Author: Crazy

The Brazilian defender says the friendships within the Nerazzurri squad helped the club to achieve a success he had imagined for so long but never previously experienced

Former Inter defender Lucio has revealed that the 2010 UEFA Champions League success against Bayern Munich was a dream come true, built on a magnificent camaraderie within the squad.

Lucio was part of the Inter side that beat the German champions 2-0 in the final at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, with a superb rearguard display helping the Italian outfit to complete an unprecedented treble.

And the Brazilian says that it was the excellent relationships built up with team-mates that had helped the Milanese side to record a first Champions League success in 45 years.

Witness History

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“There is no question that it was a special Champions League for me because I was playing with my friends – there was a friendship in the squad that got into the club’s history,” Lucio told us in the latest episode of MasterCard’s Priceless Memories video series.

“It marked my history as well because winning the Champions League and being in the FIFA XI best players was a very good surprise. It was a dream that came true. The final match was amazing.”

Diego Milito scored the two goals that won the competition for Jose Mourinho’s side, but the all-round team display was hailed afterwards, and Lucio supports that assessment.

“We imposed a balanced game. We knew Bayern were favourites due to their huge power. But our team meshed really well and we were confident,” he continued.

Many believed the trophy to be destined for Lombardy after Inter’s two-legged semi-final win over Barcelona, best remembered for a 10-man wall holding on to their aggregate lead in the away leg, and Lucio says that such results were key in giving his side belief that they could win the competition.

“Inter’s path was a bit tense,” he admits. “We had a big team and also a big responsibility. It was 45 years since the club’s last Champions League trophy, so no doubt deep inside something was telling us: ‘It has to be now, it has to be now.'”

Check out the video below to watch the full interview with the former Selecao centre-back, who made 136 appearances for Inter between 2009 and 2012, winning six trophies.

The 26-year-old was unhappy with the way his side began the game against Cagliari and urged his team-mates to improve against the struggling sides in Serie A

Inter midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic was at a loss to explain the side’s poor first-half showing in the 1-1 draw with Cagliari on Sunday.

Walter Mazzarri’s men were trailing 1-0 at the break at San Siro, with Mauricio Pinilla converting from the penalty spot in the 40th minute.

The hosts ensured a share of the spoils when Rolando scored his third goal of the campaign shortly after the break, but Inter were unable to find a winning goal.

Kuzmanovic revealed his disappointment at having dropped points against a side that are now just five points above the relegation zone and said there was no excuse for the lethargic first half.

“As far as the game went, we are not happy with a draw at home,” he told the club’s official website. “We lost two points. It hurts to draw against the ‘small’ teams.

“We ran into some problems and despite the chances we had we weren’t able to take full points.”

“I couldn’t tell you why we played poorly in the first half. We always have to be careful defending against counter-attacks.

“We had our chances but we just couldn’t turn them into goals. Our rhythm was a bit slow in the first half. We should have had the same attitude we showed in the second half for the entire game.”

Inter almost had a winner in the closing stages when substitute Mauro Icardi crashed a header off the crossbar and had claims for a penalty when he was impeded in the follow up.

Kuzmanovic says he is certain a spot-kick should have been awarded, adding: “The penalty claim on Icardi? It should have been given in my opinion.”

The on-loan Porto defender was also upset by the way in which the Rossoblu played with “11 men behind the ball” after taking the lead from the spot at San Siro

Rolando has blasted the decision to award a penalty against Inter team-mate Juan Jesus during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Cagliari.

Mauricio Pinilla put the Rossoblu ahead from the spot just before the break at San Siro, after Juan had been deemed to have deliberately handled the ball in the area.

However, Rolando felt the contact was accidental, while the on-loan Porto defender was also bitterly frustrated by what he viewed as a negative approach to the game by Cagliari.

“We played well, especially in the second half,” Rolando told Sky Sport Italia. “We conceded a goal from a penalty that wasn’t. I’m disappointed but that’s football.

“Serie A is difficult and after the penalty they didn’t have any other chances to score and we dominated the second half.

“It’s tough to play against teams who always put 11 men behind the ball.”

The draw moves Inter to within four points of fourth-placed Fiorentina, but the Viola have a game in hand, which comes at Parma on Monday evening.

The ex-Napoli boss could not contain his disappointment with his side’s draw at home against Cagliari as they failed to convert second-half chances

Walter Mazzarri has voiced his frustration with Inter’s 1-1 draw against Cagliari as he feels they did enough to earn a draw in Sunday’s Serie A encounter.

The Nerazzurri fell one goal behind after 40 minutes of play when Mauricio Pinilla converted a spot kick, but Rolando eventually salvaged a draw for Inter with his strike after the interval.

Nevertheless, Mazzarri was by no means satisfied with his side’s draw and believes they were unlucky not to win against a visiting team he was full of praise for.

“We deserved to win this game. We did a good job containing their counterattacks, but unfortunately a number of things went badly as well as far as certain episodes were concerned,” Mazzarri said at a press conference.

“Are we a bit inconsistent? It’s not easy to play 90 minutes the same way every time. Especially when you’re up against a Cagliari side that operates so well on the pitch.

“I can only congratulate them on their game. They play some good football and made some really brave choices. They have a number of players who can really hurt you.”

Inter sit fifth in Serie A with 40 points from 25 games.

Inter could only secure a 1-1 draw at home to minnows Cagliari on Sunday to put an end to hopes of winning three games in a row.

Rolando, on loan from Porto, scored the equaliser early in the second half after Mauricio Pinilla had put Cagliari in front from the penalty spot late in the first half.

Despite creating the clearest chances and hitting the bar late on through Mauro Icardi, the Nerazzurri could not find the winning goal to make it three successive wins and Rolando’s leveller left Cagliari still looking for their first away win in Serie A since last February.

It has been a week of upheaval for struggling Cagliari, who parted company with assistant coach Ivo Pulga earlier this week, but the visitors impressed early on at San Siro, with Victor Ibarbo in particular causing problems.

Inter went into the game unbeaten in nine at home in all competitions since their solitary San Siro loss this season to Roma and Jonathan had their first chance of note but sliced well wide inside the area.

Walter Samuel scored the only goal in Inter’s last home game – a 1-0 win over Sassuolo – and almost repeated the trick after 23 minutes when he out-jumped two players to meet Ricky Alvarez’s teasing cross, but the direction was lacking.

As the half wore on, the home side exerted their authority, but a lack of real class was evident. Zdravko Kuzmanovic found space 30 yards out and lined up a shot only to fire well wide.

But it was Cagliari who took the lead after Juan Jesus handled in the area after 40 minutes. Pinilla made no mistake with his penalty, firing into the right corner and sending Samir Handanovic the wrong way to notch his sixth goal of the season.

A disappointing half for Inter was almost rescued in injury-time but, although Diego Milito’s fierce effort was spilled by Vlada Avramov, the goalkeeper held on at the second attempt before Alvarez could get to the rebound.

Inter coach Walter Mazzarri changed things up at half-time and brought on Icardi and his impact was instant, as he provided a lovely cushioned header across the box after 51 minutes for Rolando to sweep under Avramov from close range.

Cagliari were not deterred from their task and space opened up for Andrea Cossu soon after and although his shot did not hit the target, it had the sprawling Handanovic worried.

Parity was only maintained after a wonderful Avramov save after the hour mark. Fredy Guarin chipped a delightful ball to the onrushing Rodrigo Palacio, who volleyed from 10 yards. The effort looked destined to find the corner, only for Avramov’s outstretched leg to deny the Argentine.

Inter went agonisingly close to snatching all three points in the final minute when Icardi beat Avramov to the ball, but the header cannoned back off the bar and Cagliari scrambled clear.