Berti: Inter Milan is the strongest team in Italy and Chivu will correct mistakes in time during the game

In an interview, Inter Milan's legendary midfielder Berti praised the current coach Chivu, and also talked about his memories of the past and his evaluation of Inter Milan.

Q: You experienced many unforgettable battles between Inter Milan and Naples in the 1980s, but you only scored one goal against the Azzurri in 1995. It was at the Maradona Stadium, which was then called the San Paolo Stadium.

Berti: Wait, I scored another, much more important goal against Napoli, in 1989 at San Siro when we became Italian champions. A volley hit Fauci and flew into the blind corner. We equalized the score after Careca scored first, and then Matthaus scored 2-1. According to the ridiculous rules at the time, the goal was counted as an own goal, but the shot was originally flying towards the goal, huh...

Q: After Matthaus scored, Berti made the "umbrella gesture" around the court.

Berti: The San Siro erupted, yes, I let everything go to hell. The adrenaline has reached its peak, and it has to be vented in some way...

Q: What will it be like at the Maradona Stadium today?

Berti: Incalculable. I would watch the game in an Inter fans' club in Cuneo, but I would have liked to have been there with Lautaro and the others, if only to experience the atmosphere of waiting: those were unique moments that I still miss. And this matchup is special. Because we lost the league title last season, because Inter Milan is in very good shape now, and because we must take advantage of the fact that Naples is suffering from two-front battles in the Champions League. Conte has his own big trouble this year. It's not easy when you have to play a game every three days and always win...

Q: On the other hand, Inter Milan has performed quite well and has won 7 consecutive games.

Berti: I was pretty sure the team would take off, even after losing to Udinese and Juventus. Now we are where we should be and Milan have had a bit of luck so far, but for me Inter are the strongest in Italy. Our roster is top-notch, and now that we have more depth... it's good. Did you see how those players who came off the bench were doing? The midfield is already one of the strongest in Europe, and now we have Susic: extremely elegant, he is our man. And Zelinski, who is returning to the same person he was at Napoli.

Q: Is Varela still the most "Berti-esque" player in the midfield?

Berti: Of course, Barrera has few opponents in terms of personality, technology, or timing. Maybe I scored more goals back then...

Q: Did you expect Boni and Pio Esposito to integrate so quickly?

Berti: When you have talent and courage, you don't need time. This is what a man who made his debut wearing an Inter Milan jersey at the age of 21 will tell you. Pio is a plug-and-play shooter and Bony is doing a great job. They turned things around completely: before you could put Taremi, Arnautovic and Correa together and know that nothing would happen. Now it's different...

Q: Chivu dared to reuse them immediately. This is also very courageous, don't you think?

Berti: I never had any doubts about him. I know him very well. During the events organized by Inter Milan, we would meet outside almost every half hour. I would go to smoke a cigar and he would go to smoke. We talked about football and I knew then that he would be the right person, a coach who is extremely well prepared and who breathes the spirit of Inter.

Q: In your opinion, how did he win the hearts and minds of the players so quickly?

Berti: He had a clear idea from the beginning and conveyed it with charisma: If you don't have charisma, it's hard for a group of championship players to follow you as enthusiastically as they do now. As I said before, the team has huge potential and the transfer market has strengthened the squad, but Chivu immediately put his stamp on it. Moreover, he did something that I haven't seen in a long time...

Q: What was it?

Berti: He will correct his mistakes in time during the game. We finally have a coach who won't wait until the 60th minute to make a substitution.

Q: Is there a "rejection reaction" between Naples and De Bruyne?

Berti: Come on, stop joking! De Bruyne is in my ideal XI yesterday, today and tomorrow. He has a great football IQ and he will adapt to Napoli.

Q: Do you often think of the fact that you were able to join Naples?

Berti: When I was in Florence, my house was really crowded and everyone wanted me. Fiorentina had sold me to Napoli's then-president Ferraino, but the decision was my own. I always only wanted Inter Milan. I couldn't have made a better choice.