MILAN - President Massimo Moratti gave a brief interview to journalists outside the Saras offices on Monday lunchtime.
President Moratti. It has been a wonderful 2008 for Inter. It's a pity about everything that was said after Siena...
"No, it's not. It's you who spoke badly of us. We deserve this first place in the table, just like we deserved to win the Scudetto. What happened in Siena was an incident that we admitted to, I don't know what more we could have done. It was in good faith, and this is very different to what happened years ago. The same thing happened to Juventus yesterday."
The two-legged tie with Manchester United is on the horizon.
"It's an interesting tie and we need it to verify our potential. And it's great for the fans because there will be a lot of interesting players on the pitch."
Are you expecting a full stadium at last in the first leg?
"What do you mean by at last? The stadium has already been full this season when they haven't banned the fans of other teams. So it will be full..."
Do Inter have a good chance of winning the Scudetto early and concentrating on the Champions League, or will Milan and Juventus make it harder for Inter than they have in past years?
"It was Roma that did this in past years and I always consider Roma a great team that play beautiful football. I think it will be a hard championship until the end because Milan have great quality and Juventus have great character, and we can't underestimate this. We have to continue with the same tempo. It won't be easy, but it's a duty, so let's hope we do well."
A lot has been said about Zlatan Ibrahimovic and José Mourinho, and a lot always will be said about them, but is there another player you want to say something about at the end of this year?
"Cambiasso is always to be taken into consideration. He doesn't always make the news, but he has certainly done well this year, too. Cordoba and Samuel have also done their best since returning from serious injuries, like Cruz, for example. But I want to name all of them because they have all done very well, and I'm very grateful to this team."
An adjective to describe this 2008?
"It has been a very good year that will enter football history with an Inter that has dominated, and now we have to show that we can do more. And perhaps with a bit more luck than last season so we can do better on the international stage."
Can you exclude resorting to the transfer market in January?
"Personally, I would exclude it."
Are you talking with Mourinho about Adriano? Does the player need a tutor?
"More than a tutor, he has had a crisis that he is trying to overcome. He has the qualities, so he's a player to always keep in consideration. He's one of the best in the world. It is our constant duty to recover him and we have to help him make the best possible recovery."
