Former Inter defender Riccardo Ferri has talked about his feelings for the Nerazzurri, explaining that the club will always be his home.
Speaking to Italian news outlet IlGiornale.it, the former Inter man also spoke about his feelings on current players in Serie A, and who he feels is closest to himself stylistically.
Ferri made 290 Serie A appearances for Inter between 1981 and 1994, and is one of the club’s iconic defenders, winning the Scudetto with the Nerazzuri in 1989.
The 57-year-old also made 45 appearances with the Italian national team, including being in the squad when the Azzurri finished third in the 1990 World Cup.
Ferri’s words on being both an Inter fan and player reflect the feelings of many supporters, with his commitment to the club being deeply personal for the former defender.
“Inter was my home,” he said, “a real child’s dream come true, and for this reason I was always sweating and giving everything I had to wear the shirt.”
On an offer he received to join Juventus at one point, he had this to say:
“Juventus’s offer was particularly tempting, but I made a heartfelt choice. What Inter gave me, no one else could. At that time no one, whether Paolo Maldini or Franco Baresi, Cabrini, would have moved to wear the shirt of their historical rival, it was a betrayal.
“When I had to leave Inter to end my career at Sampdoria, I cried a lot. I understood that my dream was over,” he continued.
Turning to current footballers, Ferri was asked which modern players remind him of his own characteristics, and mentioned Inter defender Stefan De Vrij.
“This is a difficult question, but if I have to answer I would say that I see a little of myself in [Atalanta defender] Cristian Romero and a little of myself in de Vrij,” he concluded.