MILITO: “LAVEZZI? I LIKE!”

The Inter leading goal scorer confesses.

“Lavezzi? He is a champions and it would be nice to play with him. And Destro is worthy of a big club.”

“I will stay at Inter until at least 2014. I want to win the Scudetto again.”

THE BALL TO PRINCE’S COURT

Milito: “Lavezzi OK, he makes a difference. And Destro is worthy of Inter.”

“I will play in black and blue until at least 2014 and want to repay the love from the fans by bringing back the Scudetto.”

Milan – He is only being the Prince on the field. Off of it, Diego Milito is the picture of simplicity. He is polite, punctual and humble. Suffering for those who are suffering, helping those in need, forgetting the negatives. Like that statement after the victory in the Champions League where he said: “I don’t know if I will stay.” Now it is another story. “I was wrong that night but I was honest and sincere. Now I will try to repay all the love from the fans by trying to win back the Scudetto with the shirt of Inter. I am feeling this shirt. I have been here for three years and I will remain here until at least 2014 when my contract expires. At that point I will be 35 years old and I have to think then.”

Milito, and the city of Milan. Tell us about your life in Milan.

“I live in San Siro with my wife Sofia and two children: Leandro who is four years old and Agustina who is two. I will get Leandro in kindergarten in the afternoon. I often bring the kids to the park. We play with inflatable toys and watch cartoon together a lot especially ‘Ben 10.’ I know how to adapt myself. I follow football and I like watching sport programs but I do it when they go to bed. Then I enjoy Bonolis and Fiorello, Hunziker as well as Zelig. And the rest is I do not go out much. I do not like the shopping centers. I would never live near it because it is to chaotic, there is the problem with parking but I love Milan and I am very well here. It is the city that has a lot to offer. It is one of the better cities in Europe.”

Especially there is a fantastic culinary culture here: any Italian dishes that you like.

“One in particular: pesto. I always bring some from Genoa. My wife prepares the pasta the one that I like. I eat lots of meat as I prefer it to fish. I love savory the most though. Better a good empanada (a tortilla filled with meat) than a dulce de leche (milk-based dessert). I often go to restaurant and my favorite is Gaucho.”

So you don’t go to Javier Zanetti’s restaurant.

“I like it (Diego celebrated the festivities with his family there). Zanetti is amazing and I have no words to describe him. Although I’m not surprised by him anymore.”

In fact, you are being called a clan of Argentinians…

“You can be more wrong. We are from the same country but we refuse this label. We are not a clan. We are friends and it is normal.”

Do you have Italian friends?

“Here they are. Two of them. Danilo and Gianluca Trabbucco. We have a beautiful relationship between my family and them. They are always with us and they have helped us a lot. Another one that I’m thinking of is Adrian Faija, my classmate in an Argentinian school and now he is a lawyer. He is a brother.”

Have you always wanted to become a footballer?

“No, I wanted to become a business man. I already enrolled in a university then football took over. I was born with a ball in my hands and between my feet. And now I can say that I am not doing too bad. My brother Gabriel and I, we have made our father happy.”

What kind of job does your father have?

“He has a metallurgical company and he is a hard worker. We are not rich but we have always been well. Today (yesterday) is his birthday. Father Jorge is turning 58 and he often comes to see me.”

Have you ever recommended your brother to Moratti?

“No but my brother would have done very well here in Italy. With the kind of characters that he has, he would have been a great defender here. Unfortunately we will not play together anymore. It happened in Zaragoza. But let’s say after Inter I go back to Argentina to wear the shirt of Racing Club, he would still be at Independiente. Two opposing faiths.”

Since we are talking about Argentina, tell us about Ezequiel Lavezzi, the Napoli striker, the man of many of your fans’ desires. Want to play with him?

“I like playing with champions and Lavezzi is just that. It would be very nice. He jumps, he is quick and has an incredible physical strength. In short, he makes the difference.”

Tell us the truth, have you called him?

“I swear, no.”

And Destro, a more likely arrival, what do you say? He is a fan, plays with the number 22, follows and learns all of your movements…

“I like him. I saw him when he trained with us in the Mourinho’s days and you could already see then that he was a good player. He is one that deserves a big club.”

Ah, you mentioned Mourinho, the man of that incredible treble. Is he the most important coach in your career?

“I have not had any problems with the coaches and I have learned much from all of them bit I would say that Mourinho gave me so much. He is extraordinary. But I would like to also mention Bielsa. I learned a lot from him. I was a second striker and it was him that made me become a first striker but he made me realize the importance of goals. He is a great coach.”

Stramaccioni will remain as Inter coach. The third coach of last season who seems to be suitable to handle a difficult dressing room like yours?

“Let me clarify: our dressing room is not at all difficult and he has shown it with the results. After the game against Juve, we were out of everything even the Europa League. He is doing well now.”

But the Inter of the past season were a flop. Milito, a sixth place is not acceptable to you. What happened?

“The season began poorly. Too many changes on the bench, we made mistakes, lost a few games and consequently, a lot of confidence. There was also the sale of Thiago Motta but he wanted to go.”

You finished with 24 goals. Among the top goalscorers, three are over 30 years old: Ibrahimovic is close to 31, you are almost 33 and Di Natle who is 35. Why?

“Because experience counts and fundamental. When I see Di Natale, I see a very good player and it would have been nice to play with him. For me, I felt good this year because last year my flexors tormented me five times and I had to relapses. I did not become crazy because I did not score but because I was not healthy.”

But Leonardo then was playing Pazzini who is suffering now. How is he?

“I was not well and so it was right that he played Pazzini. I have a great relationship with him and we talk often. He has to stay calm.”

Even a champion like Forlan is doing badly.

“Yes, he is a champion. I also talked to him often in this bad year. He came from another type of football and it is not easy to adapt to ours. The Spanish league has more rhythm and more technical but ours, tactically, it is the most difficult especially for a striker.”

Thinking about a new and winning Inter?

“Certainly, in these two years (of the contract) I want to win again.”

And then what will happen?

“I will return to Buenos Aires. I know that I will become a coach at some point but I will not sell my house in San Siro so that I can always see my friends. Believe me, I am fine here.”