APPIANO GENTILE – When speaking of which coach he learned the most from during his days as a player, Ivan Cordoba explained on Inter Channel’s “Prima Serata”: “I tried to learn something important from all of them. The work done by Roberto Mancini and his staff was mainly aimed at the defence for a while, and so I can say I learned a lot under him. And also from the others regarding many other aspects that were important for the team. Of course it’s up to all the players to take a bit from each one, and this is helping me now in my role as team manager because I can give my contribution and advice in terms of explaining where and in what way things can improve.”
Cordoba not only spoke about coaches, but also about regrets: “If I really had to name something in my wonderful career I’d say I would like to have been on the pitch for the Champions League final in Madrid, or I would like to have played in other matches I had to miss because of injuries or coaching choices. But that’s all part of my Inter history, and seeing how hard it is for me to find something negative in my time here then I’d have to say there are no regrets. Did we deserve success in those years in which strange things were happening? Back then we weren’t guided by destiny, and if things had gone differently then success would have come.”
After having quashed talk of possibly coaching one day, Cordoba confessed: “I still have the desire to lace up my boots and take to the pitch, but I’m different now. Before I couldn’t even count to five, and now I’ve had to learn to count to 100. But it’s my first year and I’m still struggling. I’m still very much a footballer [smiling].” Then it was time to view some images of Cordoba as a player on the Inter Channel screen wearing the Nerazzurri shirt in his final game: “Now I’ll probably become more emotional than I was in that moment. Perhaps then I was a bit caught up in the moment. How mean of you to make me watch these clips [smiling]. In my opinion, the best thing about watching them now is that I’m still here and trying to help out my old team-mates. I’m here for them and that’s something that already makes me very happy.”
He then spoke of his compatriot, Juan Fernando Quintero: “He’s very good, a left-footer. You can tell he’s one of a few with the kind of characteristics he has. I believe he has a great future, hopefully at Inter [smiling]. Convincing Falcao? It wouldn’t be hard to convince him. I’ve known him for a bit and we talked about the possibility of him one day coming here, just as Guarin and I talked about it. The problem is that Falcao’s price is now an astronomical one, and at the moment it’s difficult to think about signing a player like that.”
Ivan Ramiro Cordoba went on to speak about the pluses and minuses of his new job: “At times it’s difficult, that can’t be denied. But that’s something that helps me learn a lot about this side of the sport, and to improve in my role as I try to learn as quickly as I can, because I began working only with the instinct of what I knew, even though there were many things I didn’t know how to do. Luckily I have people whom I can really trust like Fausto Sala, Claudio Sala and Umberto Marino. They are always on hand when planning all these things. Then there are others who have been here for a long time at Inter, like all of you at Inter Channel, or that gentleman who is looking at me through the window right now, Edoardo Caldara. All of you give me boost, which is exactly what I need. Because the idea is that we all help each other out. I’m here for Inter, to support the lads in tough times and to be an extra man when things are going well.”
Source: Inter.it
