Short interview with Lothar Matthäus:
"ETO'O, DO IT LIKE BERTI."
Matthäus: "The best victory? In '90, after Milan dominated the game. Leonardo can win the Scudetto and the Champions League."
Bulgaria - "Happy late birthday, captain." You can see the surprise in the flickering eyes of Lothar Matthäus who turned 50 years old last week. Matthäus is struggling to qualify for Euro 2012 with Bulgaria and perhaps for this reason, the former leader of Inter seemed almost relieved by our unexpected visit: in an hour, he talked about Inter, Trappatoni, the Scudetti, Champions League and of course the derby.
Matthäus, on Saturday there is Milan...
"I know. I know everything about Inter. It is my team and forever it will be. It is an emotional issue that is difficult to explain. When I saw the players, in me there is a lot of emotions..."
So who will win the derby?
"Well, obviously, I would say Inter. But I am saying this not as a fan but as a coach and because the team is in better form. Not only that, this comeback will help. It will give them a boost and scare the opponents. Of course, this can also be dangerous. You shouldn't never be too sure. Not to mention that a victory for Milan could give them the final push for the sprint. But my choice of Inter is not only for this game because Inter will win the league."
Who can decide this game?
"I think Eto'o can do it. He is more than a man: a great champion at the service of the team. A treat for any coach. For Milan, I would say Ibra even though he has a different way of playing. His absence will have an impact. Anyway, I feel Eto'o is more incisive."
Best memory of a derby?
"The 1-0 in the last minute with Berti's goal in 1990. Throughout the game, Milan dominated us. Trapatoni was screaming at us to defend and defend. In short, it was a Catenaccio. It was a victory that you can enjoy for a lifetime. Sacchi at the end had bulging eyes because he didn't want to believe it. Other than the derby, however, I will never forget winning the Scudetto with the Inter shirt. It was a spectacular ride. Another nice moment was when we lifted the UEFA Cup. And then the San Siro was full with the roar of the fans."
So let's close with the Champions League and Schalke 04.
"Inter are the favorites at 80% of going through. It is the most unbalanced match-up. Barcelona? Must be careful because Shahtar are a tough opponent. Leonardo, with a little bit of luck, may repeat the path of Mourinho."