When you think of the Derby D’Italia, the first memory that springs to mind is the infamous game of April 1998, where referee Ceccarini ignored a clear foul by Iuliano on Ronaldo in the penalty box.
Speaking to Egyptian channel On Sport, Inter Vice-President Javier Zanetti expressed his regret about that fateful day: “Regarding the foul on Ronaldo and the 1998 championship in general, I have always felt that there was something missing. However, we picked ourselves up and had a fantastic win a few years later.”
The former Inter captain then moved to change the direction of the conversation to the future of the club: “I do not like to focus on Calciopoli. Rather, we must shift the attention to our current players. This is the most important thing. The match this week is very important for the club. We must win, because it is essential that we return to the Champions League next season.”
Speaking about Ronaldo, Zanetti shares fond memories of the Brazilian striker from the training ground: “He was not only a terror for opponents, all of us who faced him during training was a loser. I tried my best to stop him, but I never succeeded.”
Zanetti then concluded the interview with a curious anecdote about another former teammate, Taribo West. “He went on holiday back to his country, but did not return for a whole month. When he did, Ronaldo and I asked him where he was, he told us that he had married and that he had granted himself a month’s holiday to celebrate.”
