Genoa forward Goran Pandev, who won the Treble with Inter in the historic 2009/10 season, discussed his time at the Nerazzurri and experiences under coach Jose Mourinho in an interview with Italian media outlet Calciomercato.com earlier today.
“I worked with Mourinho six months at Inter and we won it all. He’s a sincere person, very loyal, he talks to you a lot, he gets in tune with his players. He always tells you everything to your face, personally and in front of the team, and in that period with so many champions, this quality has made the difference.”
The 36-year-old Macedonian forward then discussed the court ruling that allowed him to play in December of 2009.
“I went crazy with joy at the moment of pronouncement. I ran away from football, Milan was flooded with snow. I was joined by my attorneys. We hugged each other and rejoiced as if we had won a final. How much tension accumulated inside, without them I would have collapsed. And thanks to lawyer Grassani, who defended me, we managed to get the better of them.”
Pandev also discussed how uncertain his future was after the ruling, before a dream move appeared.
“I remember that the next day I came home for the Christmas holidays without knowing my destiny. When Carlo called me, it was early January. He told me only this, ‘Mourinho wants you’. I felt like I’d gone back to that day long before, I didn’t believe it. Inter is the team that brought me to Italy and I felt indebted. I had other proposals, but all I wanted was Inter.”
The Genoa striker spoke about his first experiences at Inter after arriving in January of 2010.
“The team had returned from Dubai, where they were training. I arrived at Pinetina on 3 January. When Mourinho called me and explained a few things, I thought: I’m home. I felt I had to give my all. I want to tell you something. At that moment, my physical condition after six months of inactivity was about 80%.”
Pandev highlighted how Mourinho managed to push him back to his best so quickly.
“Despite all my efforts to train separately, only the best pace gives you the right condition. If I did what I did, good or bad, it was only because of the emotional tension that I had accumulated during the months in limbo and that Mourinho was able to turn into a nervous charge and a desire for revenge. The body always keeps some hidden energy for itself. Mourinho drew there, I can’t explain better how. If I’d been told we’d win the Treble, I wouldn’t have believed it, but instead we won the whole thing. It was a dream. Like I said before, you don’t know what life brings you.”
Pandev joined Inter in 2001 but failed to make a single appearance for the Nerazzurri’s first team. After returning in 2010, the Macedonian forward would go on to make 69 appearances for Inter across all competitions, for a total of 4336 minutes. In that time, he scored eight goals and provided 15 assists.
