Legendary former Inter defender Lucio believes that his countryman and former Nerazzurri teammate Julio Cesar played a vital role in the 2010 treble season.
Speaking to Brazilian broadcaster TV Brasil, the 43-year-old reflected on the important role played by the former goalkeeper in the Champions League in particular.
Lucio was one of the final pieces in the squad that achieved the Nerazzurri’s first and only European treble under Jose Mourinho, arriving from Bayern Munich to add quality and experience to an already formidable backline.
Meanwhile, the Nerazzurri were already fortunate to be experiencing the peak years of one of the best keepers of his generation in the form of Cesar.
As Lucio explains, he quickly formed a friendship with Cesar at the club, as they already knew each other as international teammates, and he also emphasized the quality that his fellow Brazilian added between the posts, and his significance to the accomplishments of the treble season.
“I have a wonderful friendship with Julio that began at the Nerazzurri in 2009,” he stated, “we already knew each other from the Brazilian national team, and then our relationship improved day by day in Milan.”
“He was important in many wins,” he went on, “and fundamental for the 2010 Champions League victory. Of course the entire team was important, but he was particularly important in the semifinals against Barcelona.”
“There is great love between us and our families are always in contact,” he concluded of the keeper. “He helped me settle when I moved to Italy, he explained many things to me such as the style of play, the training, the tactics.”
