On Saturday, Julio Cesar will officially end his Football career, after playing in the game between Flamengo-Atletico Mineiro at the Maracana.
“It will be my last game, yes, it will be wonderful but it closes a chapter in my life”, he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Have you decided what you’re going to do after you retire?
“It’s possible that I stay in Football in some way, but I don’t know for sure. It’s still too early to say”.
Can you tell us your best save of your whole career?
“I tell everyone about Messi in the Champions League semi-finals in Barcelona, that’s probably the best save all things considered. One of the first things we get taught as Goalkeepers is that save is only beautiful if it’s important and that was very important”.
The most powerful emotion?
“I can give you three, the first, Campeonato Carioca 2001, Flamengo- Vasco, we had to win by two goals and Dejan Petkovic scored a free-kick in the final minutes to make it 3-1. The second, is obviously Madrid, the Champions League was without a doubt the highest point of my career. Finally, the 2014 World Cup, the penalty shootout against Chile in early knockout rounds”.
Opinions on the Real-Juve Buffon controversy?
“That was the kind of penalty you might or might not give, but if you are the referee you should understand the emotions and maybe not also expel Buffon. That said: Gigi then displayed the same thoughts in another manner of speech, to prove that when adrenaline is running through your body, you might say things you later regret”.
Have you ever gotten as angry as that?
“Not in such important moments, but I said something to Rocchi (Inter-Napoli 0-3, October 2011) when I saved a Hamsik penalty but he did not notice the run by Campagnaro to score on the rebound. I was also very annoyed by Rizzoli (Inter-Milan 4-2, May 2012) who awarded Boateng and penalty that did not exist and then he publicly said he was wrong too”.
Would you say you left Inter in the excellent hands of Handanovic?
“I never felt like Toldo’s heir, whom I had a great relationship with and Handanovic is not mine. He is a great Goalkeeper and will become even more important than any of the other players”.
When will you return to Milan to watch a game at San Siro?
“I hope to return soon, for the Champions League”.
Can you tell us a secret from the past 20 years?
“I had just arrived at Inter, we were second in the League, it was Palermo-Inter, Mancini speaks to emduring the week: “I know Corini well, if on the free-kicks we place the wall on the other side we put him in great difficulty. “I was puzzled but i said you’re the Boss, I’ll do as you say”. On Saturday Corini punished us. Three weeks later in Turin to play Juventus, Mancini says: “I played with Nedved, he’ll go low. “Nedved went over the wall and it was 2-0. The Journalist started hammering me, Julio Cesar poor at dealing with free-kicks, so at half time I take Mancio to one side and say: “Boss, it’s time, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong but from now on, I decide”.
