Ernesto Pellegrini dead aged 84: Inter Milan’s former president dies just hours before Champions League final
FORMER Inter Milan president Ernesto Pellegrini has passed away aged 84 – just hours before the Champions League final.
The Milan native owned the Serie A giants from 1984 to 1995.
Pellegrini grew up as a boyhood Inter fan and was the Nerazzurri’s 17th president.
He made his fortune in the catering business and was first admitted onto the board at the San Siro in 1979.
Pellegrini purchased Inter from Ivanoe Fraizzoli in 1984.
Under his leadership, Inter won a record-breaking Scudetto just four years later.
They also secured the Supercoppa Italiana and two Uefa Cup titles, with the team including greats such as Jurgen Klinsmann and Lothar Matthaus.
Pellegrini was inducted into the Club’s Hall of Fame in 2020.
He reportedly passed away at 8am on Saturday morning, per La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Inter face PSG in tonight’s Champions League final in Munich.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK
The team will wear black armbands in his honour.
Paying tribute on X, the team wrote: “President Ernesto Pellegrini has left us.
“For eleven years he led Inter with wisdom, honour and determination, leaving an indelible mark on the history of our Club.
“FC Internazionale Milano and all the Nerazzurri fans gather around his family.”
Inter are targeting a first Champions League triumph since 2010 on Saturday night.
The Nerazzurri last competed in a CL final in 2023, when they went down 1-0 to Manchester City.