Legendary Ex Inter Milan President Looks Back On 30th Anniversary Of Nerazzurri Takeover: ‘I Did It Out Of Love’ | OneFootball

Massimo Moratti says that he took over as Inter Milan President thirty years ago “out of love” for the club.

Moratti spoke to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews. He looked back on the three-decade anniversary of his takeover of the Nerazzurri in 1995.

Massimo Moratti took over as Inter Milan President from Ernesto Pellegrini.

At the time that Moratti took over, Inter had not won the Serie A title in more than half a decade.

But Moratti had a strong vision for the club. He was the son of legendary former Nerazzurri President Angelo Moratti, and had a strong connection with the club.

Moratti invested heavily in bringing Inter back to the top of Italian, and eventually European football.

Between the 2005-06 and 2009-10 seasons, Inter won the Serie A title five times.

And in the last of those campaigns, the Nerazzurri won the European Treble of the league title, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.

Massimo Moratti: 1995 Inter Milan Takeover “Was Out Of Love”

Massimo Moratti explained that his decision to take over Inter in 1995 was “a very simply matter of love and support.”

“Then the first match went well,” he looked back. “We won 1-0 away to Brescia.”

Inter Milan’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho (L) and Inter Milan’s president Massimo Moratti celebrate after winning the UEFA Champions League final football match Inter Milan against Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 22, 2010. Inter Milan won the Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the final at the Santiago Bernabeu. Argentine striker Diego Milito scored both goals for Jose Mourinho’s team who completed a treble of trophies this season. AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMON (Photo credit should read CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images)

“It was particularly important because we hadn’t won in a while,” the former Inter President noted.

Then, Moratti admitted that he was “angry with the team’s elimination from the Champions League in 2009.”

“In front of me there were a lot of resigned faces, going ‘That’s how it is in Europe…'”

“I was going, ‘Are you joking with me?'” Moratti looked back.

Then, Moratti noted that “The best player I ever had was Ronaldo.”

And the former Inter President noted that “I fell in love with Paul Ince to the point that I personally travelled to England to come and sign him in person.”

“The other player I loved was Javier Zanetti,” Moratti added. “And not just for his representing the club for such a long time.”

“He arrived along with Rambert, who was seen as the real prize of that duo. But instead, it was Zanetti.”

And Moratti noted that “sometimes I go out” to the San Siro. “But otherwise I follow the team from my armchair.”

“Inzaghi has done well to get a good style of play and good results,” he said.