetti. 20 years since a Summer so strange and bittersweet that it remains etched in the memory of all of us Inter fans, through events on and off the pitch, culminating in the greatest pain of all on 4 September 2006.

It all began, so to speak, on 11 May that year. Giacinto Facchetti was Inter president, and Roberto Mancini's side had lifted the Coppa Italia at San Siro after beating Roma 3-1. Cambiasso, Martins and Cruz were on the scoresheet, Zanetti lifted the trophy, and the league season was drawing to a close amid the turmoil of the ongoing investigations. As it turns out, that night at San Siro would be Giacinto Facchetti's final match at the stadium. No one could have known.