Nerazzurri Treble Hero Maicon: “Inter Best Team In Serie A But Jose Mourinho Will Guide Roma To A Draw” | OneFootball

Legendary former Inter defender Maicon believes that the Nerazzurri are the strongest side in Serie A but that Jose Mourinho can still engineer a draw against them this evening.

Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, the Brazilian gave his predictions ahead of Mourinho’s first clash with his former side.

Maicon was a crucial part of the Nerazzurri team which managed to win the European treble under Mourinho, and that team and its achievements has forged a strong connection between the club and coach.

This summer the Portuguese tactician made his return to Serie A for the first time since leaving Inter, and now he will come up against his former team for the first time.

On form, Maicon feels that it is the Nerazzurri who have the clear advantage given what they’ve already shown in the league, but he backs his former coach to snatch a point from the match.

“I believe that in his heart he will feel a lot of emotion,” he said of Mourinho facing his former team, “even after so many years some things are not forgotten.”

On whether or not the coach has changed, he stated that “He’s still Jose. He’s an intelligent person, he’s learning.”

“He is learning to know his players,” he went on, “to relate to a type of team he hadn’t coached for a long time. You see, at Inter he had experienced players, ours was a group used to being at a very high level.”

“And so he knew perfectly well what to ask for,” Maicon explained, “he also anticipated the answers he could get from us. In Rome, in this Roma, it’s not like that.”

“He has a young work group,” he elaborated. “I think there are some very good players, I’m thinking of Pellegrini, Ibanez, Zaniolo.”

“And paradoxically you learn more from players like this,” he continued, “even though they have yet to be fully formed.”

He gave the view that “The two entities, the coach and the team, still need to understand each other thoroughly. They  need more time, it’s normal. And it is certainly a more difficult challenge.”

On the worth of Mourinho’s coaching to the Scudetto in the treble season, Maicon stated “More than ten points. At least half of the points are his.”

“And he showed his best when he motivated you against the small teams,” he went on, “when maybe your desire was not at its strongest.”

Turning to the Nerazzurri’s form, Maicon stated that “They are undoubtedly the strongest team in Serie A. I also like Napoli, but they are a step below.”

“I see Inter as Scudetto favourites ahead because they have added quality players like Dzeko and Calhanoglu,” he went on, “they play better than they did under Conte.”

“And because in midfield there is a player that excites me: Brozovic. He didn’t use to play that way, he has grown a lot. He has an exciting quality to him,” the Brazilian added.

He spoke of a memory of Mourinho, “The time when I scored a double in Siena so that I would get an extra week of post-Christmas holiday is something already known about. What is less so is that I proposed the bet.”

“So I left happy and Mourinho lost,” he explained, “but fundamentally, it was a victory for him too, wasn’t it?”

And on his prediction for the match, Maicon stated that “I say a draw. Inter are in a great moment of form, but Roma cannot lose any more ground in the table.”