Zamorano: Real Madrid vs Inter will be a great match; Spider should forget what he said before

At 03:00 Beijing time on September 9, Real Madrid will face Inter in the first round of the Champions League league phase. Before the match, the two clubs' former player Ivan Zamorano spoke with AS.

Ivan Zamorano (born in Santiago, Chile in 1967) played for Real Madrid for four seasons and became a club idol. In the famous 5-0 win over Barcelona at the Bernabeu, he scored a hat-trick. He later moved to Inter Milan, where he reinvented himself as a high-profile partner alongside Ronaldo Nazario. The legend of both clubs analyzed the match in an interview with AS.

What do you think of Real Madrid currently?

They are going through a process. Mourinho is trying to continue his previous football philosophy with the team, right? I watched their first few matches, and the team has shown very strong attacking intentions while also defending well. I think the players are gradually adapting to the coach's demands. In particular, I believe the team is undergoing a very interesting football transformation.

I believe Real Madrid will fight for the title until the end this year. They have an excellent squad with many solutions in every position, and Mourinho has brought more order and focus, making the team a united and cooperative whole.

I understand you mean you think Mourinho's return will be successful.

Without doubt, this team is completely different from the one he coached the first time. But we already know Mourinho has many ways and enough wisdom to lead a club like Real Madrid through a full season.

He knows Real Madrid's history, the dressing room, what it means to come to Madrid, and the responsibility someone carries there. I think he has enough strength to instill these things in the team, help them perform well, and strive to reach the highest level.

At least I am an optimist, and I strongly believe this will be a great year.

Did you watch Real Madrid's defeat to Betis? Mbappe missed a chance he normally would not miss...

Even if he occasionally has moments when he does not perform as well, Mbappe will always be a solution. He is a different kind of player who can score and change games through his individual ability.

Mourinho and Real Madrid will need him throughout the year. He was excellent at the World Cup, and at the start of this La Liga season I can also see that he is very committed to the team.

He is always decisive. When people see the team may sometimes not reach its expected level, he always steps up, takes responsibility and tries to do better.

Against Betis, I think Real Madrid should not have lost. The defeat should not have happened, but these things can happen, so there is no need to collapse because of it. There are important matches ahead and the team must recover.

There is also Espi, and Real Madrid have regained the role of a traditional number nine, like you were back then.

The strange thing in recent years is that Real Madrid did not have a center forward, because they always had a penalty-box number nine. Carlos represents that traditional type of number nine.

He is 1.93 meters tall and has the physical qualities to be a focal point for the team, while also giving them more breathing room when building attacks from the back becomes difficult.

He is an interesting player and is always close to scoring, which is very important for a team like Real Madrid. When opponents defend deep, he can be a solution. He is a penalty-box player with excellent heading ability and finishing skills, as shown by the disallowed goal he scored recently.

What do you think of Real Madrid's match against Inter?

It will be a difficult match. Inter are now a very solid team and know how they want to play. Chivu previously worked at the club, so he already knew these players well before taking charge.

I think Inter already have a very clear style and still have a lot of room to grow, with two players available for every position.

They have comfortably won three Serie A matches. Their last match especially impressed me. Against a Napoli side full of stars, they were once 0-2 down but showed such a strong reaction.

They will go to the Bernabeu looking for victory. Inter are not a team that retreat away from home; wherever they play, they maintain the same style.

For Real Madrid, this will be a difficult match. The difference between the teams will be decided by details because both sides have many players with outstanding individual ability.

I think we will see, in my opinion, one of the most exciting matches of the first stage of this season's Champions League.

You also joined Inter from Real Madrid and competed for playing time with Ronaldo and Vieri...

I had completed a very important stage at Real Madrid. I wanted to accept another challenge by playing in Italy, and I think I went to the right club.

Inter felt like a very tough and hardworking team, which was similar to my style and my way of playing. I think my choice was correct and I felt very comfortable there.

Later Ronaldo, Vieri, Baggio... those players all arrived. I had to redefine my role.

For me, being able to play alongside the best players in the world was an honor. In fact, Ronaldo should have worn number nine, and I had no problem with that because I gave the number nine to the best player in the world, my friend 'Ronnie'.

Many important things happened there, helping me grow as a player and as a person. Therefore, I am always grateful for my experiences at Real Madrid and Inter. They are two clubs with great history.

Looking back now, I am very proud to have played for these two clubs. When they face each other, I get very excited. I just want to enjoy the match, nothing more.

You experienced something unusual. Valdano did not want you, but you stayed and eventually became a hero in the 1994-95 title-winning season. Julian Alvarez's situation is somewhat similar, but in the opposite way: he wanted to leave but had to stay. What advice can you give him? How should this situation be handled?

I did not want to leave Real Madrid, but a coach who did not like me arrived at that time. The only thing I could do was talk less and work harder in training and on the pitch. That is what I did.

Through my effort, persistence, motivation and courage, I stayed. I think Valdano recognized that, just as he did with Amavisca, and eventually we became two very important players for the team.

What Julian needs to do now is forget everything he said before, forget what happened, and work hard to become a solution for Atletico Madrid and an important player in the team.

I think nobody doubts he is an excellent professional and a very good player. His current difficulty is his relationship with the fans, but when Julian starts scoring and becomes that player again, the relationship will change and he will become a solution for the team.

You were Ronaldo's neighbor when you were in Milan. What was that like?

We lived in the same building. 'Ronnie' had a very cheerful personality, smiled at everyone, and made us enjoy football. Being his neighbor was very interesting.

I love him very much and will always be grateful that I had the chance to play alongside him. Whether as teammates or neighbors, I greatly enjoyed the time I spent with him.

With him, you always had to be prepared, whether on or off the pitch. He was number one in the world.

He gave you number nine and you changed to number 18... but there was a plus sign in the middle. One plus eight equals nine. Did you work hard to get that number?

I am the only player in football history to have worn a shirt like that, and it became legendary. I did need to fight for it, but President Moratti somehow helped me fulfill my wish of wearing the '1+8' shirt.

It is an iconic shirt and one of the best-selling shirts in Italian football history.

I did not give number nine to an ordinary person; I gave it to the best player in the world.

Is this Real Madrid a favorite to win the Champions League?

Yes, absolutely.

After so many things happened over the past two years, I think this could become a great year. I have this feeling and I can sense it from the pitch.

Real Madrid should always be considered one of the favorites for the Champions League title. They are the kings of this competition, and Real Madrid must always be there.