Worry and hope intermingle in the Italian football world this week, as news broke that Massimo Moratti, the revered 80-year-old former president of Inter Milan, has been hospitalized in intensive care. The story quickly rippled through Italian sports media, with fans and former players alike expressing concern for the man who, for decades, was synonymous with Inter’s ambition and heart.
According to reports from Gazzetta dello Sport and corroborated by STN News, Moratti was urgently admitted to the intensive care unit at Humanitas Hospital in Rozzano, just outside Milan, on August 27, 2025. The cause: a respiratory infection serious enough to require invasive support. Though his condition remains serious, hospital sources and family members have described it as stable. He is currently conscious, but doctors have had to perform intubation due to his difficulty breathing independently.
For many in the football community, this news lands with particular gravity. Moratti is not just a former club president; he’s a living bridge between Inter Milan’s storied past and its present. He served as president during three separate stints—from the late 1990s to 2004, and again from 2006 to 2013—overseeing some of the club’s most triumphant eras. His leadership culminated in the historic 2010 season, when Inter, under José Mourinho’s guidance, became the first Italian club to win the coveted treble: Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the UEFA Champions League in a single campaign.
Moratti’s story is also a family saga. He’s the fourth son of Angelo Moratti, himself a legendary figure who presided over Inter’s so-called “Grande Inter” era in the 1960s. That period saw the club rise to international prominence, winning back-to-back European Cups and dominating Italian football. The Moratti family’s legacy is woven tightly into Inter’s DNA, and both father and son are remembered for their deep emotional investment in the club and its people.
Even in recent months, Moratti had seemed in good spirits. As noted by STN News, he celebrated his 80th birthday in May 2025 at a party organized by his children. The event was a testament to his enduring relationships within the football world: legends like Ronaldo, Christian Vieri, Álvaro Recoba, Andrea Pirlo, and members of the 2010 treble-winning squad gathered to honor him. Photos from the celebration showed Moratti smiling and surrounded by those whose careers he helped shape, a poignant reminder of his central role in the Inter family.
Yet, as the news of his hospitalization spread, anxiety took hold among Inter supporters and the broader Italian football community. The club’s official channels have remained circumspect, but the sense of unease is palpable. “Many Inter fans are worried,” STN News reported, “because he was known for his deep bonds with people inside the club.”
Moratti’s influence on Inter Milan is hard to overstate. During his presidency, the club lifted 16 major trophies, including five Serie A titles and multiple Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana triumphs. Perhaps more importantly, he was known for his generosity and vision, investing heavily in players and infrastructure at times when Italian football was facing both domestic and international challenges. His tenure was marked by bold signings—bringing in global stars like Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Samuel Eto’o—and by a willingness to dream big, even when reality seemed to conspire against those dreams.
He was also, by all accounts, a president who cared deeply for his players and staff. Former Inter stars have often spoken of Moratti’s personal touch: the phone calls after a tough loss, the quiet support during injury recoveries, the sense that the club was, above all, a family. This approach endeared him to generations of Interisti, who saw in Moratti not just a businessman or figurehead, but a true custodian of the club’s values.
Moratti’s legacy extends beyond the pitch. He is widely respected in Italian society for his philanthropy and business acumen, as well as for his efforts to maintain a sense of integrity and sportsmanship in an era often marked by scandal and acrimony. His leadership was sometimes tested—Inter, like all great clubs, faced its share of controversies and disappointments—but he remained steadfast in his commitment to both the club and the sport.
News of his current health crisis has prompted a wave of support from across the football world. Social media channels have been flooded with messages of encouragement, not just from Inter fans but from supporters of rival clubs as well. The Italian Football Federation released a brief statement expressing solidarity with Moratti and his family, and several prominent figures in European football have sent private messages of support.
The specifics of Moratti’s condition remain closely guarded. Hospital officials and family members have asked for privacy, and updates have been limited to brief statements confirming his serious but stable status. “He is being treated at the hospital and is conscious,” STN News reported, echoing the cautious optimism that many are feeling. At the same time, the decision to intubate underscores the seriousness of his respiratory infection, and medical experts caution that the coming days will be critical.
For now, the Inter community waits. The club’s current leadership, players, and supporters are united in their hope for Moratti’s recovery. His story, after all, is inseparable from that of Inter Milan itself—a tale of passion, resilience, and the enduring power of sport to bring people together in moments of both joy and uncertainty.
As the football world holds its breath, one thing is clear: Massimo Moratti’s impact on Italian football, and on the lives of those who love it, will not soon be forgotten. His legacy, built over decades of devotion and vision, continues to inspire—reminding everyone that behind every great club are the people who dare to dream, and the leaders who make those dreams possible.
