MILAN – With the ink still wet on his new contract, Rodrigo Palacio spoke to Sky Sport Italia about what it means to him to have extended his stay at Inter.

The Argentine said: "I’m really happy, delighted to have renewed for another year. I’ll give my all for this shirt, for this great club."

On the prospect of becoming a Nerazzurri legend: "There are lots of players who are more important than me but I’ll always play the same way, giving it everything I have in every game. I have to keep working and doing my best for Inter."

What about taking over Milito’s shirt if he doesn’t renew his own contract? "The No.22 belongs to Diego. He’s done so much for this club. I hope he stays because he’s a superb player."

El Trenza was also asked about the possible contract renewals for his other team-mates? "There’s still a while to go before the end of the season. They’ll have time to discuss it and maybe they will sign new deals."

Could he return to Argentina one day? "I don’t know, but lots of people have asked me. I’ve always said I’d like to go back  but at the moment my aim is to spend lots more years in Italy. We’ll see further down the line."

Finally, Palacio looked ahead to tomorrow’s visit to Verona: "Hopefully I can celebrate my new contract with a win tomorrow. We want to put in a top performance, and if I can score too then so much the better. It’s a big game for both teams but it’s one we must win so that we can keep climbing higher."

In the two weeks spent in Milan, the players took part in numerous initiatives making up a real full immersion course in the AC Milan world. From a sporting points of view, the young players were closely followed for the fortnight by coaches and staff from the Milan Academy with intense daily training sessions at the Cimiano sports centre and a series of friendly matches against various AC Milan football schools in the city including Aldini, Red Devils and Masseroni.The richness of the experience was added to by various other activities including a visit of the Milanello sports centre where the first team train and Vismara centre, where the visitors got to work with players from the AC Milan Youth Sector.The group were also lucky enough to get a firsthand experience of the San Siro stadium with tickets to watch Milan-Juventus where, after the match, they got to meet and have photos taken with members of both teams. The Team Camp ended with a visit to the new club headquarters Casa Milan.

BANGALORE (India) – A different reality, and one that Inter know well. India is moving closer to football through grassroots sporting activities for children. Inter Academy, represented by technical director Marco Monti, is sizing up various locations and situations in order to define an agreement with Play on Skills Pvt, the Indian club dedicated to youth football.

It was from Bangalore that Monti’s journey began, and it was a much longer trip to reach these spots when compared to those the Nerazzuri have undertaken over the last three years. It was a way to deepen a mutual understanding, which also came through the experience of the Tata Tea Jaago Re Inter Milan Soccer Stars; a scholastic competition that involved 6,500 boys in2012. The sixteen best U-15 players chosen by Monti in the tournament’s final were then hosted for a week of training at the Centro Sportivo Giacinto Facchetti and took part in the Inter Friendship Cup.

The relationship led to a sense of esteem and today the possibility of three permanent Academies are being studied, along with several football schools. Bangalore is just the first one being examined, and 17 other locations have been identified for the football schools. Along with Play on Skills, Inter have been exchanging information and ideas that have by now been tested out regarding the development of football in India. And now these things are becoming an exciting reality. 

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