MILAN – With just days left before the turn of the year, Andrea Ranocchia looked back on the last 12 months in an exclusive interview with Inter Channel. The Nerazzurri captain began by addressing the difficult January period, which saw his name widely linked with a move away from the club: "It was a turbulent period because I didn’t know what the future held.
"They were linking me with a different team every day, but luckily I stayed here. I’m happy now, though it was a tough few months. I kept training hard and when I got back in the team I stayed there. The funny thing is that one of the clubs I might’ve ended up at was Galatasaray, where Mancini was in charge at the time. And just a few months later, here we are!" remarked Ranocchia.
The Inter man then spoke of the Nerazzurri's return to European competition, secured thanks to the club’s fifth-place finish last season: "The aim was to qualify for Europe, given that we were coming off the back of a tough year when we finished ninth in Serie A. It certainly wasn’t easy, because there were lots of changes going on at that time."
Indeed, the 2014 close season saw the departure of a raft of Nerazzurri legends: "We learned an incredible amount from them in training as they put so much effort in every single day. When they stepped out onto the field, they were on another level psychologically. That winning mentality was fundamental for the new arrivals. Aside from their consummate professionalism, I’ll always remember their unerring will to win."
And with Javier Zanetti hanging up his boots after an illustrious career, it was Ranocchia who had the enviable honour of inheriting the captain’s armband: "It’s not easy to be compared to a player like Zanetti. He’s unrivalled in terms of appearances, victories and all-round quality, but I’m delighted that the club put its faith in me. As always, I’m just trying to do my best. I’m working hard to put my stamp on the role. I’ve got a lot more responsibility now and that’s something I’m proud of and enjoy.
"Soon I’ll be into my fifth year here, during which time I’ve had the good fortune of sharing a dressing room with the Triple-winning side. Those guys made me understand the true meaning of wearing this jersey. And now it’s my job to teach that to the others," explained the Nerazzurri No. 23.
It’s also been a year of change in the Inter dugout, with Roberto Mancini returning to the club in place of Walter Mazzarri: "It’s actually happened to me a few times, changing coach in the middle of the season. It’s a tricky moment because lots of things change. You have to adapt to different training methods and another way of working. But that’s football. It’s our job to show we’re able to adapt."
Of course, the festive season is also the perfect time to look forward to the New Year. On the subject of his aims for the future, Ranocchia quipped: "Equalling Zanetti’s record of appearances will be a tough ask! But seriously, my hope is that we can win lots of silverware. Our primary objective is to repay the fans’ support on the field of play. That’s the only way to succeed. I hope 2015 will be an important year."
Ranocchia wrapped things up with a festive message for the Inter faithful: "Merry Christmas to all the Nerazzurri fans!"
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