Greatest All-Time Team Under Helenio Herrera
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| European Cup winner with Inter Milan |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Helenio Herrera. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.
During his managerial career, Helenio Herrera won four La Liga titles in Spain (with Atlético Madrid and Barcelona) and three Serie A titles in Italy with Inter. He also guided Inter to European glory, winning two consecutive European Cups, among several other honours. He is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. In January 2017, Herrera was named among the 10 greatest coaches since the foundation of UEFA in 1954. With Inter Milan, he modified a 5–3–2 tactic known as the Verrou (door bolt) to include larger flexibility for counter-attacks – and the Catenaccio was born. The side was later nicknamed Grande Inter, due to the club's successes under him.
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| With Barcelona FC |
Sarti had done well in European football. In 1960-61, he helped Fiorentina to win the Cup Winners' Cup. In 1963, he joined Inter Milan and became the starting keeper of La Grande Inter under Helenio Herrera. He won two European Cup with them.
GK: Antoni Ramallets (Spain)
He was the starting keepers of Barcelona in the 1950's. He played with Laszio Kubalal and Luis Suarez. He won 6 La liga titles in an era that was known to be dominated by Alfred Di Stefano's Real Madrid.
GK: Marcel Domingo (France/Atletico Madrid)
Domingo was a French goalkeeper with Spanish origin. He started with AC Arles, OGC Nice and Stade Français in France. In 1948, he joined Atletico Madrid. He won two league champion League ( 1949/50 and 1950/51 ). He also played for RCD Espanyol in Barcelona and Olympique de Marseille.
RB: Tarcisio Burgnich (Italy/Inter Milan)
Throughout his career, Burgnich played for Udinese, Juventus, Palermo, Internazionale, and Napoli; although he won titles with both Juventus and Napoli, he is best known for his time with Inter Milan, where he was a member of manager Helenio Herrera's Grande Inter side. He also participated and won the Euro 1968 with Italy.
CB: Enric Gensana (Spain/Barcelona)
Gensana began to play football and signed for Barça in 1956 and in the same year the team won the Cup and he made his debut with the national team. He starred for Barcelona in 8 years and moved to Osasuna in 1964 and one year later to Condal. Capped 10 times.
SW: Armando Picchi (Italy/Inter Milan)
He was the captain of La Garnde Inter. The team was transformed when Helenio Herrera moved him to the libero position and a legendary team was born. He was capped 12 times by the Azzurri.
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| Armando Picchi |
He was a part of the great Barcelona team of the 1950's. They finally reached the 1961 European Cup Final, but losing to Benfica. It would take Barcelona more 31 years before winning the Cup.
CB: Ferran Olivella (Spain/Barcelona)
Olivella was capped 18 times for Spain, but better remembered for being the captain of Spain that won Euro 1964. He also won Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
CB: Marcelo Campanal (Spain/Sevilla)
Known as "Campanal II", he played for sixteen seasons at Sevilla FC , two with Deportivo La Coruna , CD Iliturgi and his final season as a professional in the Real Aviles CF. He earned 11 caps with the national team between 1952 and 1957.
CB: Sergio Santarini (Italy/Roma)
Santarini won three Italian Cups with AS Roma in 1969, 1980 and 1981. He had two caps for Italy. He was elected to Roma's Hall of Flame.
LB: Giacinto Facchetti (Italy)
Under the emerge Paolo Maldini, Facchetti was considered to be Italy's greatest left back. He spent his entire career with Inter Milan. He was the star wingback of La Grande Inter where they won back-to-back European Cups. He was capped 94 times and also won the Euro 1968 with Italy.
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| Giacinto Facchetti with Helenio Herrera |
DM: Gianfranco Bedin (Italy/Inter Milan)
Bedin began his career with Internazionale, playing for the team for a decade, and was part of their European Cup victory in 1965; he later also played for Sampdoria, Varese, Livorno and Rondinella. At international level, he also earned 6 caps for the Italy national football team between 1966 and 1972.
CM: Luis Suarez Miramontes (Spain/Barcelona/Inter Milan)
Considered to be Spain's greatest player until 1970's. He won Ballon d'Or in 1960. In 1964, he led La Roja in winning the European Championship. For club football, he was a member of "Grande Inter" and won two consecutive European Cups.
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| Luis Suarez |
CM/AM: Sandro Mazzola (Italy/Inter Milan)
He was a part of Inter Milan's "La Grande Inter". He won four Serie A titles (1963, 1965, 1966 and 1971), two European Cups (1964 and 1965) and two Intercontinental Cups (1964 and 1965). He won the Euro 1968 with the Azzurri and led them to the WC Finals in 1970. During his career, he was known for sharing the starting position with AC Milan's Gianni Rivera on the national team. His father was Valentino Mazzola who died when Sandro was 7 years old.
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| Sandro Mazzola |
Jair played with Portuguese before heading to Europe after the World Cup in 1962. In Europe, he was a part of La Grande Inter. He won 4 Serie A titles and 2 European Cup with Inter Milan. He had one spell at Roma between two spells with Inter Milan. He returned to Brazil and played for Santos in 1972.
LW: Zoltan Czibor (Hungary/Barcelona)
He was widely considered to be one of the greatest left winger in history. He was also a member of the Mighty Magyars. After 1956. he fled to the West. He joined Ladislao Kubala and Sándor Kocsis to play for FC Barcelona. Together with Ramallets, Evaristo and Luis Suárez, they formed the great Barcelona team of the 1950's.
LW: Mario Corso (Italy/Inter Milan)
He was one of the greatest Italian wingers. Nicknamed "God's Left Foot", he was a part of La Grande Inter. Except for two seasons at the end of his career, he played his entire career with Inter Milan. He earned 23 caps, but never selected for any major tournament.
AM: Larbi Benbarek (France/Morocco/Atletico Madrid)
Benbarek was the first Black player to reach stardom in Europe, earning the nick name "Black Pearl". He made his name with Stade Francasis Paris. In 1948, he moved to Atletico Madrid, where he reached the height of his career and won two La Liga title.
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| Larbi Benbarek |
FW: Eulogio Martínez (Paraguay/Spain/Barcelona)
He started his career with Club Libertad before moving to Barcelona FC in 1956. He led the team in scoring in three seasons (1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60), obtaining two Spanish League titles, two Copas del Rey and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups. Martínez also became a part of FC Barcelona's history by scoring the first goal ever at their current stadium, Camp Nou, in 24 September 1957. He was reputed to be the creator of the "Martinez Turn", which later received worldwide acclaim as the "Cruyff Turn".
FW: Laszlo Kubala (Slovakia/Hungary)
Born in Hungary of a multi-cultural background. He was known as one of the greatest Barcelona players ever. He still managed to win 4 Li Liga titles in the 1950's in an era dominated by Real Madrid. He also played for Ferencvárosi, Slovan Bratislava, Barcelona, and Espanyol. Internationally, he has played for Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Spain.
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| Laszlo Kubala |
Started with Alvas and Malaga before joining Sevilla in 1943. He spent 16 seasons with Sevilla and became their all-time leading scoring. He won the league in 1946. He was also the league's top scorer in the 1954-53 season. He earned 2 caps.
RW/SS/ST: Allan Simonsen (Denmark/Barcelona)
He most prominently played for Borussia Mönchengladbach, winning the 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cups, as well as for Barcelona, winning the 1982 Cup Winners' Cup. He is the only footballer to have scored in the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup finals. Simonsen was named 1977 European Footballer of the Year. he was a part of Denmark's Euro 1984 team, but was injured after the first game. By 1986, he was an aging player and played in one match at the WC Finals.
FW: Evaristo de Macedo (Brazil/Barcelona)
Evaristo played for Madureira and Flamengo before moving to Barcelona in 1957, where he stayed until 1962. He joined Real Madrid in 1962 after a disagreement. He was one of tee first Brazilian to star in La Liga. Evaristo was capped by Brazil 14 times, scoring 8 goals. He also holds the record of most goals for the Brazilian national team in one single game, as he netted five times for the Seleção in a 9–0 win against Colombia in 1957.
ST: Adrián Escudero (Spain/Atletico Madrid)
He was the all-time leading goalscorer for Atlético Madrid with 170 goals, having appeared for the club in 13 La Liga seasons and played in more than 350 official games. He was capped 3 times.
ST: Sandor Kocsis (Hungary/Barcelona)
He was a prolific goalscorer for the Mighty Magyars in the 1950's. He scored 75 goals in 68 appearances for Hungary. He scored 11 goals at the WC in 1954, the second highest for a single tournament. He played for Honved at home before he went to play for Barcelona after the Soviet invasion in 1956. With fellow Hungarian exiles Ladislao Kubala and Zoltan Czibor, Barcelona became a force in Europe.
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| Sandor Kocsis, Luis Suarez and Laszlo Kubala |
Honorable Mention
Henry Carlsson (Atletico Madrid), Alfonso Silva (Atletico Madrid), José María Busto (Sevilla), Pedro Alconero (Sevilla), Sergio Santarini (Roma), Horst Szymaniak (Inter Milan), Aristide Guarneri (Inter Milan), Joaquín Peiró (Inter Milan), Saul Malatrasi (Inter Milan), Aurelio Millani (Inter Milan), Martí Vergés (Barcelona), Justo Tejada (Barcelona).
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| With Inter Milan |
Squad Explanation
-- Herrera won two league titles between 1949 and 1951 while at Atletico Madrid. The team was considered the very first great team from the club. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the team.
-- I do not know much about his career outside Barcelona and Inter Milan. I selected a few famous players from some of the clubs he had coached onto my honourable mention.
-- José María Busto was the other goalkeeper considered.
-- Allan Simonsen played under him during his later years at Barcelona. I picked him more of a symbolic gesture. I want a modern player on the team.
Formation
The formation is based upon La Grande Inter. I brought over Kubala, Czibor and Segarra from Barcelona.
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