A three-time UEFA Cup winner during a mammoth 20-year spell at FC Internazionale Milano, Giuseppe Bergomi celebrated his 50th birthday on Sunday as one of the club’s ultimate stalwarts.
He made over 750 appearances in all competitions for the Nerazzurri, and told UEFA.com in an interview that he never considered playing for any other side: “When you grow up at such a club and you manage to break through into the team, you don’t feel like going anywhere else. It feels like your second skin. And this makes you feel special, and I think that if a player plays in the youth teams, makes it into the first team and spends their career at one club, that’s like reaching the target every player has.”
During his time with Inter, the Milan giants were triumphant once in both Serie A and the Coppa Italia. A member of the Italy team that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, Bergomi also tasted international success with Inter in two UEFA Cup finals – against AS Roma in 1991 and FC Salzburg in 1994. He was also a member of the team that won against Lazio in 1998, but didn’t play in the final.
“Inter managed to win a European trophy after a long time,” he said of the first victory. “We had to face Roma, opponents who deserved to make it into the final. At San Siro, we won 2-0, but then they made us suffer in the return leg. [Coach Giovanni] Trapattoni’s defensive tactics decided the match and, adding both games together, we deservedly won the final.
“Against Salzburg, it was a more complicated match,” continued Bergomi, who now works as a TV commentator. “We first won away 1-0 and then they came to us. We played well in the first half, but they were strong, hitting the post twice and forcing [Walter] Zenga to make some great saves. And then [Wim] Jonk scored, which lifted the pressure. Winning the UEFA Cup was an important target that we achieved after doing badly in the domestic league.”
Source: uefa.com
