Spain, Inter and then again in Spain: this is the strange strange journey experienced during the last six months by Rene Krhin, who after being loaned to Córdoba on January 30 now has returned to Iberian soil as he has been sold outright to Granada. To learn about his impressions of his new adventure, and not only, our partner FcInternews got an exclusive interview with the player born in Maribor in 1990.
In January 2007 you went from Maribor to Inter for €250,000, at the Allevi Nazionali you were coached by Daniele Bernazzani, as a part of the negotiatons Abdoulaye Diarra went on loan to the Slovenian club. Who is credited for discovering you?
“The credit goes to Pierluigi Casiraghi (a master of discovering young talents ed.): I was noticed in a youth tournament with the national Under-16.”
At Inter you have been fortunate to work with two great coaches such as José Mourinho and Roberto Mancini: what memories do you have of the two coaches? What differentiates one from the other?
“Every coach has his own techniques and working methods. I can say that Mourinho was very important for my career, I will always be grateful for what he has done for me.”
In June 2014 your returned to Inter as the co-ownership with Bologna was resolved. Did you expect to find more space after the experience with the Rossoblu?
“Yes, frankly I would have expected more opportunities. I played only one full match in the Europa League and on 2-3 other occasions I entered in the last five minutes. I think it’s too easy to say that everyone has been waiting enough for Krhin, when in fact I didn’t even have the chance to play two consecutive games. Playing every two months isn’t easy, and when you want to prove something you’re limited because you don’t have the minutes needed in your legs. Also, I would have hoped to have, in recent weeks, at least the chance to prepare for the new season in a good way. That way I knew that I wouldn’t stay in Milan.”
How was your relationship with Walter Mazzarri? Arriving in that odd situation, was the choice of the club to dismiss him inevitable in your opinion?
“Our relationship was good. On a personal level, perhaps the injury early in the season penalized me a little. As for the dismissal, well… these are matters concerning the club. Other than that, he was also very unlucky, even though we had played some good matches.”
On January 30 you went to Córdoba on the formula of a loan for 500,000€. What did you think of this first experience in La Liga?
“I must say it was the best possible decision for me. I started to play and, thanks to good performances, I had the opportunity to show myself on another market. I also got to know the Spanish football, a kind of game that I like very much.”
In the 2015-2016 season you will be at Granada. How happy you are to be able to stay in La Liga? How did the opportunity of joining this company?
“After the experiences in Córdoba my goal was to stay in La Liga. I had various options and more clubs that were interested in me, but in the end the coach of Granada (Jose Ramon Sandoval, Ed) called me personally a lot of times to let me to understand how I could be important and decisive in his team. For this I chose Granada.”
As a fresh former Interista, what’s your opinion on the new Inter of Mancini? Do you think it’s ready to fight for the title?
“Very important players arrived in this transfer market, and I think that Inter will do very well. I, as always, I will cheer for Inter.”
What is the dream of your career?
“The dream is to stay in the major leagues of Europe. With some excellent performance, moreover, I could get even bigger opportunities. And who knows if this dream can become even bigger.”
A salute to the Nerazzurri and your fans.
“I want to thank all those who helped me from the very first day I arrived in Milan, I was 16 years old. I reserve a great greeting to all the people of Inter, and I can not conclude this interview than without a ‘Forza Inter!'”
Source: fcinternews.it