Zanetti: "There's a great team spirit here"
Thursday, 04 August 2011 15:19:39
BEIJING - Javier Zanetti had a bit of a surprise at the beginning of the press conference when one of the Chinese journalists told him that he knew Silvio Berlusconi would like to have the Argentinian at AC Milan. The initial silence in the press room was broken by a roar of laughter from the Italian journalists, followed by a chuckle from the Nerazzurri captain. "That surprises me, I've never heard that one before... But I think he knows very well that I belong to Inter and that that is impossible," he grinned. Gasperini stepped in to 'reassure' the fans: "And Zanetti has a contract until 2025 so there's no risk of us losing him..."
Zanetti was asked whether all the promotional activities organised this week might not be distracting the team: "We do have engagements in these days but they certainly aren't a distraction for us. As the coach said, all we're thinking about is playing." Gasperini also wanted to clarify that "we've only had press commitments, the one exception being last night."
The skipper then spoke about his feelings ahead of the match: "I'm thrilled to be here for this final, that goes without saying. I jumped at the chance when the club called me back. Inter is so important for me. The only thing I'm sorry about is Nagatomo's injury – I'm really sorry for him."
There was the inevitable mention of the Italian Super Cup played here in Beijing against Lazio two years ago, which "unfortunately we lost despite playing very well," Zanetti recalls. "We'll give it everything we've got to make sure it goes differently this time."
What has changed since Gasperini took over from Leonardo? That was another question put to the Nerazzurri captain by the Chinese press. "Every coach is different. All I'll say is that it always takes a bit of time for a new coach to settle in, and for the players to get used to him, but from what I've seen over the last two days the team spirit here is great and we're working well to achieve the results we deserve."
Finally, a number was brought up that Zanetti is very proud of: his career appearances in a Nerazzurri shirt. Pupi was reminded that he is very close to reaching Beppe Bergomi's all-time record of 758. "That's true, and I do think about it sometimes. I've got 752 now so it's only six more... It's a fantastic feeling for me, a reason to be proud, and I want to keep going along this path as long as possible. Inter means everything to me and that's why I'll always be grateful to the Moratti family and all the team-mates I've had over the years."