Among the many special guests at the Sports Festival in Trento, there was also Julio Cesar, one of the heroes of Inter’s treble season. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the retired goalkeeper spoke about the Nerazzurri and their chances in the Champions League this season.
“Inter today? It is going well. Winning the first two Champions League matches allows you to play with more peace of mind, even though it is not over yet. Now there are two difficult matches against Barcelona, but the start gives a bit of peace,” he said.
“Barcelona less strong? I do not know, but certainly, people like Xavi, Iniesta or Neymar would be missed by any team. But a team that has Messi is always dangerous.
“Handanovic? In my opinion, Samir is very strong. In the Champions League, he will have the opportunity to prove it even more. The European showcase gives you a different dimension from that of Italian football. If he repeats what he did in Serie A in the Champions League, for me he can enter the top 3 or top 5 in the world.
“All the moments with the Nerazzurri shirt were special, but the most beautiful evening was that in Madrid. The best save was against Barcelona on Messi, in the semifinals.
The most beautiful derby was the one in which I saved a penalty against Ronaldinho, one of the best players in the world. We were ahead 2-0 but in ten men. If they had scored, I do not know how it would have ended.
“At Inter I spent seven years in which we did great things. The fans remained tied because we brought them 14 titles, and I won more derbies than I lost, thankfully,” Cesar concluded.