Alexis Sanchez says Inter have made him “fall in love with football again” and that he is in the Champions League “to win it”.
Sanchez ended a miserable 18-month spell with Manchester United over the summer as he joined Inter on loan with option to buy, and the forward scored his first goal back in Italy at the weekend.
Alexis Sanchez says Inter have made him “fall in love with football again” and that he is in the Champions League “to win it”.
Sanchez ended a miserable 18-month spell with Manchester United over the summer as he joined Inter on loan with option to buy, and the forward scored his first goal back in Italy at the weekend.
“At home they’re very strong, they have the security of playing there,” he told UEFA.com ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Barcelona.
“If we have one or two chances, we can’t waste them. I played there with United and we wasted three or four clear chances. If you want to beat Barcelona, you can’t throw any clear chances away.
“Coming to Inter was a bit like falling in love with football again. I already knew the Coach and some of the players, and I believe that the club are preparing something beautiful for the future.
“If I’m not mistaken, Inter haven’t won anything for seven or eight years. It was a bit like finding my love for football again, together with my desire to win something with this club.
“Any player would like to win the Champions League. You play in it to win it, not just to compete. I play it to win it.
“It’s beautiful for any player, and Inter must be excited about playing in the Champions League again.”
The 30-year-old played for Barca between 2011 and 2014, and he looked back on his time at Camp Nou with fondness.
“I learned a lot at Barcelona to improve myself. I had quality players who had won a World Cup alongside me, who improved their physique every day.
“Nowadays, every player must have that approach. When I arrived at Barcelona, people said it was the best Barcelona in history at the time.
“There were Guardiola, Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, who are not here now. There was Puyol, who for me is an incredible captain, the best I’ve had in my career so far.
“It was nice. You learn to play football differently there, with possession of the ball.”