APPIANO GENTILE – When speaking of which coach he learned the most from during his days as a player, Ivan Cordoba explained on Inter Channel’s "Prima Serata": "I tried to learn something important from all of them. The work done by Roberto Mancini and his staff was mainly aimed at the defence for a while, and so I can say I learned a lot under him. And also from the others regarding many other aspects that were important for the team. Of course it’s up to all the players to take a bit from each one, and this is helping me now in my role as team manager because I can give my contribution and advice in terms of explaining where and in what way things can improve."
Cordoba not only spoke about coaches, but also about regrets: "If I really had to name something in my wonderful career I’d say I would like to have been on the pitch for the Champions League final in Madrid, or I would like to have played in other matches I had to miss because of injuries or coaching choices. But that’s all part of my Inter history, and seeing how hard it is for me to find something negative in my time here then I’d have to say there are no regrets. Did we deserve success in those years in which strange things were happening? Back then we weren’t guided by destiny, and if things had gone differently then success would have come."
After having quashed talk of possibly coaching one day, Cordoba confessed: "I still have the desire to lace up my boots and take to the pitch, but I’m different now. Before I couldn’t even count to five, and now I’ve had to learn to count to 100. But it’s my first year and I’m still struggling. I’m still very much a footballer [smiling]." Then it was time to view some images of Cordoba as a player on the Inter Channel screen wearing the Nerazzurri shirt in his final game: "Now I’ll probably become more emotional than I was in that moment. Perhaps then I was a bit caught up in the moment. How mean of you to make me watch these clips [smiling]. In my opinion, the best thing about watching them now is that I’m still here and trying to help out my old team-mates. I’m here for them and that’s something that already makes me very happy."
He then spoke of his compatriot, Juan Fernando Quintero: "He’s very good, a left-footer. You can tell he’s one of a few with the kind of characteristics he has. I believe he has a great future, hopefully at Inter [smiling]. Convincing Falcao? It wouldn’t be hard to convince him. I’ve known him for a bit and we talked about the possibility of him one day coming here, just as Guarin and I talked about it. The problem is that Falcao’s price is now an astronomical one, and at the moment it’s difficult to think about signing a player like that."
Ivan Ramiro Cordoba went on to speak about the pluses and minuses of his new job: "At times it’s difficult, that can’t be denied. But that’s something that helps me learn a lot about this side of the sport, and to improve in my role as I try to learn as quickly as I can, because I began working only with the instinct of what I knew, even though there were many things I didn’t know how to do. Luckily I have people whom I can really trust like Fausto Sala, Claudio Sala and Umberto Marino. They are always on hand when planning all these things. Then there are others who have been here for a long time at Inter, like all of you at Inter Channel, or that gentleman who is looking at me through the window right now, Edoardo Caldara. All of you give me boost, which is exactly what I need. Because the idea is that we all help each other out. I’m here for Inter, to support the lads in tough times and to be an extra man when things are going well."
In 2011, Ivan Cordoba officially became an Italian citizen: "I waited a long time, and finally becoming a European citizen was a relief. It meant a lot because I’ve lived here for so long and my kids were born here and feel Italian."
When choosing the high point his Inter career, Cordoba explained: "It was that entire period that included the victories in 2010, because the Club World Cup was also something very special for me; up until the day before I didn’t know if I would play or not. It meant a lot to me, just as it did to the entire team, the president and all the fans, since it was a trophy we didn’t have. Also because I thought back even further and recalled how I didn’t have the chance to play in the World Cup with my national team."
Ivan Cordoba will always be a part of Inter’s history: "This is what I’ve always wanted, even in the most difficult moments. When I arrived at this team every time I had a good game people would say right away that I’d move to a different team, but I never wanted to. I wanted to stay here, and thank God my wishes came true and I got what I wanted. I became a player who showed up at Inter and made a small part of their history."
Aside from his career with Inter, Ivan Cordoba, along with his wife Maria, has also dedicated his time to helping children in Colombia: "Although these days I have less time I can devote to these activities and organising charity evenings, I’ve always thought that in one way or another I can guarantee I’ll help those 150 children who receive support from my foundation. It was for this reason that my wife and I decided not to expand the project any further. These days I honestly have very little time to organise new things, but I make sure the things I do matter."
The discussion then turned to the pitch and Sampdoria v Inter: "Let’s hope for the best. We need to make a new start. Yesterday’s game gave the team a big reason to be proud, showing that we may be out of the competition but we did it the Inter way; that is, as a team that has made history in Europe and one that always tries to honour the competition to the fullest. We lost badly in London, but we just wanted to change the way people viewed us and the many things that were being written about us. Do I still read the newspapers? Yes, a bit, but I’m not bothered by things they say about us. Now I can take this opportunity to say a few things about this subject. On the part of the club and myself, I’d like to say enough to all those who want to continue making up stories about us and the people that work for Inter. That’s enough, I really mean it. If they want to invent a story then they’ll do it anyway, but let them do it with the others. We’re here and trying to do our best, but there’s always some new story coming out, either written or said, to cause more problems. I also really can’t stand it because they’re always taking aim at someone new, and it’s not right because we’re all here trying to do our best. No one here wants to do Inter any harm, or to go out and lose a match. We’re all working hard and it’s clear that mistakes can happen. But we’re here to take on our responsibilities and at the end of the season the president will be the one to make decisions. However, we can’t have these accusations coming from everyone every day or every Monday after the match. It has to be said: enough with the accusations. We can accept criticism, even the subtle kind right on the edge of disrespect. These things also help us to grow. But we don’t like it when things are made up, just as we don’t like it when there are attacks on people who work for Inter, whomever they may be. I would really like it to stop."
