The former Inter midfielder Felipe Melo who currently plays in Turkey was interviewed by fcinter1908.it in which he spoke about Inter:
You have always respected the bianconeri, in spite of the declared black and blue love and respect. For you Inter-Juventus, even if you’ll watch it on TV, it can’t be a match like any other…
“Meanwhile, I thank you for these words, because since I left Turin they always tell me that I speak ill of Juventus, but it is not so. I’ve always had a lot of respect for the club for what it did for me, but I’m an Inter fan well before I came to Italy and everyone knows that. Saturday night’s game will obviously be very important for Inter because it can give them a great boost towards the Champions League, but it will be a bit different from the others because Juventus does not have the same pressure as the Nerazzurri, having already won the championship. The stadium will be full, the home fans will scream all the time. Inter have the cards to win and must do so because a false step would bring all the chasers closer. I’m optimistic: we can do it”.
What did you think about the Icardi affair?
“I know there’s a lot of talk about him and his wife, and for me he’s always been a great guy and a great player. He’s got a big heart and he’s the one who scores on the pitch. You know my character, so I would have no problem saying different things about him. I also heard the words of Cassano and many other former players, but I didn’t hear the words of Wanda so I can say little about that. Maybe the mistake was to give him the captain arm band a few years ago, because he’s not a player with a history behind him and trophies on his wall. Don’t forget that we’re talking about a glorious club like Inter. Someone when I was there talked about this thing in the locker room, but it never went any further. But someone like him must always play for me, he’s the team’s bomber”.
Would you exchange him [Icardi] with Dybala?
“Dybala is another great player, but he’s different from Icardi and I don’t think he could do what Mauro does to Inter. I’d take Lukaku. Lukak is stong, can score headers, technical, fast and used to playing in a great team. Lautaro? I like him, but it’s his first season, and it’s difficult to make any definitive judgements.”
Beppe Marotta, who you met at Juventus, has also come to Inter in recent months: is he the right man to go back to winning?
“Yes, he changed Juventus with Paratici, a Martian like him. He’s a serious, prepared and intelligent person. Let’s hope that Inter can go back to the Champions League, so important players will arrive. But money is not enough, you need a man just like Marotta, able to make the right choices on the market. We have to go back to winning.”
Does Spalletti deserve to stay?
“For me he’s always been a great coach, I don’t know if he has the locker room in his hand because I’m not inside, but I think the confirmation depends mainly on reaching the Champions League. Conte? Another great coach, he won the championship at Juventus and Chelsea, but in the international arena has struggled so far. He’s not yet among the top ten in the world in my opinion. I think the right man for Inter is just one: Josè Mourinho. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t understand a thing about football. He’s number one. Stop. He won at Porto, Inter, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United. If he’s not ideal, then take me on the bench (smiles) that maybe something I can win, as long as I get Messi and Lukaku.”
How much do you rate the Juventus season?
“A situation similar to the one that happened to me here in Brazil. We won the Scudetto, but we left Libertadores early and we were criticized. I’d sign up to win eight championships in a row, it seems like a walk in the park but it’s not like that. It must be said, however, that what happened is proof that the individual player can decide maybe a game, but not a competition. As strong as Cristiano Ronaldo is, and I think he’s a step lower than Messi, he couldn’t do more on his own. Juventus obviously lacks something to be at the level of the other big European clubs”.
Source: fcinter1908.it
