Appiano: final workout before Napoli encounter

APPIANO GENTILE – Inter were at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti this morning to run through their final preparations before tomorrow evening’s match against Napoli.

Snow had settled all around the training ground but the pitches were perfectly clean thanks to undersoil heating. The Nerazzurri got stuck into a brisk warm-up to fight off the biting cold, then carried out ball possession drills followed by technical and tactical work.

Social: Colombia te quiere ver at the San Siro

MILAN – FC Internazionale will host the
Fundaciòn Colombia te quiere ver at the Napoli game, Sunday 9 December at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (kick-off 20:45).

The Fundaciòn Colombia te quiere ver was founded in 2004 by Ivan Ramiro Cordoba and his wife Marìa Isabel with the aim of raising money for social and medical aid programmes to help those in need, particularly children in Colombia.

In February 2008 the Italian Committee "Italia por Colombia onlus" was created to support and represent the foundation.

The Fundaciòn Colombia te quiere ver finances several aid projects including:

LOS RESTAURANTES PARA NIÑOS (CANTEENS FOR KIDS)

This is a project which helps children to eat. Every day primary school kids receive a full meal and snack for the whole academic year. This is in line with the proposals of ‘Bienestar familiar’, the Colombian body in charge of children’s rights.

The aim of this project is to ensure the kids (currently 150) have a balanced diet, can grow physically and progress scholastically, all the while reducing the cases of malnutrition in young people.

CARE OF CHILDREN FROM ABUSIVE FAMILIES

The Fundaciòn Colombia te quiere ver finances a programme which rescues children from abusive homes and also participates in a project – in conjunction with the council of Rionegro – which helps 438 school children with emotional, behavioural, social and academic problems.

The Fundaciòn Colombia te quiere ver has also helped to purchase a home for the "FUNDACION LA DIVINA PROVIDENCIA", in the Colombian city of Cali. The organisation has greatly contributed to helping sustain the long-running work of the foundation.

HOSPITAL SHIP "LA ESPERANZA"

Seven years ago, the Fundaciòn Colombia te quiere ver renovated the hospital ship ‘La Esperanza’, which had been closed for 10 years, and helped to bring healthcare to the inhabitants of 10 remote villages along the San Juan river and Pacific coast. In 2009 the Italo-Colombian Monte Tabor Foundation along with AISPO and the Fundaciòn Colombia te quiere ver developed a sister project with a larger hospital ship, providing a broader service to a larger catchment area of people in need in this part of Colombia.

Awaiting Prima Serata: Handanovic and work

APPIANO GENTILE – The discussion turned to the atmosphere at Inter as Samir
Handanovic continued on "Prima Serata", which will air later on Inter
Channel (channel 232 on Sky Sport Italia).

The Nerazzurri goalkeeper explained: "Everything’s relaxed. I didn’t have
any particular difficulties fitting in here. My team-mates are very helpful, so
getting adjusted went very smoothly. I’m getting to know the group. A
goalkeeper has to understand the characteristics of his team-mates, to get on
well with them and know what to expect during a game."

Handanovic’s emotions are not outwardly seen on his face, however: "It’s
true, I don’t show much emotion. But I can say that 7 or 8 years ago I felt
quite moved when I arrived in Italy and played against Inter at the
Meazza."

"Batman" is the nickname given by Roberto Scarpini to Samir
Handanovic, who smiled and stated: "You can call me whatever you want. I
like it, but I still need to do more in order to become like him."

A phone call with Lello Senatore, Handanovic’s goalkeeping coach from his days
at Udinese, sends Inter’s number one on a trip back in time: "We arrived
together in Udine and we came up there together, me as a keeper and him as a
coach. It’s particularly satisfying when you see the improvements. It’s true
that you always have to keep working, but with experience you start to
understand what’s needed to stay in form and this is what you talk about with
your coach. To tell you the truth, there are two people I learned this
philosophy from: Senatore and Bonaiuti. It’s important to take something from
each coach because people who have been around longer than you have seen a lot
and know more. At the same time it’s true that we also give something to them,
we have different characteristics because we’re different people."

Don’t miss the next appointment of "Prima Serata" on Inter Channel;
catch other previews here, and only here, at inter.it.

Waiting for Prima Serata: Handanovic and keepers

APPIANO GENTILE – Samir Handanovic made an appearance at the Inter Channel studios for the first time, as he is the guest this evening on Prima Serata at 21:00.

The Nerazzurri keeper spoke to host Roberto Scarpini and answered questions from the fans including the best save he’s seen a colleague make: "Buffon‘s save in the Champions League final between Juventus and AC Milan at Old Trafford from Inzaghi’s header. It was a tough save but he made it beautifully." Meanwhile, the Slovenia stopper’s own personal favourite was "that one against Partizan Belgrade at the San Siro on 25 October."

As he’d already said in his first press conference as an Inter player, he considers Peter Schmeichel, "one of the best keepers of all time, he won everything and was at the top of his game for 7-8 years at Manchester United. I think English football is the hardest for a goalkeeper because you aren’t as protected there and the football is very physical."

Team-mates both on and off the field, Handanovic explains that "goalkeepers usually socialise with one another, that was the case for me immediately with Belec, then I met Stankovic, but when you play a lot you have very little time to make friends, you end up just thinking about football and not much else."

In an hour’s time on inter.it don’t miss more of what the goalkeeper had to say to Inter Channel.