MILAN - Inter captain Javier Zanetti spoke exclusively to Pierluigi Pardo, the host of "Tika Taka - Il calcio è il nostro gioco", on Italia 1 earlier on.
"The match against Livorno was full of great emotions," said Zanetti. "After all the time I'd spent away from the action, I was dreaming of a night like that, with my return made sweeter by the support of the fans, my team-mates and the president. Moratti and I gave each other a big hug at the end of the match: our relationship goes beyond simply captain and president. After the game he too was happy about my comeback, it was an emotional night for both of us."
The skipper went on to discuss his future and his thoughts on coach Walter Mazzarri; "I'd like to stay to do my bit for this great family that is Inter, although it'll be difficult to learn Indonesian! Is Mazzarri like Mourinho? Walter is tough, he has very clear ideas: you can see his impact on the squad and the team are following him."
On the subject of Mourinho and that night in Madrid, the Inter captain told of how it was "an unforgettable night for all Inter fans, we'd been chasing that trophy for a long time and it was very special for me as captain to hold it aloft. Mourinho congratulated me on my return to action: he's still a friend with whom I shared some wonderful moments, and he was very close to me after my injury. Our friendship will last forever."
Finally Zanetti had this to say when asked about Inter and the Argentina national team's targets: "The aim with Inter is to go back to challenging and that's what we're doing now. The Italian league is very difficult, there are a lot of teams competing for the same targets, but we're working well and we want to fight for something significant. It would be great if Argentina could win the World Cup in Brazil: the footballing rivalry is there on a daily basis and it would be a dream come true to triumph on their patch. Who's the better player out of Tevez and Higuain? They're two great players with different attributes: Gonzalo is an insatiable finisher, while Carlitos can come up with something at any time."
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