Ivan Cordoba confident Internazionale will return to European elite

Matt Jones - Editor 17:12 15/10/2017
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  • Internazionale icon Ivan Cordoba expects the sleeping Italian giants to once again become a force of European football that saw them claim an historic treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League in 2010.

    Just seven short years have passed since combative Colombian Cordoba was an integral part of Jose Mourinho’s Nerazzurri side that swept all before them domestically – ending in the crowning glory of a third European Cup title and first in nearly half a century.

    But the club has fallen into a downward spiral in the intervening years, just one more major title (Coppa Italia) lifted as Inter have not only lost their seat at Europe’s top table, but even Italy’s too.

    Inter finished runners-up to city rivals AC Milan the year after the treble, but have endured finishes of sixth, ninth, fifth, eighth, fourth and seventh in the last six seasons, becoming irrelevant.

    But they have begun the 2017/18 season well under former Roma coach Luciano Spalletti, sitting third, and new owners Suning invested heavily this summer, spending €20million on each of left-back Dalbert from Nice, centre-back Milan Skriniar from Sampdoria and midfielder Matías Vecino from Fiorentina.

    And ahead of a mouthwatering clash with fierce rivals the Rossoneri at the San Siro Sunday, former defender Cordoba expects them to be back among Europe’s elite sooner rather than later.

    “I think they will get back to the top and I hope they will,” said the 41-year-old, speaking at the official draw of the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi last week.

    “Because Inter is created to win. To achieve big success. But they are on their way to getting back to their best. They can be one of the best five or six teams in the world again.

    “We have a good owner and directors and a good coach who knows the culture of the club and Italian football. I think Inter will be much better this year.”

    In that treble-winning season seven years ago, Cordoba also collected a FIFA Club World Cup medal. And when he was asked what the success that year was down to, Cordoba said then coach Mourinho.

    “The manager. He’s been around the world and he used his skills to improve the team, their level,” said Cordoba, who was at Inter for 12 years between 2000-12.

    “He knows everything about his players. Everything. Then he can control the mentality of each player. He has this skill where he can recognise the best moment of one player, when they can play their best for the team – mentally and physically.

    “It’s difficult to do that. You can train to be like Mourinho but you can’t manage like Mourinho.”

    Cordoba, who earned 73 caps for Colombia, won five Scudettos and four Coppa Italias with Inter, and revealed the treble-winning campaign was the highlight of his career.

    “I think yes, because in that moment it was a big moment for us. You must to well and your best to win so many trophies. And in that moment nothing else mattered,” he said.

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