SHANGHAI – The Nerazzurri legends may have lost the final, but they're coming home with so much more than the outcome of a game of football.
Francesco Toldo's tweet was enough to tell you all you needed to know about Inter Forever's experience in China. In the goalkeeper's own words: "It's easy to speak about victories. We may have lost today, but it was a fantastic adventure. Thank you everyone from #InterForever."
The former Inter greats have witnessed the love from local fans who greeted them in the airport, at the hotel and in the stadiums. They were able to see up close the beaming faces of the youngsters from Inter Academy China who accompanied the players out on the pitch. They played through 180 minutes plus stoppage time of non-stop chants and encouragement from the supporters lining the stadium.
Finally, our Nerazzurri veterans had the opportunity to greet their opponents at the end of the game, although 'opponent' is perhaps the wrong word. Rivals from historic encounters, sometimes even former team-mates, more often than not friends who come together to play one more game for their own pleasure and that of everyone around.
There are countless photos and videos that show you how fulfilling the experience was both on and off the pitch. The lads played and fought together as a team and got the chance to discover the city of Shanghai.
A big thank you to everyone who welcomed the team. Inter Forever were made to feel truly at home and, ultimately, player performances should be left aside: everybody deserved ten out of ten.
