Inter Vice-President and legendary former captain Javier Zanetti feels that the 2011 Coppa Italia win against Palermo was a way for the team to show that they were strong despite a difficult season.

Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, Zanetti recalled how the team showed that they could still win trophies with their triumph in the match.

The Nerazzurri’s 2010-11 season was not as successful as the 2009-10 campaign which had seen them win the treble, as they were pipped to the Scudetto by city rivals AC Milan and dumped out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Schalke.

However, they did manage to repeat the Coppa Italia victory of the previous season, and for Zanetti this was an important moment to show that even though they had fallen off from the heights of the prior campaign, the team was still strong.

“Wearing the armband has always been a great responsibility for me, as well as an honour,” he said. “The Inter shirt has a prestigious history and our task as players has always been to make our fans happy.”

“That season after treble was a complicated one, then with the arrival Leonardo made an extraordinary journey, finished by raising a trophy once again,” he went on.

“That evening against Palermo had the opportunity to give another reason to celebrate to our fans, as well as to show everyone that that group was still strong, that we were still hungry,” he explained.

Zanetti recalled that “At the Olimpico there was a wonderful atmosphere because there were also many Palermo fans who dreamed of a historic match, it was another memorable evening for us.”