Massimo Moratti, president of the Inter of the Triplete, remains an indispensable reference point for the Nerazzurri people. In this exclusive interview, he comments on Inter’s European feat against Barcelona, looks ahead to the Munich Final, reflects on his memories of 2010, and recounts his personal connection to New York City, where support for the Nerazzurri colors continues to grow, as does passion, in general, for soccer.
– This interview is available in English on our sport website, Soccer Made In Italy.
I ask her first about the emotion she felt yesterday: Inter-Barcelona was a sensational game. “Yes, they were two wonderful games, both the first leg and the return. The one in Barcelona was already splendid, it seemed unrepeatable. And instead soccer is extraordinary precisely because it always surprises you: yesterday these two teams gave us another incredible match.”
Many people, even overseas, still consider you a figurehead for Inter. You are the president of the Triplete and, therefore, of the last Champions won. You also told me that you have a special bond with New York. “It’s really a ‘family’ bond: I have a daughter who lives in New York, a city that I love very much and that I always enjoy visiting.”
Have you noticed a growth in passion for soccer among Americans as well as Italians in New York? There are now also major soccer-related events planned in the United States. (Club World Cup and World Championship) “In recent years, the passion for soccer in the United States has grown so much. In New York, for example, there is one of the most important Inter Clubs in the world. It is a multi-ethnic city representing many nationalities, not just Italian, and I find it beautiful to see so many people on the streets proudly wearing the jerseys of their teams, walking proudly through the streets of the city.”
Returning to Inter’s feat in the Champions League: do you think this team can, like yours, lift the cup? “I hope so. When you get to the Final, there’s always a “coin toss,” it’s always a matter of episodes and details, but Inter would really deserve it. It overcame a complicated round in a heroic way. And that is the spirit of the Champions Cup: it is never an easy path. There is always a difficult moment to face and overcome, and Inter did it in an excellent way.”
This semifinal against Barcelona revived a historic “course and recourse” compared to the 2010 semifinal. Now the Final will be in Munich, and in 2010 we won in the Final against Bayern Munich. Do you read any hopeful signs, even from a superstitious perspective? “Yes, there is definitely optimism right now, but soccer, as Barcelona showed yesterday, teaches that you must never let your guard down. Until the last second you have to remain lucid, just as Inter did yesterday. It will be crucial to maintain this concentration in the Final as well.”
Is there a player – or more than one – from the current Inter team that reminds you of a player from 2010 in terms of charisma or impact on the field? “I don’t want to make comparisons that would diminish either the players of today or those of the past, also because it is always difficult to compare different eras. That said, there is one player who in my opinion was the real star of this semifinal: Acerbi. He scored the equalizing goal at the last second, a decisive gesture. I find that he represents the current Inter in a beautiful way.”
The article Massimo Moratti: “This Inter team deserves Champions League. Acerbi symbol of the team” comes from TheNewyorkese.
