Legendary former Inter defender Marco Materazzi feels that former Nerazzurri coach Jose Mourinho’s return to the San Siro with Roma will take a backseat to both team’s ambitions to progress in the Coppa Italia.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, Materazzi emphasized that while the return of the treble-winner will be special, both teams’ focus will be on the match.
Inter host the Giallorossi in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals this evening, with the Nerazzurri having gotten past Empoli in the round of sixteen while the Giallorossi beat Lecce.
Both teams know how much closer a win this evening will take them to an important piece of silverware, and the players, coaches, and fans will all have this as their first priority.
Materazzi believes that even though the emotional return of Mourinho to San Siro to face his old club will be an undercurrent to the match, the knockout clash will be the main focus.
“Mou has already played against Inter in the league and has already returned to Milan on other occasions, but this will be a particularly exciting match in that respect,” he said.
“But let’s not forget that the most important thing will be progression to the semifinals of the Coppa Italia,” he stressed.
He stressed of Mourinho that “Right now his heart beats for Roma.”
“On the sidelines,” the former defender said, “he will experience the same emotions that all Inter fans will experience – love, gratitude, unforgettable memories. But during the match all that will take a backseat.”