Walter Samuel, who on Sunday became a great hero when he made a fantastic performance against Milan and also scored the goal that decided the game with a header, was interviewed by Inter Channel’s Nagaja Beccalossi. The Inter defender who never lost a Milan Derby in Serie A was happy but a little puzzled about the location for the interview:
“I never thought I would be interviewed in a car, but I’m not worried,” he began, laughing. “It may have happened once before in Roma, along with Goicoechea, we walked to the car and were interviewed.”
Samuel is usually described as very reserved and he explains why it is like that: “I’m shy so I do not talk to journalists often. Maybe that is why I have received this label. I will never become particularly likeable, but not the opposite either. On the football field I am relaxed and play better, just like everyone else. I see it as something normal. I do not like to talk so much, I often joke and I like to have fun when I feel confident and comfortable with who I am with.”
Life in Milan and Inter is ideal right now: “I’m very happy here at Inter, I have been here for many years. I am very happy in Italy, my kids are practically grown up here. I have no plans to move back to Argentina, I live from day to day. I also like Milan as a city. I have a son, the one in the middle, he is reserved just like me. My daughter instead is more like my wife, and she was also the first … little girls will be little girls. With the males I get along well. An heir? If they want to play football, ok. Otherwise there are also other sports. One of my sons play football, the other is still very little. The little girl is playing basketball instead.”
Samuel then talks about his sparetime and the new Inter: “My afternoons off I try to spend time with my wife and my children. Sometimes we are with other Argentines, with teammates. This group has a good mix of experienced people like ourselves and youngsters. We want to reach as high as possible, all together. We must move forward slowly and take one game at a time. We have made many changes, several players who had been here for many years have left and therefore you can’t get everything right away.”
The most difficult striker to face: “I have played against phenomena that moved the ball little but still scored. Trezeguet, Shevchenko, Vieri. Against Ronaldo, I played a couple of times…”
Samuel then spoke about Inter’s young players: “Those who are at Inter are good, we can give some guidance based on our experience. They need peace and quiet instead of pressure because it’s easy to be at Inter when everything is going well, but if it goes bad the San Siro is not particularly forgiving. We want to give confidence, not advice. The important thing is that you have the hunger and desire to be part of a great team like Inter. Times have changed, now I think we give more confidence. These Guys are always respectful to everyone, they are the future.”
About how he was as a young man: “In the beginning, I played for the team I cheered for, I was very pleased. Then came Roma… I never dreamed of Europe and did not wait like crazy to get this call. When I think back at that time we looked at the goals from European leagues on the ‘order’ of coach Bianchi. But I did not follow international football. I thought about it a lot, it was a difficult choice to go to Roma. Nowadays, everyone wants to Europe.”
Some of the criticism irritated Samuel: “Of course, it is normal. But those are things that pass by, but sometimes you feel angry at someone, and it’s pointless. I have never gone to a journalist and said ‘you said this about me’. There is criticism in football but what bothers me is when it becomes personal. No matter what, I always know in my mind how I have played and in that case, I’m the first to criticize myself. I think this is something all of my colleagues do. It also seems as if the end result changes how many journalists think.”
The relationship with the fans is: “really very nice. Against Me, the audience always behaved very well, even at the time when I was injured. A supporter can sometimes give criticism. We must always be grateful to them.”
A future as a coach? Samuel responds like this: “I don’t know… I’ll have to think about it. I always wanted to be in football, ever since I was a child. The most crucial trainer for my career? I liked Bielsa very much, he has taught me many things. Here I’ve had people like Mourinho and Capello, fantastic, but he’s the greatest. Il Loco was the one who got me as a 19, 20-year-old to develop as a defender.”
His interest in music: “I’ve been to a concert with Ramazzotti, I liked it very much.”
On Lionel Messi: “I played with him at the World Cup, he does things others think are fantastic with a tremendous ease. I think he is on the same level as Maradona, and he still has the opportunity to become better and win more. For me Maradona is God, I played with him in Boca for six months. He has a completely different personality, wherever he went there always was a big movement.”
Source: fcinternews.it
