Mario Corso

Mario Corso (25 August 1941 – 19 June 2020) was one of the most gifted and elegant footballers in Italian history. A symbol of Inter Milan’s legendary Grande Inter of the 1960s, Corso is remembered as a supremely talented left winger whose creativity, technique, and extraordinary left foot made him a unique figure in world football.

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Born in San Michele Extra, Verona, Corso began playing football in local youth teams before being spotted by Inter, who signed him in 1958. He made his first-team debut at just 17 years of age, immediately showing the flair and confidence that would define his career. From the outset, it was clear that Inter had discovered a rare talent.

Corso spent the vast majority of his playing career at Inter, becoming a central figure in the team coached by Helenio Herrera. During this golden era, Inter dominated Italian and European football, and Corso played a crucial role with his vision, precise passing, and ability to decide matches with moments of brilliance. With Inter, he won four Serie A titles, two European Cups (1964 and 1965), and two Intercontinental Cups, cementing his place in the club’s history. In total, he made 520 appearances for the Nerazzurri, scoring 96 goals in all competitions.

Nicknamed “Mariolino”, “Mandrake”, and most famously “The Left Foot of God,” Corso was renowned for his extraordinary technical ability. His signature skill was the “foglia morta” free kick—literally “dead leaf”—a shot that dipped and swerved unpredictably, often leaving goalkeepers helpless. Elegant rather than explosive, Corso was not known for physical power or relentless running, but for intelligence, imagination, and an almost artistic relationship with the ball.

At international level, Corso represented the Italian national team between 1961 and 1971, earning 23 caps and scoring four goals. Although his talent was unquestionable, his style did not always align with the more rigid tactical demands of international football at the time, limiting his appearances compared to his club success.

In the later years of his playing career, Corso moved to Genoa, where he finished his time as a professional footballer in the mid-1970s. In his first year he Rossoblu were relegated. He decided to stay on but broke his leg early in the season. The fracture was not entirely healed when he had the metal plaque removed and he broke it again. That was the end of his career.

He then transitioned into coaching, and he started with the Napoli Primavera in 1978-79 winning the title. After, he worked with Lecce and Catanzaro. He led the Apulians to safety in Serie B in the 1982-83 season, but was sacked the following year with Catanzaro. He went back to Inter to coach the youth teams and took Ilario Castagner’s place as manager in November 1985. That year Inter reached a UEFA Cup qualification but he was not confirmed. In 1987-88 he joined Mantova taking them to victory of the Serie C2 league and obtaining a sixth place the year after. In 1989 he signed for Barletta in Serie B and helped them to stay in the second tier. In 1991-92 he joined Verona with Nils Liedholm. It was his last job as manager. From then on, he worked as scout for Inter.

Mario Corso passed away in Milan on 19 June 2020 at the age of 78. He remains an enduring icon of Italian football—a player who embodied creativity and elegance, and whose magical left foot helped define one of the greatest teams in football history.

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Wikipedia