Former Inter director Paolo Taveggia has revealed that if it were not for him then the legendary Javier Zanetti would not have ended up at Inter.

“Without me he would not have ended up at Inter. Julio Grondona, the then president of the Argentine Football Federation, helped me to get him for $4.5 million,” Taveggia remarked in an interview with Turin based newspaper Tuttosport, which appeared in yesterday’s print edition.

Zanetti joined Inter in the Summer of 1995 from Superliga Argentina side Banfield and would go on to spend a total of 19 years on Inter’s books during which time he would win everything there is to win and also became the club’s record all-time appearance holder.

Taveggia then went onto reveal that he was on the brink of bringing Gabriel Batistuta to the club during his peak but former Inter president and owner Massimo Moratti caused the deal to collapse.

“I had agreed with Batistuta to bring him to Inter. In agreement with his agent Imborgia I had practically snatched him from Fiorentina, but Moratti listened to his managerial friends and the deal collapsed.”

Taveggia also revealed that he tried to get Carlo Ancelotti hired as manager of Inter but once again Moratti ended up leading to any potential deal collapsing.

“In October 1995 I had taken Carlo Ancelotti  to the Saras offices and asked Moratti to hire him in the Summer of 1996. Moratti said yes but then listened to others and brought in Hodgson for the 1996/97 season instead.”

In conclusion Taveggia, who was also formerly a director of Inter’s city rivals AC Milan, spoke on today’s Inter and the links to Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi.

“Conte is a great manager and the Suning group are a guarantee for Inter. If they buy Messi, then Inter can win trophies quickly.”