Former Inter sporting director Marco Branca has shared his belief that Manchester City have an advantage over all other clubs when it comes to signing Lionel Messi, who has been linked with Inter lately.
“For such important deals, nothing is said until the end. If he leaves Barcelona, most likely next year, I see Manchester City as having an advantage,” he told La Repubblica. “He would be reunited with the coach, the technical director and the managing director of the best Barcelona side.”
Next Branca discussed Inter’s transfer strategy of signing ready-made players and whether it is the right strategy to have.
“Absolutely yes. Last year very interesting young people like Barella and Sensi arrived, now it is right to look for more experienced players.
“This season Inter have a great opportunity to compete for the title against Juve. Agnelli and his executives have made a great bet to choose Pirlo. He’s a champion and I’m sure he’ll do well on the bench too, but maybe he’ll need a period of adaptation. Inter must take advantage of it.
“Will it be a two-horse race for the Scudetto? There is also Napoli. Gattuso is doing an excellent job. It depends on how he will be able to integrate the new arrivals with the historical core of the team.
“Lazio must certainly be taken into account too, I expect the usual excellent season from them and you need to pay attention to AC Milan.”
Next he spoke on the media speculation linking Inter with a move for Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and whether he can make a difference.
“Absolutely. He runs for three people, he is inexhaustible. He suffered a bit in the period of football behind closed doors, but for many seasons he has proved to be strong and versatile. The best he gave was under Ranieri, at Leicester. Sarri did an interesting experiment, moving him further up.”
Branca was then asked about Inter manager Antonio Conte and which managers from Inter’s past does he remind him of and whether Conte and Jose Mourinho have anything in common.
“Definitely Roberto Mancini. He has passion, he participates emotionally in the events of the team, he is a motivator. These are positive character traits, which have their downside. Like Mancini, Conte sometimes lets himself be drawn into statements and behaviors that may seem out of place but the value of both is not discussed. ”
“Similarities with Mourinho? Honestly, I think not. No coach is like José. He plans everything. From the pitch, to the management of the sports centre to the communication, he is unassailable. He creates armour to protect the team. He makes right decisions with surprising speed. It was a real challenge and a privilege to work with him.”
Branca was then asked if Mourinho ever asked him for specific players to be signed.
“He asked for very few and he always did it with great humility. He never put his foot down. He was convinced, and I think he still is, that a great coach must know how to win with the players he has.
“He pointed Quaresma out to us, it’s true, and we signed him. he spoke well of Deco and Carvalho, who he had coached at Chelsea. I told him I had other ideas and he did not take it badly, on the contrary. José knows how to listen.
“Who did we sign instead? Lucio from Bayern, for €5 million, since van Gaal did not let him play and coincidentally, we played the Champions League final against Bayern.
“We spent €15 million for Sneijder, who was at odds with Real Madrid and the final took place at their stadium. I convinced Wesley to come to us, thanks to a gimmick I don’t want to talk about. It’s my little secret.”
Branca was then asked whether the treble winning side could have still been built had financial fair play existed at the time.
“Absolutely yes. We did it all with only the money from Ibra’s transfer to Barcelona and we assembled an ultra-motivated group. Milito and Thiago Motta wanted to prove that they deserved a great club.
“Eto’o, whom I had been chasing for years, wanted to prove to Barcelona. that they were wrong to sell him. Pandev arrived after months of punishment at Lazio, in which he did not see the field.
“We changed six starters that year, keeping Zanetti, Maicon, Cambiasso, Stankovic back. We won, while revolutionising, because we had an ownership that was solid, a winning mentality and above all a great coach.”
Next he was asked whether in hindsight some of the older players who helped Inter to treble success should have been sold the following year.
“Thinking with hindsight makes no sense. In 2010/2011 we finished second behind an excellent AC Milan, and we won the Coppa Italia. Then, it’s true, the cycle ended.
“Moratti, my great president, understood that his path Inter was over, even if he didn’t talk about it. I came to the same conclusion, and it was painful. As for the players, no one wanted to leave Inter after the Treble. We felt like a family. Even more than the victories we were united by Gods, sporting and human values.”
He was then asked whether he agreed with Brescia president and owner Massimo Cellino who recently stated that Inter have lost their soul.
“I find it an ungenerous analysis. Repeating what the Moratti family did I think is very difficult, if not impossible. Angelo won eight trophies, Massimo sixteen. They anchored the team to the image and values of the city of Milan.
“The Zhang’s are trying to do good things, according to their possibilities. They are new to the world of European football. They probably don’t even know how long they will stay, yet they are giving their all.”
In conclusion he spoke on his former understudy Piero Ausilio, who is now the Nerazzurri’s sporting director.
“He is a capable and respectable man. He knows Inter well, and gets better every year. The idea that he may have learned something from me makes me proud, but the merits are all his.”
