Former Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder believes the Nerazzuri have what it takes to win the Champions League this season. Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Dutchman previewed his former clubs match with Manchester City, explaining with Simone Inzaghi can match Pep Guardiola tonight.
So Wesley, do you like this new Champions League?
“I come from another generation, I played my whole life thinking of facing the same teams at home and away, but a novelty always excites me. There will be more matches and many even more spectacular ones: we’ve never been bored with the Champions League, let alone now.”
Make your ranking of favourites, then.
“If I make a grid, I’ll surely get it wrong, because every year there’s always some surprise. I can only say that City and Real don’t necessarily start ahead, and that my Inter is also in the very front row. By now the team has a special aura, it can reach the semi-finals and beyond. Of course, in this Cup, the unexpected is just around the corner, but all the big teams know they’ll have to deal with Inter.”
Yet, in the league, the start has been slow with two draws in two away games.
“An old Dutch proverb says: ‘Every beginning is… difficult’. This one, then, is particularly so: there’s a lot of pressure on Inter who won a historic Scudetto and has everything to repeat it. In general, the team hasn’t been able to train consistently, and this is especially true for Lautaro, which also explains the negative match in Monza. Believe me, though: there’s no alarm, nothing to worry about. The team is strong, has solid roots. But it’s also true that this year it has more fierce rivals.”
Who are these rivals for you?
“Napoli have a very tough coach and doesn’t play in European cups, this is a very, very big advantage. We all knew Thiago Motta would become a great coach, those of us who played and won with him. A player immediately understands if his teammate is cut out for the bench or not: he was, I was less so… (laughs heartily). His Juve is under construction, to be feared, but everything depends on Inter.”
You mentioned Lautaro: he’s awaiting the duel with Haaland, still far from his best form.
“Let’s start by saying that Lautaro is worth Haaland. And he’s worth the other great strikers of this era: find me another one who knows how to score in all possible ways. The victory as a protagonist in the national team has given him another status, but it has also tired him a bit: it’s normal, he just needs to regain his form. I don’t understand this concern about the fact that he hasn’t scored yet: we all know it will happen, soon, and from that moment on he won’t stop. It’s the law of pure strikers. Then he has teammates up to par: Thuram is now a certainty, Arnautovic breaks games, and you’ll soon discover Taremi too…”
You discovered him before everyone else…
“Few know this, but we were teammates. I was firing my last shots, he was about to break through. We were at Al-Gharafa, in Qatar, 2018-19. I could still give him some nice balls that he put in: you could see he was destined for a different career in Europe. He was shy, always polite: I remember once, in the Asian Champions League, he scored a brace against an Iranian team and didn’t celebrate out of respect.”
Tell us something else: what should we expect from him?
“The bicycle kicks! He’s good at them, he does them instinctively, they excite him: if he has the right ball, he’s not afraid to try. With him and the others, Inter can always strike.”
But City’s attack is also devastating: how do you stop a player capable of scoring 9 in 4 games?
“There’s no such thing as an unstoppable striker: you just need to defend well and with everyone’s collaboration. Haaland is stopped by not letting him turn, with double-teaming, with anticipations. Inter managed it once, thanks to Acerbi’s marking and not only: why can’t they do it again?”
You who have already done it as a player: can you explain how to put a grain of sand in Guardiola’s perfect machine?
“Not only us from the Treble, Inzaghi has also succeeded: if Inter doesn’t have one more Champions League, it’s only due to some details and a bit of bad luck. I watched the Istanbul final live and I remember it well: the same courage is needed. Inter has a strong identity and a formation that’s difficult for opponents to read: it’s not easy to play against, not even if your name is City…”
How do you see the midfield battle?
“Matches are won in midfield, you always say in Italy. And you’re right! Here there are two luxury ones: in the final De Bruyne was injured and his return can be a key factor, but on the other side the dynamism that Barella has is unique. Then Rodri and Calhanoglu are among the best playmakers in the world. But do you know who can really make the difference?”
No, you tell us.
“The goalkeepers. Look at the goalkeepers and not just the strikers or midfielders. With Ederson you must never be caught out of position because he raises his head and boom, launches from his goal. However, Sommer is also a certainty when it comes to using his hands.”
