Former Inter midfielder Houssine Kharja discussed Real Madrid right back Achraf Hakimi and his time with the Nerazzurri in an interview with Italian media outlet GianlucaDiMarzio.com earlier today.
“Ausilio saw Hakimi long ago. He’s been following him for a long time. Two and a half years ago, when he was still at Real Madrid and not playing, he started to ask me about him several times.”
The 37-year-old Moroccan, who retired in 2016, discussed how Hakimi will be able to grow at Inter and how coach Antonio Conte’s system would be perfect for the 21-year-old.
“Inter is a point of arrival, and Antonio’s system will be perfect for him. He is very strong, in all my years of the national team I have never seen anyone like him. He’s very intelligent, he’ll know how to adapt to Italian football. He’ll have to work hard in the defensive phase, maybe at the beginning he’ll struggle, but he’ll definitely be helped.”
He touched on how Maicon also struggled initially to adapt but quickly became an important player for the Nerazzurri.
“After all, Maicon had some difficulties too, then he won the Treble. Hakimi is smart and will improve. He’s not afraid of anything, like me. He played for Madrid and Dortmund, also winning a Champions League. The San Siro will only be able to energize him.”
Kharja returned to his time with the Nerazzurri. The player spent six months on loan with Inter from Genoa in the 2010/11 season, but wasn’t signed permanently at the end of the season.
“I could have gone to Inter already with Mourinho, but due to knee problems, the negotiations were cancelled. Despite everything, a year later, in January 2011, Branca and Leonardo bought me. That Inter was a fantastic team, they had just won everything and I felt good right away, it was full of champions who made me feel at ease. When there are players like that it gets easier.”
Finally, Kharja touched on his disappointment that he wasn’t signed permanently by the Milanese club in the summer of 2011.
“Unfortunately, that’s how it was, I could have followed Leonardo to PSG, but in the end, nothing came of it. Leonardo is a great coach, he knew everyone, even me. Before I arrived, he knew everything about the role, the way to be on the pitch. It’s a shame he didn’t continue his career as a coach, but he will also be a talented executive.”
Kharja made 19 appearances for Inter in his six months with the club, for a total of 1056 minutes. In that time, he scored one goal and provided five assists.
