MILAN - "I feel good. We’re taking advantage of this break to work and spend a bit of time with our families. My son was just born. Now with two Milanese kids I’ve closed the circle my Italian ancestors began." These were Esteban Cambiasso’s opening statements to Sky Sport Italia. "My best goal? It’s not very important, but perhaps the one I scored against Fiorentina. The best goal is always the one yet to come.
"What did we say to each other after Inter v Roma? A lot of players are with their national teams and we’re trying to hit our best form. When they get back we’ll all discuss it. We’re not here to dwell on criticism we’ve been getting. We’re just focusing on ourselves. We don’t go overboard with opinions about ourselves when we win or when we lose one game. Can we compete for the top three spots? We’ll do our best and fight to make it as high as possible for this project. I don’t believe in how teams look ‘on paper’, only in how they look on the pitch.
"Icardi? He’s a good forward who can become a great one. It takes time, but he’s already on his way. He’s on the right track. He looks more like Batistuta or Crespo than Cruz. Alvarez? Some players need to be placed in the right conditions, but last year it was tough. This year we’re stronger, however.
"Closing the stadiums for discriminatory chants? Chanting has been around as long as football has. There needs to be more discussion rather than closed stadiums. When I was a kid at school and a student started to shout or stood up on his seat or desk the teachers would reply that we weren’t in the stadium. So already at that age you had the feeling that anything was allowed at the stadium. There have always been offensive chants from the stands towards the players, and I believe there always will be. Everyone tries to upset the opposing players with the intention of affecting their performance.
"Zanetti said he’d be back in November? He’s always very positive, which helps him a lot. The captain’s armband? I feel more emotion for my children than for trophies I’ve won. It’s Javier’s armband; I know my role here.
"How do I feel about the possible arrival of Indonesian owners? Most of all I hope anyone who comes to invest does so with intention of making Inter even greater, regardless of their nationality. Personally I don’t feel the need to comment on it. I can only do my work the best I can, as I’ve always tried to do. I hope any decision or choice that’s made is done so for the good of the club and to make it even better than it already is. I just need to do what I’ve always tried to do, meaning carry on with my profession, which hopefully helps out in its own small way to make Inter even greater."
