EL CORAZÓN ARGENTINO DEL INTER | BROTHERS OF THE WORLD: ARGENTINA 🇦🇷🖤💙
We are brothers and sisters of the world. This is where hour history started on March 9th 1908. Players, careers, different lives and stories to tell. 52 different countries have had at least one player wearing Inter colours, the colours of the sky and the night. Some of them would
be forever bonded with the Club, writing unforgettable pages of Nerazzurri’s legend, an international legend. Argentina is one of these Countries, that has provided Inter’s history with 51 footballers. A story made of feelings and strong emotions as well as memorable gestures, those that connect Inter with the ‘Albiceleste’. A
myth from a long way back, an inexplicable elective affinity, hard to out into words, but has always been present. A connection that dates back to the times of Atilio Demaría, legendary forward from the 1930s, with 86 goals and 295 appearances, later continued in the 1950s with Antonio Valentin
Angelillo at the beats of tango, with his 33 goals in 33 League fixtures in the 1958-59 season, still today a standing record. Similar records date back to Helenio Herrera, the ‘Grande Inter’ magician, the coach that led the Nerazzurri to the top of the world. A great gesture that
Javier Zanetti repeated, the player detaining the highest number of appearances for the Club, who joined Inter as an outsider alongside his compatriot Sebastian Rambert. Inter were interested in
and when Sandro Mazzola called the president and said: ‘‘We are interested in Ortega’’ The president replied: ‘’I want the number 4’’ At the times only three foreigners could play, and Inter had already got Paul Ince, Roberto Carlos, Rambert, I was as usual the fourth, and I had the
number 4 too. I was sure about myself and that I could play my cards right. They had to stop me because I started running. I remember Patrick Vieira, Nico Burdisso running after me from the back, Hernán Crespo too, that’s when I understood the meaning of that goal. An
exceptional person, so humble, a person always available to help everyone, so I will always be grateful to have met another captain of this caliber. Here he is, lifting the trophy, to acknowledge everyone that Inter is on top of the world. World Champions! The many opportunities we’ve had with
so many Argentinian players here at Inter, is due to our way of interpreting football, our passion too, our culture is part of Inter’s DNA. This is the perfect cooking technique. The flavour of ‘mate’, of ‘asado’ and all the Argentinian passion, the one of Ramón Díaz, exceptional alongside Serena
in 1988-89. The one of Simeone, symbol of ‘La Garra’. As well as the one of Sebastián Verón, a wizard capable of unique spells. The passion of the great strikers, the relentless Hernan Crespo and Julio Cruz. A connection that has bloomed in the year of the treble, a whole
‘Albiceleste’ affair, the one Samuel ‘the wall’, of ‘the Cucho’ Cambiasso and ‘the prince’, Diego Alberto Milito. As I said, I don’t really like to talk about myself, I will try from the start, from the first training session, the first match, to do my best to allow Inter to
reach the objectives they have set for themselves as a Club of this magnitude. I hope we can achieve them, this is the challenge ahead of us. Being on the bench looked like a miracle at that point, since from the press conference I looked like I was here on
holiday. Almost as the most promising question was the one: ”Do you think you are going to play at all?” The situation was not easy at all at the start, but sometimes the hardest situations are also the most exciting ones. Cambiasso did not play that much at Real Madrid,
we knew him, we had been following him so… … we thought he could have been a very useful player for us, he was also rather young, he improved a lot since his arrival at Inter, and later was also able to develop his football intelligence, he was able to
foresee many situations before the others did. I started from the Academies at Real Madrid. I think it’s difficult to let go of a dream. I already told this story before when a few months before Ajax had already made contact with me, then a few months later Real Madrid
came forward and that’s a whole different story. Italy or Spain feel much more like home to us and that’s when I mad my dream come true. Let’s see what they say about us: ‘’Inter still dominating over AC Milan’’ ‘’Assist and a goal for Cambiasso – That’s our happy
ending to the story’’ The last ones were crucial, they consecrated our journey. We steadily grew as first we conquered the Coppa Italia on my first season. Then I won a Super Cup and another Coppa Italia. Then the Scudetto, the first one of many other successes. The treble, then
winning the Club World Cup, all dreams that I may have had the day I arrived at Inter nine years ago, have all come true. I think this is the best time in my career in terms of maturity, I feel this is the peak of my career. I will
try to leverage on this and to help the team, as I said before. I’ve always watched the matches from big Clubs like Inter. Maybe I was already a bit old when I joined the Club, but I enjoyed my arrival at Inter anyway. I did all my best to
be part of a great team in the world scenario, that would also allow me to play great matches, the chance as well to win big trophies. I am super happy to have contributed to have written the history of this Club. Diego is a one of my biggest friends,
a very generous person. He is the type of footballer that can create the winning play at any given time. Winning the treble in the way we did, well I think this is going down in history, and that’s the most important thing. I have to thank, I always say
this… I have no words to describe it. My contribution here is nothing compared with what the Inter family and all the supporters gave to the Club. Great forwards, like ‘black and blue snakes’ that crawl into the box. A legacy maintained by Rodrigo Palacio and Mauro Icardi. Up until
today, with Inter and Argentina going alongside. They follow the rhythm of tango, with the energy of a bull – El Toro – captain Lautaro Martinez. When I was at Racing Diego Milito was there too, in the board of directors of the Club, and in the technical board too,
he would talk to me about what Inter represented You all know I have a soft spot for Lautaro, I’ve known him since he was very young. I know he will put a lot of his passion into Inter, this is what I hope for. It will be great for
him and it will be great for Inter especially. I already knew there have been many Argentinians here: Diego, Javier, Cuchu, Samuel, we did an important job here at the Club, so I had a great responsibility in that sense. I believe we did something great here and we are
really happy of what we managed to achieve. This Scudetto was really important for us, we did it and we are really happy about it. I’m so happy, I’m going through such wonderful and unique emotions: we achieved our goal, something we had worked on since mister Scaloni’s arrival. I’m
really happy, also because of winning the Copa América, after so many years. Argentina have now the place they deserve. I’m really happy to have reached 100 goals as an Inter player. – 101! True, 101, I hope to continue in this way. You all know him as a footballer,
but the difference is of the man behind that footballer you all know. A man committed one hundred per cent to working, day in day out. He also has this great sense of belonging to Inter, which in certain situations this and last season have made the difference. I feel
more responsible than before for the Club, even though I have always given my all for the team and for this shirt. Wearing the captain’s band today of course gives me more responsibility, but I always try to grow, thanks to their help as well, which I’m really grateful for.
It’s important to respect and help each other as teammates. I always try to give back to the Club for the faith and love they have given me. For this reason I’m really proud of my latest achievements, I always say that we need to look ahead of us, because
I hope I can continue on this path, to bring joy to the people, and to all the fans and the family that always stays by mi side.
