In an interview with Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia this afternoon, Inter vice president Javier Zanetti has spoken on a range of topics and firstly spoke on the current situation the world finds itself in due to the global Coronavirus pandemic.
“It is a dramatic situation all over the world because the virus is affecting many places. There is great concern and with us having Chinese owners we were among the first to realise it was very serious,” he began.
“Unfortunately, the virus has arrived in Italy and so many people have died, we must be very careful. Thinking about the season resuming is very difficult because until April 13 we must stay at home and that is the right thing to do.
“It is very difficult to think of a return to the field and those who will have to make decisions will have to be careful because health is at stake. It is not a switch that turns on and off, it will be necessary to see the psychological aspect of the players, I perceive their concern and that must be taken into account.
“I am at home, with my children who doing school work online. I work from here, I am in contact with the manager, Lele Oriali, the boys and the other directors. We are working to meet the needs of our partners who have focused on us.”
He was then asked if the idea of playing a three way tournament to decide the Serie A title winners is a viable hypothesis.
“I think finding a formula is complicated now, maybe there is more time for the Cup but you have to see when everything will be settled and be careful not to compromise next season. It is not easy to make a decision, we have to evaluate all the cards on the table.”
Zanetti then went on to discuss his career as a player and was asked if he could name his most memorable game.
“Choosing just one game is complex, I’ve played a lot of them. I remember my first game at Inter, it was a dream come true and I made in front of my family. The first time at San Siro was exciting, like the UEFA Cup final in which I was lucky enough to score.”
Next he reminisced about Inter’s Champions League final win in the 2009/10 season and what it meant to reach the final in the first place.
“It was a moment of great emotion. Getting to Madrid was like fulfilling a dream that we had been chasing for a long time. For me, who was 37 years old at the time, it was the last chance to win a trophy, it happened to me in the happiest moment of my career as I played my 700th game with Inter that day. It was an unforgettable joy for the fans.”
Next he shared who the toughest opponent he ever came up against was.
“I have faced many great players, I say Messi in the Champions League semi-finals in 2009/10. I remember a match with Juventus, when Simoni put me on Zidane and taking the ball away from him was very complicated; it was a game in which I was concentrated for 90. It was a significant game on a personal level, we won 1-0. ”
Zanetti then proceeded to discuss what he thinks distinguishes Inter from other football clubs.
“For me, Inter means family, when I arrived I immediately identified myself with the club. The club is resilient because it always falls and rises again. It is something that is part of our DNA. Inter also has a lot of social responsibility and we have certain values and it is important to transmit them.”
Zanetti was then asked what he thinks of Lautaro Martinez.
“I’m glad to talk about Lautaro because when we signed him after we followed him for some time. At the time he was the most promising player in Argentina, talking to Milito we said he could have an important future.
“He is a boy who has grown a lot; he is a strong point of reference in the national team. He is happy at Inter and I hope he will stay for a long time.”
In conclusion he was asked if Il Fenomeno Ronaldo was the best teammate he played with during his career.
“Ronaldo had a great class, I was also lucky enough to play with Messi. They are the two strongest I’ve ever played with.”
