Legendary former Inter President Massimo Moratti feels that currentoma coach Jose Mourinho will always occupy an important place in the history of the Nerazzurri for his achievements with the team.
Speaking to Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, the coach emphasized that the Portuguese coach was the key figure for one of the greatest periods in the club’s history.
Mourinho spent just two seasons in charge of the Nerazzurri, but during his time with the club he brought the Scudetto in his first season and then the European treble in his second.
The coach left for Real Madrid in the season after the legendary treble win, before moving on to coach Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur prior to his return to Serie A with the Giallorossi.
However, the coach’s time with Inter remains a career highlight for him, while the time he spent with the Nerazzurri was one of the most successful eras that the club has experienced.
Now, Mourinho returns to the San Siro as Roma coach to face Inter in the Coppa Italia, and Moratti stated that “I wouldn’t miss his return as an opponent for the world.”
“I admit, it will make me a little emotional to see him climb up from the locker room tunnel and take a seat on the bench opposite Inter’s,” he went on.
“I already know that I will be excited because the memories of what he achieved with us will come flooding back,” he went on. “Jose has given so many beautiful things to Inter and the city of Milan that are not forgotten with the passage of time”
He went on that “We haven’t heard from each other in the past few days because it didn’t seem appropriate, but maybe we’ll talk in the days after the match.”
“Every now and then we call each other and he is always very affectionate with me,” he added. “We remained linked together, definitely, not just because of what we won together, but because of the person Mourinho is.”
On the coach’s decision to leave Inter for Real Madrid, the former President explained that “It went like that because that’s how it had to, and because he wanted to try a new experience at Real Madrid.”
“After some time and with the clarity to reflect back on it logically, I think it ended in the best way for everyone,” he reflected, “he was satisfied with the results of that season and the new challenge he had accepted.”
“And for us, because we had achieved the most we possibly could, a success we had not tasted for years, triumph in the Champions League.”
“If we had to part ways then there’s no better way it could have ended,” he added.
On the fact that Mourinho didn’t return to celebrate the Champions League win in Milan, Moratti called it “A thing of the past.”
“He had made his decision long before the final,” Moratti went on, “but in the previous weeks we had never talked about it because in that month of May we were in the hunt for three trophies and I didn’t want to break the spell.”
“Our hug on the pitch at the Bernabeu after the victory over Bayern and dinner two days later at my house clarified everything,” he explained.
On Mourinho’s return to face Inter as an opponent, Moratti predicted that “He will be received with great affection. I have no doubt about this. Now he coaches Roma, but with us, he wrote an important chapter in our history.”
Moratti had a memory from the treble season, recalling that “In the second derby of the treble season, we were ahead 1-0 at half-time, but Sneijder had been sent off and I saw some nervousness on the pitch.”
“I went down to the locker room to reassure the guys and found everyone sitting and listening to Mourinho,” he continued, “he was explaining to them what they had to do to score a second and kill the game off even with ten men.”
“There was complete calm and not even a fly buzzing around,” the former President recalled. “Other coaches would have focused on anger at the referee to get the team charged up, but Jose spoke only about tactics, with the coolness of a man who can deal with the most difficult situations.”
“In the second half Pandev sealed the 2-0 scoreline with a free kick and we won,” he continued. “What he said at the press conference about the refereeing, on the other hand, I don’t remember.”
Asked whether the derby loss on Saturday could undermine this Inter team’s confidence, Moratti replied that “I don’t think so. The team is where it needs to be, it’s strong, good players and an excellent coach.”
“Inzaghi seemed very quick to come into the Nerazzurri and add his own ideas to a group that had won under Conte,” he added.
“Everyone thought that Inter had reached its maximum level and instead, without Lukaku, Hakimi and Eriksen, they’ve gotten even better,” he added.
“It’s all thanks to Inzaghi who has remarkable ability,” the former President added. “Every now and then some mistakes can happen, as happened in the derby, but it seems to me that it’s going much better than many expected.”
And on the Scudetto race, he said that “I won’t talk about favourites. I’ll say that they can win it, but it won’t be easy because Napoli are impressing me a lot.”
“They’re very strong in midfield and they look to have gotten past a difficult moment well,” he added of the Partenopei.