Former Inter midfielder Hernanes still feels personally close to Nerazzurri captain Samir Handanovic, who is one of his best friends from his footballing career.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sportin an interview published in yesterday’s print edition, the 36-year-old named Handanovic as well as defender Danilo D’Ambrosio as people he felt a connection with while with the Nerazzurri.
Hernanes spent a season and a half with Inter, joining midway through the 2013-14 campaign from Lazio before leaving for Juventus during the summer of 2015.
However, this was enough time for Handanovic in particular to leave and impression on the Brazilian, who remains friends with his former teammate.
He had fond words for the Slovenian and is glad that they met and befriended one another through their time together at the Giuseppe Meazza, a connection which has gone much deeper than the Brazilian’s time as an Inter player.
“I don’t have many football, but Samir is one of them,” he explained, “we have similar temperaments, and when we were on team retreats we played chess together.”
“He is also among the best goalkeepers I’ve ever played with,” he added of the Slovenian.
Of D’Ambrosio, Hernanes stated that “Danilo always had a great personality, for me he was an inspiration. He always shows for the ball, and this is something all top players have.”
“As far as Brozovic goes, I would say his qualities were always there to see,” he went on. “It was important early on that he would become an important player for a top team.”
