Former Venezia and Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has revealed that Alvaro Recoba cost him a fortune when he joined Venezia on loan from Inter for the second half of the 1998/99 Serie A season.
The Uruguayan national team player, who scored 71 goals in 261 appearances during his time with Inter, proved key in Venezia, now in Serie B, avoiding relegation at the end of that season with him scoring 10 goals in 19 games for Gli Arancioneroverdi.
“When he arrived at the Venezia on loan from Inter in January 1999, I told him, ‘For every goal you score, I will give you a vintage watch from my collection.’
“In the end we were saved thanks to his goals. It cost me a fortune,” Zamparini revealed in an interview with Italian daily newspaper Tuttosport, which appeared in Tuesday’s print edition of the Turin based newspaper.
“Last season I was convinced Inter would win because they have a great director in Marotta, whom I was the mentor of in Venice and they have a very good coach like Conte,” Zamparini, who became notorious for sacking managers during his spells as president at clubs, proceeded to share his thoughts on Inter.
Zamparini, who left Palermo in 2018, also shared his prediction for when he thinks Inter will win some silverware again amid a long trophy drought with the Nerazzurri’s last piece of silverware coming back in the 2010/11 season.
“I don’t know about this season but Inter with Conte and Marotta, will win silverware in two years, but for the immediate future I am not sure.”
