Argentine outlet Infobae at the weekend published a pretty long interview with former Inter Milan striker Diego Milito.
The 40-year-old recalled his glory years with the Serie A side, for whom he won the treble in the 2009/10 season.
The Nerazzurri were managed by Tottenham Hotspur boss José Mourinho back then, and the Special One was a a big part of the chat.
Milito first talked about his shirt number, as he’s used the 22 for most of his career, and the Portuguese boss helped him with that once he signed for Inter Milan.
“The 22 was born by chance. I adopted it when I got to Zaragoza. I signed the last day of the market. And there were only two numbers left. The 2 and the 22. I told myself: ‘I’m not going to put the 2 on my back. A striker doesn’t fit it’. I grabbed the 22 and the story started. I did very well the first year. And I followed in all three. When I returned to Genoa I was lucky because 22 was Borriello’s, who had gone to Milan. It was free and I grabbed it. That was one of the best years of my career.
“From there I went to Inter. There Mourinho called me on the phone to congratulate me. In that talk he said to me: ‘I imagine you are going to want the 22’. I knew Paolo Orlandoni, the third goalkeeper, had it. Then I said to him: ‘I would like to, but I know Paolo has it. I am not such a thief’. There he replied: ‘Rest assured that I will take care of it’. He went to speak to Orlandoni and said: ‘I have to ask you for a favour and you have to say yes. I need the 22’. Paolo, a phenomenon, left it there.”
Milito was also asked to pick between José Mourinho or Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, and he had no doubts about that.
“I obviously tell you Mourinho because I had him. Not Guardiola. I admire him as a coach. But I don’t know him. I wasn’t that lucky. I would have liked. I had José and I know that he helped me, what he’s taught me. And the importance he had in my career. He was the one who asked me and gave me the opportunity to play at Inter to achieve everything.”
One of the most memorable games in Inter Milan’s Champions League campaign had been the semifinal’s second leg against Barcelona. Following a 3-1 win in Italy, they achieved heroic qualification with a 1-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side.
However, Milito says their result in the first game is underrated.
“It is true. Many times it gives me a bit of anger because the press has been a little unfair to that team. I’m not saying in Italy, because there we are practically heroes. But elsewhere we have been attacked and criticised for being very defensive. And I say ‘they keep an image but they don’t see the whole movie’. That Inter played with four forwards, with Sneijder, Eto’o, Pandev and me. Plus the Brazilian Maicon, who was more forward than defender.”
