Inter legend Lothar Matthäus reminisced on his time in Serie A facing Diego Armando Maradona and Diego Simeone.
The German midfielder spoke to Sports Illustrated about his favourite career moments and many of them were on Italian soil, as he played for Inter from 1988 to 1992.
“One of the most important goals was a free kick for Inter Milan when we played against Napoli with Maradona,” he told SI.com.
Inter legend Lothar Matthäus reminisced on his time in Serie A facing Diego Armando Maradona and Diego Simeone.
The German midfielder spoke to Sports Illustrated about his favourite career moments and many of them were on Italian soil, as he played for Inter from 1988 to 1992.
“One of the most important goals was a free kick for Inter Milan when we played against Napoli with Maradona,” he told SI.com.
“With this goal we won the Italian championship in 1989. This was the final goal in the season and the people were very happy because this was a full stadium in Milan with 85,000 spectators.
“And Inter Milan won after 10 years again the Italian championship. This was not only a nice goal but an important goal for all the fans of Inter Milan.”
Who was the best player Matthäus ever faced?
“Diego Maradona. I played many times against him in the national team and in the Italian competition between Inter Milan and Napoli.
“He was not only the best player in the world at this time. He was very fast, had very good technique, good movements. He really was very difficult to defend.
“When you see everything he was doing, especially at the end of the ‘80s and beginning of the ‘90s, he was playing on another level than the rest.”
For the player he most admired, Matthäus looked to his ex-Inter teammate Andreas Brehme.
“Brehme was one of my best partners in the team because he had good eyes, he could always hit the best ball. He was a very smart player. He had left and right shooting the same. You couldn’t tell if he was left or right because he had both legs and could shoot at the highest level.
“The toughest defender I ever faced was Simeone, now the Coach from Atletico Madrid. He played so strong like his teams. He brought his character from his career to his team.
“He was the player who was not so nice to play against, very uncomfortable. You want him more in your team than playing against him.”