In a long and interesting interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter’s Esteban Cambiasso talked about everything from Mourinho to Thohir, About the past, the present, and partly about the future.

Your and Mourinho’s paths cross again, are the feelings still there even though three years have passed ?

“The feelings are there, yes. When you experience unforgettable moments, you tend to remember the epilogue above all, but behind it is a long journey with a tremendous intensity and it involves many people. Therefore it will be nice to meet him, but also his entire staff.”

Signs of how Mourinho has affected Inter’s history can be found in Inter’s trophy room, but how has Inter affected Mourinho’s career?

“Even his life, I think, and a lot. He says so himself when he explains that Inter has been an important part of his career and his personal journey that doesn’t consist solely of football games.”

Is there anything that Mourinho has that you haven’t found in any other coach?

“Each of us is different, and this diversity is a wealth. Maybe his diversity is the fact that he wouldn’t love that I’m talking about him with a journalist.”

Is it too early to talk about Mazzarri’s impact at Inter?

“Yes it is still early, but I hope we can talk about it shortly. It would mean that everything goes as we want.”

Isn’t too much responsibility put on him by saying that he is the true big signing for Inter?

“Neither a coach or a player can be held responsible for what is being said about him. However, a coach today has an incredibly big responsibility, if it goes well or badly. In the past, it was the players’ ‘team, today it’s the coaches’ teams.”

Is there anything that has surprised you with Mazzarri more than anything else?

“I don’t like to talk about my current coach. If I speak well of him I’m considered a brown-noser, if I speak ill of him, it goes on the front page.”

But is it true that Inter have trained harder with him than they have in a long time?

“I read that some of us were supposed to have said that we haven’t worked like this since Cuper. Who would say that? The only one that was here when Cuper was coaching Inter was Zanetti and he has until now not been able to train… More than anything I would say that we train differently, we work with more resistance, more off the pitch. The last time we did it was with Mancini. ”

How does your role change with Mazzarri?

“With a defense of three, a man plays in front of the defense, I’ve never played like that. It involves a lot of coverage for the three behind and the need to ensure support for the ball carrier.”

Will it be an advantage to only play one game a week?

“I wish we could play two games a week this year, but considering what we did last season we don’t deserve it.”

The question was not meant that way: playing once a week means you have to run less.

“I’ve never been a sprinter, my speed, which was criticized so much last season, is the same I’ve always had. Records from last season doesn’t say that I can no longer run enough, but I know from experience that this happens: when everything goes bad, run more and you become less visible.”

How many more points in the table are guaranteed by just playing one game a week?

“None. Unless I had won the treble, I might have said yes, but I won it. Besides, if you play more you know what you need to fix, but on the other hand you have less time to review and improve things. The only advantage is that you can prepare for each match in more detail and it doesn’t require two people for each position, which is required if you are going to play 60 games.”

We go back a few months in time: would you feel that you were culpable or that you were a victim as coach of Inter 2012/13?

“If one day I will be a coach, I will say what I think about the coach’s role. I will give you the same answer for all Inter’s former coaches.”

As a player in this Inter, did you feel that you were culpable or that you were a victim of the sinking ship?

“Victim? Never, it would mean that you don’t want to take your own responsibility. I felt like a player who was responsible for not achieving the results Inter need to achieve.”

Any mistakes you made last season that you won’t make this season?

“Even if I knew, I would not say it publicly.”

Now you can tell me: why did you and Zanetti argue?

“Argue? Me and Zanetti! Don’t joke, come on…”

You’ve said that: to renew my contract, five minutes are enough. When?

“The club has more important things to think about at the moment, and I talk about the transfer market, not just the negotiations with Thohir. But it has been that way with all my contracts with Inter except the first. They will call me and it will take five minutes.”

If a deal gets done between Moratti and Thohir, nothing will be as before?

“We still don’t know if it will be big or small changes in the club’s organization. But I know one thing, no matter what happens, Moratti will not only do it because it’s good for Inter, but because it’s the best for Inter.”

Waiting for clarity, Inter are locked in the transfer market. On paper the teams in front, that were far ahead last season, have strengthened their teams further.

“I believe in the transfer market, but by half. The other half consists of work and what happens on the pitch. It’s not the transfer market that says who wins the league. When Juve won the first, two years ago, everyone said until the middle of the season that Milan was stronger.”

Isn’t it unfair to talk about Inter fighting for the title when it’s a team that is rebuilding?

“Facts are what counts, not words or actions will stop Inter from going in with an obligation to try to win. Always.”

But not against Chelsea though.

“No, because we are at another phase than them. First we must avoid a negative result, while they play to take a step further in terms of quality. This difference will be glimpsed, but not more. We can’t play with the idea that we can take a loss against them because losses don’t do any good and are never good.”

Source: fcinternews.it