José Mourinho says Inter’s victory was for everyone

MILAN – José Mourinho explained his decision to field an attacking formation after Wednesday night’s decisive Champions League victory over Rubin Kazan.

“Tonight’s (Wednesday) Inter like Leonardo’s Milan? Yes, Leonardo’s Milan are the first team in history to play with this module… We had already played like this three times,” the Inter coach told Rai Sport.

“When I said in yesterday’s press conference that Inter wouldn’t wait for what was happening between Dynamo Kiev and Barcelona, I was expecting someone to understand that we would face our opponents with a more attacking formation.

“We did it and we had four very very good players in midfield: Stankovic first, then Cambiasso. For me Motta was the best player on the pitch, and Sneijder gave the team great balance. Everything went well in defence and Julio Cesar resolved a few problems well. I think that Inter managed to have full control of the game, a game in which everyone thought we would wait for the result of the other game.

“Everyone deserves credit for this qualification, from Julio Cesar to Balotelli and all those who didn’t play and were on the bench or in the stands tonight.

“This is a victory for a group that knew how to stay together and suffer together. Balotelli, as always, played his match, with positive and negative aspects. Eto’o and Milito also did a great job for the team.”

Inter can now sit back and wait for the last sixteen draw, which takes place in Nyon on 18 December.

“Last year I said I preferred to get Manchester – not because they were champions of Europe, but because facing that team could have been an extra motivational factor,” said Mourinho.

“We can’t meet Barcelona again this year. There are two top English teams, there’s Real, there’s Sevilla who some might wrongly think as less strong but I know they are a very hard team to face, there’s Bordeaux who have got a lot of points and have played very well.

“I really don’t know which team I prefer to face. Chelsea because they are part of my history? I don’t know if Chelsea are part of my history, or if I am part of Chelsea’s history.”

Mourinho, who replied “you don’t know me” when asked why he wasn’t smiling after reaching the last sixteen, concluded with some food for thought for the Italian press: “There’s one thing I find hard to understand. I thought that Italy was a country in which the results counted, but I have realised that it’s not like this.

“We were Italian champions last year, we’re first this year; last year we were knocked out by the champions of Europe, and this year we have won in a group with the current European champions…” He then smiled.