Legendary Inter striker Roberto Boninsegna has recalled Inter’s clashes with Borussia Monchengladbach way back in 1971 ahead of this evening’s clash between the two clubs at San Siro, which is scheduled to kick off at 9pm local time.
“I know it’s been 49 years now, but my memories continue to be clear,” Boninsegna began an interview with Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, which appeared in today’s print edition.
“It was such an anomalous episode in terms of European excellence that we will talk about it again at every direct match between Inter and Borussia.”
“I received requests for interviews from German journalists bordering on provocative. They told me the mocking judgment of Heynckes, one of the opponents of the time, and I replied ironically saying that maybe he hasn’t forgotten the 4 goals at San Siro. The reality is that that evening I took a blow to the head.”
He then recalled how he received the blow to his head and what happened after sustaining the blow.
“I went to retrieve the ball to make a throw in. The wooden stands were right next to the pitch and the German fans started throwing everything at me.
“What struck me I honestly don’t know, Sandro Mazzola gave a can of Coca Cola to the referee, but I guarantee you that the blow was strong, so much so that I lost consciousness.
“I woke up in the locker room with ice on the bump. During the half time interval I received a visit from the UEFA commissioner who precisely checked the injury, guaranteeing that he would write everything in his report.
“The rest is history. Borussia won 7-1, but in a surreal atmosphere after that incident my teammates during the interval were convinced that the match would be ours and stopped playing.”
Boninsegna, who is one of Inter’s greatest ever goal scorers in club history, then went on to share his thoughts on the current Inter team.
“If Conte manages to recover someone in defence in order to arrange them better than in the derby, Inter are a team of European excellence.”
Boninsegna then went on to share his thoughts on Inter’s attack: “This Lukaku-Lautaro partnership is really strong. They are close-knit because they look for each other and find each other and they know when they have to put that little selfishness behind them.”
He concluded by discussing Inter’s midfield: “I look forward to Nainggolan with confidence, his traits just like Vidal’s are needed in the middle of the pitch, as an alternative to Barella’s orderly direction , Sensi and Brozovic.”
Boninsegna spent seven years with Inter between 1969 and 1976. During his spell with the club the former Italian national team player made 282 appearances across all competitions, in which scored a sensational 173 goals.
