In a revealing interview, former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti shared his thoughts on the club`s most memorable eras and some of his biggest decisions during his tenure. Moratti expressed particular fondness for his father`s “Grande Inter” team of the 1960s, comparing their uniqueness and impact to that of The Beatles in music.
Moratti also highlighted the 2010 treble-winning squad as a historic achievement, but admitted to having a special attachment to the 1998 team. He claims this team was unfairly denied the Serie A title due to what he described as “robbery” by Juventus. Moratti portrayed Juventus as an insurmountable obstacle during that period, making their eventual downfall in the Calciopoli scandal all the more significant.
Reflecting on transfers, Moratti surprisingly named Andrea Pirlo as both his proudest signing and biggest regret. He recalled personally handling Pirlo`s acquisition from Brescia, but lamented the decision to later sell him to city rivals AC Milan. Moratti compared this to a “reverse-Calhanoglu” situation, referencing the recent free transfer of Hakan Calhanoglu from Milan to Inter.
Despite Inter`s recent dominance over Milan in the league, Moratti expressed bewilderment at their inability to defeat their struggling rivals in direct confrontations this season. However, he emphasized that he would gladly trade those results for Inter`s overall success and growing international reputation.
Moratti also commented on Inter`s dramatic Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona, admitting he had lost hope after Barcelona`s late goal before Francesco Acerbi`s equalizer reignited the team and fans. He noted that such unpredictability is part of Inter`s DNA.
Looking ahead to the final against PSG, Moratti acknowledged his limited knowledge of the French side but suggested they may be more complete than Barcelona. He emphasized the importance of a strong start for Inter`s chances in the match.