Javier Zanetti will never forget the pride he felt at captaining Inter to their historic treble in 2010.
Jose Mourinho led the Nerazzurri to success in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League during his second and final season in charge.
Inter sent their supporters into ecstasy with victory against Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu, but it seems Zanetti was going through emotions just as strong on the pitch.
“It was a dream come true to win the treble,” Inter’s vice-president told Luis Scola at a special event in Varese on Monday (as quoted by FcInterNews.it).
“It was a very important year for me and for Inter, but it wasn’t easy because there were lots of difficulties to overcome before we got over the line.
“We were men before we were great players, and when you have intelligent men who all row in the same direction you’re always likely to achieve your goals.
“I’m proud to have been the captain of that team because it was a unique experience to see the happiness from all the Inter fans after we won the treble.
“Inter are like a family to me and it will always be special to write history with this club.”
Zanetti also looked back on his final home game for Inter, a 4-1 win against Lazio in May 2014.
“It was emotional for me but the whole week was emotional,” Pupi recalled.
“I had the affection from supporters and my teammates.
“Before we got to San Siro, my teammates gave me a banner which said ‘thank you, captain’ on it.
“All those kids wearing no. 4 in the crowd… my mind went back to all the exceptional moments I’d had there.
“I can only say thank you to Inter, I owe them everything.”
Zanetti made 858 appearances for Inter during a 19-year spell as a player there, scoring 21 goals.
He remains the Nerazzurri’s all-time record appearance holder and won countless major honours with the club, including five Serie A titles and one UEFA Cup title in 1998 (along with the Champions League in 2010).