Jose Mourinho feels that at Inter Milan, facing Juventus means something different than facing other teams like Roma.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of his team’s Serie A match against AC Milan, as reported by FCInterNews, the current Giallorossi and former Nerazzurri boss gave his thoughts on what the Derby d’Italia represents.
Mourinho spent two years as Inter coach between 2008 and 2010.
And during that time, the Portuguese former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United coach certainly gained an understanding of what it means to be at the Nerazzurri.
Mourinho formed a strong bond not just with the squad, but also with the fans.
And the emotional intensity that Mourinho is famous for certainly proved to be a good fit for the views and mindset of many Inter supporters.
Mourinho: For Inter, Facing Juventus Different Than Facing Roma
During his time at Inter, Mourinho experienced many big matches.
The Nerazzurri won the Champions League in 2010, for example. The two-legged semifinal tie against Barcelona was an iconic moment in the club’s history, and certainly a heated tie.
Then there were big matches against title rivals like AC Milan.
But in particular, there were the matches against Inter’s biggest rivals.
Teams like AC Milan and Juventus have always had special rivalries with the Nerazzurri.
Over the history of Italian football and Serie A, those fixtures have always tended to be some of the showpiece occasions, regardless of where the teams are in the table or the implications for trophies.
And for his part, Mourinho feels that he understands why that is the case.
“I don’t know how many derbies I’ve played,” Mourinho said. “200 or 150.”
“They’ve always been special matches,” he continued.
“I’ve won, drawn, or lost them,” the coach noted. “Always experiencing them in a different way.”
“I’ve always understood that for a Chelsea fan, playing against Arsenal is not the same as playing against Manchester City,” Mourinho said.
“And that for an Interista, playing against Juventus is not the same as playing against Roma. I know what a derby means.”
