Inter goalkeeper Andrei Radu is glad to have helped his team to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, and happy for teammate Andrea Ranocchia who scored a vital equalizer to force extra time.
Speaking to InterTV after the match, the Romanian joked that he had told Ranocchia that his acrobatic goal in the dying minutes of normal time would become a meme.
Ranocchia is not the Nerazzurri’s most regular goalscorer, and when he does pop up it is usually with a simple header to guide the ball into the back of the net.
However, the 33-year-old scored a vital goal and did it in style, with a vital acrobatic volley that few will have expected from a big central defender.
The goal rescued the match after the Nerazzurri had led Empoli come back and go 2-1 up, and Stefano Sensi scored a winner in extra time to ensure that the entire team would go home happy despite a topsy-turvy evening.
Asked if he’d spoken to Ranocchia, Radu stated that “I told him that his goal will surely become a meme soon.”
On his own performance, the Romanian stated that “It was a very busy evening for me. We were aware that Empoli would come to win, but we showed heart and determination to get to the next round.”
“I’m happy to have made my debut for the season,” he went on. “Less so for my own goal, but I’m happy for the team, for Andrea, for Stefano.”
“I know how long it’s taken them, how they are always totally committed in training, and I’m happy for them,” Radu said of his teammates.”
“All teams that play against us give their best,” he continued, “and I knew that it would be a difficult match coming up against coach Andreazzoli, I’ve worked under him at Genoa, I know his style, and I know that we had to stay on track.”
