Murillo

Jeison Murillo talked exclusively to Gazzetta Dello Sport in a long and interesting interview. The Colombian defender began with talking about how he feels he is more mature than many who are 23 years old:

“Yes I believe I’m more mature than my 23 years, I’m the sixth and youngest child in my fantastic family who have always had their feet on earth. I think this has helped me evolve quicker.”

You seem to transform on the field though..?

“Yes yes. Because when you’re in a battle, your cabeza, mind, changes. There I become a warrior, I have to fight and deserve every ball. With this said, I’ll always be a ‘chico’, a guy who loves to live well and with simplicity.”

Is Serie A hell or paradise?

“It’s easy to see, paradise. It’s a championship where everyone wants to play sooner or later. If I though that before? I dreamed about it. My team when I was a kid is called Andresanin and they became partners of the Inter Campus, the project that brings football and help to kids around the world. One day they came with a huge load of Inter gifts, shirts, balls, shoes and signed photos. I wanted Ivan Ramiro Cordoba’s signature because he was my mom’s idol, and an idol for everyone in Colombia. I remember that they gave us long-armed shirts and they were warm so I wore that shirt from morning til night, until I was finished, sweating to the end.”

When they say that Inter plays bad, what do you think?

“I think about the first place. I believe it’s important to understand when things aren’t going well and to always improve, but we have to take care of this momentum and think about the results. In football, this is what counts in the end.”

Your connection with Miranda is perfect and very important for the team. How how you managed to do so well in only six months?

“We play together as if we’ve always known eachother. Why? We come from the same championship, from two tough and good teams, we have good tactical experience, collaboration and communication, we just have good understanding.”

How much do you two and Handanovic talk?

“A lot, and Samir shouts at us in Italian.”

Miranda seems very shy..

“It’s true, but on the field he changes as well, he plays without being scared of anything, a true leader.”

What’s Mancini’s strength?

“He gives us calm, he knows how to lead the team and we follow him. The experience he has is a guarantee in all kinds of ways.”

Is it a guarantee that you will stay at Inter? According to the rumors Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are interested in you?

“It’s nice when they say some things about me. I’m a professional and I respect the Inter shirt until the last drip of swet.”

They talk about you as the new Samuel, he was called “Il Muro”, whilst you are called “La Muralla”, we’re already close to something:

“It’s a great honor to be compared to great players like Samuel or Cordoba. But I believe for me it’s time to be Murillo.”

Scudetto is a very fine word but should it be said?

“Saying the word Scudetto whilst playing at Inter isn’t a thought, it’s a duty.”

In your job sometimes you get a red card…

“We all make mistakes, but I didn’t understand my red card at Palermo. I was sad because it wasn’t even a foul, but now that’s in the past. Just as the loss again Lazio, we’re past it.”

In the future, what rule would you change in football?

“Now I don’t talk as a defender but as a player, I believe the referees blow their whistles to much. The slightest touch from one player for another and everyone falls and it’s a foul. It’s exaggerated.”

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