It was called "Internazionale" because it was open to all players and not only to Italians (the first captain, Manktl, was Swiss). It was the result of a group of rebels previously associated to the Milan A.C.. That is how Inter was born. The colors of the club were gold, black, and blue, and the tradition has been carried through.

Inter was run by a venetian, Giovanni Paramithiotti. The first shield arrived two years later, with the debacle of Pro Vercelli for 11-3. At dawn of a World War, that destroyed almost everything and that cut off lives and championships squandered in a total destruction, president was Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone. Then the war broke out. And Virgilio Fossati, the captain of that first shield, was one of those players that went to the front and never came back. It must have been very hard to come back to reality and try to recover, after that. But football has always been something capable of inspiring passion and enthusiasm. Inter after the war fought to the last. It won its second shield in the first championship played in the post-war period. Its opponents was the Livorno, defeated for 3-2 on June 20, 1920. And then, the years of Fascism. With no time for objections. The Internazionale Football Club is perhaps too open towards abroad. As a matter of fact it is forced to incorporate with the Milanese Unione Sportiva and change name and tricot. So, the Ambrosiana takes shape. The new tricot is white, with a red cross. But the heart of the supporters is still black and blue and the entire arena resounds with a sole chorus: "Forza Inter". In 1932, December the 2nd, the club gets the permission to combine the two names. It becomes Ambrosiana-Inter.

Twenty years after the first shield, and ten years after the second, Inter won, during the thirties, its third championship. There are the days of Giuseppe Meazza, who signs also the success of the Italian Team during the World Championship of 1934 and 1938, and succeeds in winning the fourth shield of Inter (1938) and the first Italian Cup in 1939.

In 1940 the team of Meazza is unfortunately obscured by an accident and the team is forced to play without him for the entire season. It is a desperate struggle with the Bologna Club, but at the end, on June 2, 1940, the Milanese get the better right at the last game of the championship. Ferraris II scored the goal. For all the Italians this game represented for a long, long time of the last event of normal life. Eight days later, in fact, Benito Mussolini announces the entry of Italy into the war besides the Nazi Germany. Once more the football grounds remain empty.

It will take many years before being able to dream again. Since July 1942 Carlo Masseroni runs the club, which is at the time still "Internazionale", and that everybody, from October 1945, calls simply Inter.

Giuseppe Meazza his last season with Milan A.C. and Juventus and then gives up. He scored for Inter 224 times out of a total of 248 goals. The city of Milan will never forget him. The stadium where currently play both Inter and Milan A.C., and that was renewed during the World Championship in "Italia '90" with the building up of a third ring which brought to a total capacity of 85,000 places, is named after him.

The first half of the fifties is under the star of Armano and "Veleno" Lorenzi, of the Dutch Wilkes, the Sweden "Nacka" Skoglund and the Hungarian-stateless Nyers. A great forward, an insuperable goalkeeper, Giorgio Ghezzi called "Kamikaze", and a severe guide under the trainer Alfredo Foni: it is 1953 the year of the sixth shield, and then in 1954 the seventh. In may 1955 Masseroni leaves the club.

Angelo Moratti, an oil magnate, becomes President of the Internazionale Football Club. He does not know, at that time, that only in a few years he will become the President for excellence. During his presidency Inter becomes world-known, a real dream that nobody can forget. And yet at the beginning Milan A.C., Juventus and Fiorentina seemed invincible. Massei, Vonlanthen, Firmani arrive to play with Inter. Numerous trainers alternate and the great Meazza is often at disposal in order to give his help. Inter, however, does not take off.

In 1957 the Argentinian Antonio Valentin Angelillo, grew up at Boca in Buenos Aires and bought for 90 million Lira, arrives in Milan. The following year he is able to score almost 33 goals in the Italian championship. It is a record (also for today) that however means for Inter only a third place behind Milan A.C. and Fiorentina.

Angelo Moratti does not surrender, never. He believes in his team mabye with the same passion that inspired his profession. But he is not alone in this adventure. Small, elegant, graceful, passionate in her being always and in any case with the team and her husband, Erminia Moratti has been more than a godmother. She has been the Lady of Inter. She has made a family out of a team. She with her children and Angelo, all together, in the name of Inter: Adriana, Gianmarco, Massimo, Bedy, Gioia, and Natatlino.

The end of the fifties means the turning point. In 1958 Mario Corso, only 16 and a half, arrives among the Juniors of the Club. In 1960 Italo Allodi and Helenio Herrera join the club. The first is concerned with the club; he has worked for Mantova and the President has immediately understood his great skill. He will lay down the law on the football-market for almost twenty years. As far as Herrera is really tough. Almost nobody knows about him, apart from the fact that he is training in Spain.

Scrupulous, careful, relentless with the team, he has Inter under his eyes but the football of all the world in his mind. Herrera knows everything. At the end of the championship '60/61 Juventus relieves Inter of the shield. Many strange things occurred that year: a game was interrupted because of invasion of the playing field, decided at table in favor of Inter for 0 to 2 and then rediscussed at the end of the championship. The game was lost: the reason is that Inter decided to play that game with its Second team, the Juniores "Primavera". Juventus scores 9 times. Inter scored only 1. But that single goal has been scored by Sandro Mazzola, an omen.

Giacinto Facchetti makes his first appearance. Picchi, Burgnich and Zaglio find new energy and pride. First Angelillo, then Linskog and Firmani quit the scene. Bettini, Hitchens and Suarez join the team.

The black-and-blue Age begins in the season of '62/63. The first place in the championship means the eight shield. It is told that the President in person decided the crucial line-up, including Bugatti, Bolchi, and Maschio instead of Buffon, Zaglio, and Di Giacomo. The following year Bologna plays well, Inter too. Two points apart from Bologna, that is involved in a very bad story of doping, the black-and-blues succeed in placing first. In the later called "Easter of Blood" they defeat the Bologna team. But in a heavy atmosphere of controversy, supporter's threats, and contests from newspapers, the Italian league decides to withdraw the accusation of doping and to give back three points to Bologna. Both teams now have the same score. Before the decisive play-off, the Final game of the Champions League has to take place at the Prater Stadium in Vienna.

We are in 1964. Versus Real Madrid, Inter scores 3-1. Two goals are marked Sandro Mazzola and one is marked Milani. It is not only joy what we watch in those pictures in black and white in the first sixties. It is more than joy, it is passion, it is the success wanted with firmness, obtained with strength, conquered with confidence. Ten days later, however, Bologna wins the playoff game valid for the Italian Championship. But from now on Inter becomes inexorable. It is raining hard in Madrid during the play-off game for the Intercontinental Cup. Inter plays versus Independiente Argentina and Inter wins for 1-0, after the Buenos Aires match (1-0) and San Siro match (2-0). Overtime periods: Mario Corso decides the game. With his left foot, of course. Milani, Facchetti and Domenighini raise the trophy in triumph. Italy can wait, but not for a long time.

In the season '64/65 the ninth shields arrives and exactly like one year before, the Final in the Champions League is conquered ten days before the end of the Italian Championship. After having eliminated the Liverpool team, a 3-1 scored by Corso, PeirÛ and Fachetti in the Semi-final, in Milan, on a night enlightened by the great and passionate support of the spectators of San Siro stadium, Inter wipes out Benfica with a goal marked by Jair.

But it wants more: once again is the Independiente Argentina to lose the decisive match and for the second time the Intercontinental Cup is colored black and blue. The tenth Italian championship is won with Captain Picchi. That is the end of the season 1965/1966. Unfortunately is also the end of the golden age. Two years later the President makes a present of his black-and-blue dream to Ivanoe Fraizzoli and gives up. He gives up becase he feels it is the right moment to leave. But nor he will actually never abandon Inter, neither the family.

In the following years they will continue to look after their guys. This is the reason why if you ask now something about the Moratti family to Facchetti, Suarez, Corso, and Mazzola, they never give you an ordinary answer. Now that so many years have passed and those guys feel a sort of deep nostalgia watching the black-and-white pictures of their games, a special feeling for something gone and that will never come back again, now that the same old guys have entered into the club not for fighting on a pitch, but as executives working hard for the growth of their club, even now they continue to be touched by the memory of a family that they already really felt their own. What happened later is recent history.

After Helenio "the Magician", substituted first by Foni by Heriberto Herrera and by Gianni Invernizzi, Inter succeeds in winning the eleventh shield in 1970/71.

Eight years later there is the joy of the Italian Cup won versus Napoli. The season 1979/80 means the twelfth championship; trainer at that time is Bersellini. Fraizzoli quits after a great success: the third Italian Cup.

Then it is the time of Ernesto Pellegrini as President. He turns up to the Inter supporters announcing the purchase of Karl Heinz Rummenigge and after two years he entrusts the team of Giovanni Trapattoni. In the season 1988/89 under the sign of Germany (in the meantime also Matthaeus and Brehme joined the club) with Zenga, Bergomi, Ferri, G. Baresi, A. Bianchi, Berti and Diaz, Inter is capable to score 58 points in 34 games. It is the first place record in the history of the Italian Championship.

One year later is the turn of the Italian Super Cup and the spring of 1990 brings the certainty to attend the UEFA Cup, on May 22nd, 1991, exactly 26 years after the international success, Inter conquers Europe, defeating the Roma team in the UEFA Cup: Matthaeus and Berti score in the first match played in Milan and nothing can do the Roma team in the return match where they scored only one goal.

In 1994 it is Europe once again always in the UEFA Cup. The opponent Club, the Casino Salzburg, is defeated twice 1-0, first in Vienna with a goal by Berti and then again in San Siro thanks to Jonk.

And then the days of return. Something left, but never abandoned. Since February 18, 1995 Inter is once again under the name of Moratti. His name is Massimo, the third-born of Angelo. He has the same heart of that Angelo known in the black-and-blue history as "the President". He has understood his father's lesson and cannot forget. He had him by his side, loving him, being proud of him, sharing with him the great times. And Inter of course, that now is again in the family.