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MILAN – “You know how much Inter means to me. It’s both exciting and a pleasure for me to talk to you.” Those were Ivan Zamorano’s opening words as he spoke to Inter Channel on Radio Inter today.

The ex-Nerazzurri striker, who spent five seasons at the club between 1996 and 2001, recently had the chance to pull on the black and blue stripes once again when Inter Forever called him up for the friendly match against Real Madrid Leyendas on 8 June.

Looking back on the occasion, the Chilean recalled: “It was a fantastic day for me because I got to meet lots of old team-mates I hadn’t seen for years. We were playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, a stadium I know very well. It felt great to wear the 1+8 shirt again.”

Zamorano also said a few words about his fellow countryman Gary Medel: “We’re keeping a close eye on him as he’s really popular in Chile. He’s a special player because he’s a warrior. Character-wise he’s very similar to me and he understands what it means to wear the Nerazzurri jersey. I hope he gets the chance to win something at Inter.”

Finally, he commented on the turn of a new year and what it might bring: “I wish all the Inter fans a wonderful new year and I ask them never to stop giving Inter their support. I hope 2015 is a great year and I’d also like to thank all the fans for the affection they always show me.”

MILAN – Former Nerazzurri midfielder Evaristo Beccalossi has expressed his optimism about the direction Inter are taking under Roberto Mancini and says he sees the team scaling new heights in 2015.

Speaking to Inter Channel on this afternoon’s episode of Radio Inter, the 1980 Scudetto winner explained: “Right now we just need to have a little bit of patience and show some faith in Mancini and the club. We’ve been through a difficult time psychologically speaking so patience is what’s needed. Inter is a club you stick behind through thick and thin.

“The coach knows what he needs to do to get the players performing at their best. I expect good things to come in 2015. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the team and I can see that we’re on the right path.

“The club knows what the coach wants. We just need to get a few players who have been struggling slightly of late firing on all cylinders again. The aim is to get self-confidence back up and get the fans behind the team once more – enthusiasm has already returned since Mancio came back in. We’re ready to get going again with a team that’s capable of competing.”

The ex-No.10 also commented briefly on Rodrigo Palacio and Mateo Kovacic.

“Palacio has found his scoring boots again and that’s a huge plus – a real boost for morale. He’s been one of Inter’s most important players over the last couple of years.

“Kovacic is coming along and he’s a fantastic player. We mustn’t heap too much pressure on his shoulders to turn it on every game but instead let him keep progressing steadily because he’s certainly got the talent. I think with Mancini’s help, 2015 can be his year.”

MARRAKECH – The end-of-year exhibition match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter is just over a day away now. This prestigious friendly kicks off at 20:00 CET tomorrow evening, offering respective coaches Roberto Mancini and Laurent Blanc an opportunity to get their preparations for 2015 off the ground with a useful run-out against experienced opposition.

The French coach and former Inter defender spoke enthusiastically both about the location and about facing the Nerazzurri when he looked ahead to tomorrow night’s meeting at the Grand Stade.

He said: “I’m really happy to be able to meet some Moroccan friends. Marrakech is a city I know well because I’ve had the opportunity to explore it before.

“It’s an ideal location for us – not just because of the mild weather but also for the modern facilities it offers. For example, the Grand Stade is a new stadium with a superb playing surface.

“Everything about this trip is positive: the people here are very friendly and they love their football. I know they can’t wait to see us play live. We’re here to play a top-quality game against Inter. It’s a match-up between two prestigious clubs and we’re looking forward to testing ourselves against them.”

The former World Cup winner also had a few words to say about the club where he plied his trade for two seasons between 1999 and 2001: “Inter are a side with lots of youngsters and I know the club well. It’s going to be an interesting game.

“We’ll be looking to play good football of course but it’s mainly important for our winter training programme. We want to get ourselves back up to full match fitness by playing against first-rate Italian opposition because we have a Coupe de France match on 5 January.”

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