Matthaus: German players once brought championships to Inter Milan. Chivu’s Inter Milan is not better than Inzaghi’s

October 12th At the 2025 Sports Festival in Trento, Matthaus revealed the story behind his move to Inter Milan.

Why did he choose the Nerazzurri?

"It was Trapattoni who convinced me. At that time, it was not just Inter Milan who was interested in me. For example, Juventus was also interested in me. There were many other teams chasing me. But for me, Trapattoni was the one who really fought for me. Muller and Rummenigge had worked with him and told me about him, so I decided to join Inter Milan."

Talking about Inter Milan fans and the No. 10 jersey?

"The Inter Milan fans gave us great energy and they were our twelfth man on the pitch. When I came here in 1998, we wrote history and the fans will never forget it. It is very special to wear the number 10 shirt of this club because in my time , Platini, Zico and Maradona have all worn this number. It is an honor, but it also brings pressure, especially because Inter Milan fans have been waiting for the Serie A championship for so long. "

About the Serie A championship?

"Our arrival really helped Inter Milan win the championship. Although we were not the first German players to join Inter Milan, we brought the confidence from Bayern Munich, a team that is used to winning championships. I am proud to bring this desire to win. Sometimes this team lacks confidence because they have not won the championship for a long time. I remember one game that is particularly memorable."

Which game?

"The game against Bologna, when we were leading the table. Captain Bergomi is a World Cup winner and he said to me 'I would be happy if we could get a draw here, after all it is a difficult away game.' But I told him no, we cannot be satisfied with this, I want to win 4-0. In the end we won the game 6-0. So, this is a strong team, it just lacks a little self-awareness."

About his farewell?

"In 1992 I tore my anterior cruciate ligament against Parma. For a football player, such an injury is very dangerous and could affect your entire career. I had surgery, but when I came back, I found that many things had changed. For example, the coach had changed. I think back, a few times Trapattoni fought for me but the new coach didn't pay much attention to my situation. Beckenbauer called me and called me back to Germany. "Is Chivu's Inter Milan better than Inzaghi's?

"No."

Can Chivu's Inter Milan win the Serie A title?

"Yes, the Serie A title race is still open."

How painful were you on the Monaco night when Inter Milan lost to Paris Saint-Germain?

"It pains me, PSG really deserved to win, but Inter Milan can be proud of themselves for getting to this point, especially the performance against Barcelona in the semi-finals. Inter Milan experienced many exciting nights, which other teams did not have."