Ivano Bordon is inducted into the Inter Hall of Fame: “An honour, it means a lot to me”

Legends

— Dec 22nd 2022

3 MIN READING

The first of four inductees revealed for 2022. The other winners will be revealed over the coming weeks

Ivano Bordon is inducted into the Inter Hall of Fame. The former Nerazzurri player is the first of four new entrants for the 2022 edition. He is the fifth goalkeeper to receive the honour, following Walter Zenga, Francesco Toldo, Julio Cesar and Gianluca Pagliuca.

The announcement of the winner of the goalkeeper category kicks off the announcement of the new entrants, who were voted for by Inter fans from around the world over the last few weeks. The induction ceremony will take place in March.

It’s a unique tradition that unites the legendary goalkeepers from the Club’s history. Iconic, talented and successful were they all. Ivano Bordon was born in Marghera on 13 April 1951 and started playing football from a young age. His inspiration was his dad, also a player, and his guiding light was his grandfather, who took him to matches and got him to go in goal. From there, the young Ivano worked, learned and fell in love with the game. He decided to stay between the sticks and defend the goal.

At 15 years of age, he travelled to Milan to join the Nerazzurri’s youth set-up. It was 1966, and Herrera was Inter boss. The city of Milan became his home and the Nerazzurri colours became his life. In June 1969, his name hit the headlines for the first time at the Torneo Città di Milano. “Among the young Inter goalkeepers – an opinion held also by those that oversee the development of young players at Inter – Bordon is the most gifted. Yes, he is just 18 years of age and it is difficult to gauge the full potential of such a young goalkeeper.”

That was only the beginning. Bordon made his full Inter debut in 1970, coming on halfway through the derby of all games. Lido Vieri started but, in March 1971, Bordon was called upon to replace him for the run-in due to a multiple-match ban for the former. “Excited? No. I know my career is on the line but the first rule for a goalkeeper is never to lose your cool.” Acrobatic saves and reflex stops reminiscent of his tutor Vieri, the press praised Bordon from the start: “They play without emotion, cold like a statute.” He was immediately victorious, making nine appearances over the remainder of that season, which culminated with the Club winning its eleventh league title.

In 1971, he was once again the hero replacement. That game against Borussia Mönchengladback became the biggest night in his career. Bordon started the replay of the game in Berlin and had the perfect game. He kept it at 0-0, saving everything, including a penalty.

That was just one of Bordon’s many incredible performances throughout his career. He made 388 appearances for the Club, winning two Scudetti and two Coppa Italia titles. He spent 13 seasons at Inter, setting the Club record for the longest run without conceding a single goal in Serie A (686 minutes without conceding – from the 7th minute on matchday 4 to the 7th minute of matchday 11 in 1979/80). He was also part of the Italy side that won the 1982 World Cup, though he never got on the pitch.

“ I want to thank everyone that voted for me. This is another show of affection for me from the Inter supporters. I came to Inter as a boy; Invernizzi showed faith in me and I tried to repay him. I tried to do that for many, many years. I’m really proud to be entering the Hall of Fame; it means a lot to me. Inter have always had great goalkeepers and I’m proud to be counted amongst them. My idol was definitely Lido Vieri; I learned so much from him, including my style of play. But, on this special day, I want to spare a thought for Mauro Bellugi; he was like a brother to me.”

Ivano Bordon