Ahead of tomorrow night’s match between the sides, former Inter midfielder Wim Jonk reflected on Inter’s 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund during his time with the club.
“How could I forget about that 3-1 win in Dortmund? We were going through a difficult spell but were under less pressure to get results in Europe and played more freely. We put on a very solid showing in Germany: we were compact in defence and looked to hit them on the break,” he said in an interview with Inter’s official club website.
“It’s always been difficult to play away to Dortmund. The atmosphere is incredible and it’s what I dreamed of as a child prior to becoming a footballer. Tension was in the air, but I managed to score two goals in the first half with two good pieces of play.”
He then reflected on that UEFA Cup campaign as a whole.
“During the UEFA Cup that season, we scored a lot of goals, this came naturally to us on our run. Dennis Bergkamp topped the goalscoring charts in that year’s competition with eight, while I bagged five.
“The final at the Meazza remains something memorable: the woodwork was hit, there were chances, it was incredibly tense. And then there was my goal, one that unleashed pure joy, at exactly the right moment.”
Next he recalled his Inter debut which came against Reggiana.
“I scored a great goal from distance and provided an assist for Totò Schillaci: it was a memorable day. All my family were at the stadium, I remember it really well.”
He concluded by discussing the differences he experienced between Italian and Dutch football.
“Italian football was completely different to Dutch football. When Dennis and I arrived, we had to get used to a different way of approaching matches: there was a lot of pressure, the fans were great but demanding.
“I had this tendency to look to control the play, I liked being the commander in midfield. Out of my teammates during that era, I obviously remember Beppe Bergomi in particular: he was a great guy, an exemplary professional and a fantastic defender.”
