 |
free hosting image hosting hosting reseller online album e-shop famous people |  |
  |
||
|
free hosting image hosting hosting reseller online album e-shop famous people | |
|
||
Let's point the fingers at ourselves
Javier Zanetti - Happy Birthday Il Capitano!
What does it mean to be an Interista?
It has been a whole cycle of issues that has caused Inter's decline, from the scudetto winning team of 1989 to what has been left of our great legacy in present day 2003.
For one, it must be said that Moratti has had to shoulder the greatest blame, and subsequently, responsibility for the plight Inter finds themselves today. His constant interference in the everyday ongoings of the team led to a lot of clashes between himself and our coaches. This of course, has proven itself to lead to nowhere, and has been evident ever since Moratti took over. He did try and change though; the last 3 seasons was proof that he realised (once again) that his impetuous nature has been the root of our problems.
On the flipside, our coaches were never really to be blamed for their involvement in Inter's great decade-long saga, but they cannot be absolved from all blame themselves. There have been quarrels, multiple issues and myriad of mistakes that caused the team to utterly fall, and thus led to their quick release from employment and yet another merry-go-round of coaches coming in (and out) of the San Siro doors.
Another huge factor in Inter's constant problems are of course, the fans. Fickle as they are, violent they can be; they have always have presented themselves with a love/hate relationship with the players, the coach and Moratti. When all goes well, they don't hold back with the level of support they can dish out. It is when things go bad that they start to show their ugly side. Needless to say, they have never really helped the situation. Their displeasure only serves to make Moratti more critical and indecisive about his choice of actions. Certainly, the fans have had a great influence on the choices made over the past decade of Moratti's reign at the club.
Last but not least, we come to the focus of this subject - the players. Nobody can be innocent of their role, and the people who wear the shirt, the ones who are supposed to give us the victory, have often themselves to blame. Many names come to mind, but i shall not bother to state them. After all, i am sure my fellow Interisti know truly well who these people are, and how much their lack of determination has caused us important points.
To sum it up, it must be said that everybody has had a part to play in what
has become a soap opera. There have been inept coaches, wrong decisions, lazy
players, fans with extreme mood swings and a highly irritable president. How
can one choose a true source of blame when everybody has a fair share?
| Javier Zanetti - Happy Birthday Il Capitano! |
| It all started with the UEFA Cup final. That was the first time i ever
saw Javier Zanetti take to the field - live and on television. If truth
be told, he wasn't the man i was most interested in seeing play. It was
Ronaldo, back then a promising player, and someone i would never have thought
would cause so much fuss several years later. But this thread is not about
him, it is about our magical number 4. Watching the game, one cannot help
but feel that wonderful thing inside of you, something so warm and happy.
Inter finally won something - their 3rd UEFA Cup. And what was the moment
that captured my imagination, and subsequently, my heart most? Zanetti's
gol, a shot from just outside the penalty. A shot that no goalkeeper in
the world could ever save. Marchegiani dived to his left, stretching as
best he could, but it was in vain. Nobody could deny Inter's 2nd gol, and
nobody could deny Javier Zanetti his moment of glory, and his chance to
earn himself a special place in every Interista's heart.
Fast forward 5 years later, and very little has changed then. Zanetti is still the player that he is, giving his all for the club and colors. What has changed though, is that little armband he proudly wears on his left arm every single game. Yes, he is our captain, our leader, our heart and soul. Whenever Il Capitano takes to the field, you know he will try his best, never giving up for a single minute. He proudly wears his shirt and the logo, knowing that he is one of us, and we're always with him. It is the perfect marriage - he loves the club and the fans, and the fans in return love him. There have been good times and bad - all with Il Capitano in along for the ride. The gols he has scored will always be amongst the best moments in my life. Depressed at being 2-1 down in a Milan derby back in 9899, Zanetti promptly latched on to a Taribo West pass to make it 2-2. The celebrations that followed did nothing less than to bring a tear to my eye. It will always be one of my proudest and happiest moments being an Interista to see Il Capitano kiss our jersey, for we know that he kisses it with all the love he can muster. On the other hand, there have been moments of absolute agony. May 5th was a day that i hoped would finally bring to the club it's glory it so desired. It was also the day that i wanted to repay Il Capitano for all the years he has remained ever so loyal to the club. I cried that day not only for our lost scudetto, but also because we couldn't even give back to our greatest player what he has long wished for. The season after that has left one of the greatest impressions on me for a long time - the sad, haunted face of Zanetti after our Champions League final exit. Amongst all that suffering and occassional joy, we still find Il Capitano at the club, proudly leading the team out into battle every weekend. And recently, we have received wonderful news - Il Capitano will be with us until 2007. This is something i have never doubted, that no matter where he goes after his Inter career, be it at another club or retirement from the game, he will always be a Nerazzurra. So here i sit, wondering about all good things that happen in my life. Inter is one of the best, and Il Capitano along with it. I love the man, and it is my greatest dream that one day, we will win the league championship and with Il Capitano leading us to that moment of absolute euphoria. All i ask from Zanetti is his love for the club, and in return, i will be his fan forever.
Inter VS Milan 98/99 We were 2-1 down thanks to 2 Leonardo gols. Losing to Milan was never something i fancied, but Il Capitano made sure that i never had to suffer that indignity on the day. Taribo West cheekily fooled Maldini and a perfect pass to Zanetti saw him slotting the ball under Abbiati to give us the draw. Inter VS Roma 98/99 Roma took the lead thanks to a Paulo Sergio gol, but we never gave up. Gols by Cauet, Zamorano and Baggio made the score 3-1 before Zanetti scored the best gol i have ever seen from him. His celebrations with Zamorano and the rest of the gang were beautiful, and he drove home his shot just like he drove home the message that we weren't going to lose to Roma, ever. Inter VS Lazio 97/98 Yes, the UEFA Cup Final. Can anybody ever forget this game? There will never be a game quite like this one ever. The gol, the celebrations, the absolute joy.
Oh, and if Il Capitano himself ever reads this - i just want him to know
that this post and all others after it are but a small token of appreciation
for your wonderful efforts. You will always be our Captain forever. |
| What does it mean to be an Interista? |
| Have you ever thought about this question before? Have you sat down one
day, and pondered over why you love this club so much and why is it that
you have come to wear the black & blue on your heart?
First of all, being an Interista means complete and utter loyalty to the club. FC Internazionale isn't a club for glory hunters - we have been starved of glory for many years. The last time we were actually on the pages of European sports newspapers was back in 98/99, when a Ronaldo, Zamorano and Capitano fueled victory brought us the UEFA Cup, our third in under a decade. It hurts when you look at the club, with all its superstars, with the great fans inside San Siro and then utterly fail against the big clubs. Worse, sometimes we can't even beat the smaller ones, and then you wonder why is it that a bunch of great players cannot even muster a game when they are paid millions. Secondly, in order to be a Nerazzurra, one must always be prepared to endure scorn and shame. We have often embarassed ourselves and made us the laughing stock of the world. But we have never ever hung our heads low - we grit our teeth, swallow our pride and look forward to better days. It doesn't matter if we lose to our greatest rivals by a huge score, or we fail to win a game when the odds were with us. What's important, is we never ever think that supporting Inter is something you wish you wouldn't want to do. Supporting Inter is for life. Well then, what is it that is good for an Interista? The simple joys of football is what it is. How often do you feel a great sense of pride when Il Capitano leads his team out to battle? Or when Vieri, battling alone upfront, rises to head in another gol? Or when Toldo or the defence pull off a miraculous save or tackle and keeps us in the game? These are the moments every Interista lives for. Yes, we all have a desire - the scudetto, but we don't forget the commitment the players put in. We can suffer at the hands of our greatest rivals for 2 years, but there is no feeling in the world greater than when we finally manage to beat them. The warmth you feel in your heart springs eternal because you love this club and you will never ever lose your faith or your love. Being an Inter fan is all about commitment, passion, loyalty, faith and above all, love. I love this club, and that is why i am proud to call myself an Interista.
|
