Inter Milan and Brazilian players are like a match made in heaven. Some of the most legendary players from the South American country have played for the Nerazzurri, which include the likes of Ronaldo Nazario, Adriano, Lucio, Roberto Carlos, and several others.
This article will be looking at one such Brazilian, who would unsurprisingly be unknown to most fans despite his brilliant stint at the club. The player is Jair da Costa, who was a star player of the legendary 1960's Inter side. Let us rewind back to the glorious years of the Italian club, as we look back at his career.
Player profile
Jair played as a right winger, who was known for his extreme pace and agility. The Brazilian's dangerous combination of quick feet and fine technique made him a menace for defenders at the time. His powerful striking ability was yet another top attribute of the player, which even saw him play as a striker on certain occasions. In addition to all of these, Jair was quite the entertaining footballer for fans with his exquisite dribbling skills and use of elaborate feints.
Club career
Jair da Costa began his professional football career with Brazilian club Portuguesa, where he spent 2 years. He made his debut against XV Novembro de Jaú, and had also helped the club become runners-up in the 1960 Campeonato Paulista.
It was in November 1962 that Jair took the next big step of his football career, as he joined Italian giants Internazionale. Jair went on to have 2 separate stints with Inter (1962–1967 and 1968–1972), during which he played a combined total of 260 senior games. The Brazilian is notable for being a key member of manager Helenio Herrera's legendary Grande Inter, where he was a nightmare for defenders on the right wing.
Jair was seen as the piece of the puzzle for that magnificent Inter side, with his blistering pace being perfect for Inter's counterattacking play. It was also the Brazilian's goal against Benfica that gave the nerazzurri their second straight European Cup in 1965.
His time with Inter saw them win four Serie A titles (with two of being won consecutively), two European Cups (1964,1965) , as well as consecutive Intercontinental Cups in 1964 and 1965.
Those feats not only made him the first Brazilian player to win multiple European Cups, but also the first Brazilian player to win multiple Intercontinental Cups with a European team.
Jair's influence for Inter was clearly seen after his departure, as the legendary La Grande Inter side's decline coincided with his move to Roma, where he spent the 1967-1968 season.
He made a return to the San Siro for a second stint, but the homecoming only saw him score 14 goals in the 4 years that he stayed. Jair eventually left the Nerazzurri in 1972, as he returned to Brazil and joined Santos. Jair won the Campeonato Paulista with Santos in 1973, which was his final piece of silverware in football.
After his departure from Santos in 1973, Jair ended his career in Canada's National Soccer League in 1975 with Windsor Star.
International career
Despite his excellence for Inter, the presence of Brazil's legendary winger Garrincha restricted Jair to earning only a single cap for the Brazil national football team. This appearance came against Wales which Brazil won 3-1.
While his contributions for Brazil were next to nothing, Jair was a non-playing member of the Brazilian team that won the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
Hardcore fans of Inter will forever remember him, as their very own magical Brazilian winger.
