APPIANO GENTILE – Today was the day that Nemanja Vidic was officially presented to the media as a Nerazzurri player. Here on inter.it you can read everything the Serbian centre-back had to say.
Hello and welcome. What made your choose Inter?
"Inter is one of the biggest clubs in the world. It has a great tradition and has won many trophies at domestic and international level, including three Champions Leagues – how many other clubs have done that? It's a new project with a new owner and I immediately liked the idea of being a part of it."
How much of an influence was Stankovic in your decision to come here, and what has Mazzarri said to you?
"Yes, I spoke to Dejan about coming here but he's not the only Serbian player to have donned these colours. I'd like to continue this tradition of Serbian players at Inter. I spoke to other Serbians who have played elsewhere in Italy and they said it's the right move for me."
You've played for Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and in the Premier League, considered by many as one of the best leagues in the world. Some say this is a step backwards for your career. What's your view of Serie A?
"I nearly came to Italy 12 years ago but clearly it was my destiny to come now. Some people may think it's a step backwards but I don't think so. I believe that Italian football is suited to my way of playing and I think I'm still at one of the biggest clubs in the world. At the moment Inter is going through a transition and it's not in the position we'd all like it to be in, but the club is definitely going forward and I'm excited about the club's vision for the future. It was the right moment for a change in my career and it's a new challenge for myself. Italian football is different to English football but I don't think it's easy. Hopefully I can adapt well and I'm looking forward to playing in Italy."
How did Thohir convince you to choose Inter? Did he seem enthusiastic?
"I haven't spoken directly to him, but I've spoken to Marco Fassone and Piero Ausilio. They explained the club's ideas to me and where the club is moving. I understand that they're trying to develop a new way of working and I found that interesting. President Thohir is enthusiastic, he has plans and isn't looking to build something in six months but is working over a longer period, maybe a few years, but then he'll keep the club in the position where we all want to see it.
"I'd like to add that the other clubs I've been at during my career, from Red Star to Spartak Moscow, have always had a project and I've always been excited to be a part of that. When I moved to Manchester United they hadn't won the title for three years - there too it was a new project. Like here. I've always chosen clubs that were moving forward. Hopefully I can achieve the same things here as I did at Manchester United."
You were captain at Manchester United. Inter's captain, Zanetti, has retired now. Would you be ready to take the captain's armband at Inter?
"First of all I have to earn my place in the team! As for being captain, it's not up to me. To start with I want to prepare as well as I can in pre-season and do my best at a new club in a new country. After nine years at United the most important thing for me now is to settle well and perform well. I'm not really interested in things like being the captain, it doesn't change the way I play. I just want to be on the pitch and give my best."
Inter ended last season a long way behind Juventus, Roma and Napoli. What do you think is a realistic target for Inter next year?
"I think the club wants to keep improving, on the pitch, as players and as a club, and that's a mentality I share. We'll see where it takes us. Inter is a big club so expectations are always high but we'll try to improve on last year and hopefully we'll all feel proud of ourselves come the end of the season."
What do you know about your team-mates and what do you think about playing in a three-man defence, as Mazzarri likes to use?
"I watched a few games last season and I saw some talented players. I haven't played in a three-man backline before but a defender is a defender and three or four at the back is the same thing. I will try my best to adapt to whatever system the manager wants to play."
Is it true that AC Milan were interested in signing you at the same time as Inter? And we've heard that maybe Javier Hernandez asked you about Inter, is that so?
"I had a few options on the table but Milan wasn't among them. Hernandez hasn't asked me anything about Inter."
Will you wear the No.15 shirt?
"I hope to be able to wear No.15 but I don't know. I'm easy: if 15 is available I'll be happy; if not I'll find another one."
You're joining a team that for many years had a strong Argentine influence. Now with Kovacic, Kuzmanovic, yourself, and the talk of Jovetic, could we see a Slavic Inter?
"You get good and bad players and it doesn't matter where they're from. I don't know anything about Jovetic. Yes, there are a few Yugoslavian players here and that will make it easier for me to adapt."
Inter have had a few defensive problems in recent seasons and now they've brought in a great defender to sort things out. Is it better to have great defenders or a great defensive set-up?
"Definitely it's the system that brings out the best in the players. In the past at all the clubs I've been at it's never been about one just one player. When I had a good year I depended on my team-mates. Individuals can perform well when they're alongside good players, at a good club with a good atmosphere. That's something that any club that wants to achieve things needs."
What's your relationship like with the management at United and why did you decide to end your time there?
"I think I've already answered that. After nine years at United, where I achieved nearly everything possible both at an individual and team level, I felt it was time for a new challenge in my career. Something that will improve my motivation. I want to show that I'm capable of performing as well in Italy as I was able to in England. Plus, Italy is a nice country, and it's nearer to my home. Hopefully I can learn a new language as well! There are lots of reasons."
Will Inter be your last club or do you think you'll go somewhere else afterwards?
“You never know what the future holds. I came here to stay for three years and hopefully I can do well here and the fans and the club will be happy with me. We'll see. At the moment the most important thing is preparing well for the new season."
At Man United you formed a fantastic central defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand. Inter have had a lot of success with great centre-backs such as Materazzi, Samuel, Lucio and Cordoba. Would you have liked to play alongside any of those? And do you know any of the current centre-halves better than the others?
"I think they were very competitive defenders who won a lot of trophies in certain years but you also need the full-backs and the whole team to work well. There have been a lot of good defenders at Inter -Chivu and Zanetti too. Hopefully I can be part of a new defence that can do as well as they did. There's a lot of competition here, with young players too who are getting better every year. I hope to be one of those three defenders but we'll all fight for our places. It's good to have competition.”
How much of a problem is it for you not to have Champions League football next season? Did you think you wouldn't be playing in the Champions League when you signed?
"To be honest, even if I'd stayed at United I wouldn't have played in the Champions League. I was never scared of changing and being part of something new. We're not playing in the Champions League but we will be in the Europa League. We'll have 30 players at the training camp and everyone will have the chance to show what they can do because we'll be playing in three different competitions."
Versi Bahasa Indonesia Versione Italiana
LIVE VIDIC PRESS CONFERENCE - 4.7.2014 15:00 CEST
