Ahead of the Champions League starting tonight, former Inter defender Nelson Rivas has recalled what it feels like to play in the competition and the best players he came up against.

“It is a great opportunity that every player would like to have, it is a unique and wonderful experience. I had always dreamed of going to a big club and being able to experience such moments,” he explained in an interview with GolCaracol.com.

“I have many good moments in this competitions. I faced people like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Thierry Henry was the best player that I faced. Samuel Eto’o was also difficult to mark.”

The Colombian, who retired from football in 2015, then went on to speak about Inter’s Champions League winning side of 2009/10.

“To help me regain my confidence, I returned to Livorno on loan. Six months later Inter won the Champions League. It was a great team who had a real leader in Jose Mourinho.”