Sampdoria coach thanked Inter supporters for his warm welcome to San Siro and revealed his friendship with Romelu Lukaku: ‘He took my sons under his protective wing.’ The Nerazzurri brushed aside Sampdoria in a 3-0 rout, but it was a special evening for Stankovic who spent the bulk of his career with Inter. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia after the game, he reflected on a special evening for him:
My past at Inter was spectacular and I thank the fans for everything. Then there was the match, enemies on the field, a battle, so many emotions, but when the referee blows the whistle my thoughts were only for Samp.
In the beginning you had managed to contain Inter, what changed?
The goal conceded from the set-piece: Inter are a strong team, fighting for different goals from ours, a team that qualified from the Champions League group stages and believes it can fight for the Scudetto. Our initial impact was good, then the goal made life easier for Inter. The second goal was also another episode where there was a lack of communication. That affected the match. Then they settled it at the end, but my team stayed alive and this is what I take with me from this match. I am sure that with this attitude we will come out of it.”
What is the source of the great friendship with Lukaku?
“He welcomed my sons (Filip and Aleksandar both trained with Inter) with open arms, took them under his protective wing. Romelu has a heart of gold and I thank him.”
What do you think of the state of Italian football?
“I’ve only played four games, but with different opponents. I see too much of a gap between the top 6-7 teams and the others. I don’t dare to judge anyone, but I see it. Then, if we look at Europe, you can grow: Napoli is an example. Inter and Milan also have strong and different identities.”
