Former Inter President Massimo Moratti admits he was ‘wrong’ to doubt Romelu Lukaku, while the Serie A club has ‘everything it takes to bring Leo Messi’ to Italy.
The €74m spent to sign Lukaku from Manchester United had seemed like a huge gamble, especially replacing Mauro Icardi, but he found the net 31 times in 49 competitive games, preparing for the Europa League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk.
“I got it wrong on Lukaku,” confessed Moratti to the Quotidiano Sportivo newspaper.
Former Inter President Massimo Moratti admits he was ‘wrong’ to doubt Romelu Lukaku, while the Serie A club has ‘everything it takes to bring Leo Messi’ to Italy.
The €74m spent to sign Lukaku from Manchester United had seemed like a huge gamble, especially replacing Mauro Icardi, but he found the net 31 times in 49 competitive games, preparing for the Europa League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk.
“I got it wrong on Lukaku,” confessed Moratti to the Quotidiano Sportivo newspaper.
“In all honesty, I thought he was just physically strong and feared we would regret losing Icardi. Instead, Romelu is a champion, always helps his teammates and has good vision of the play.
“Antonio Conte was right to demand his signing and then did so well to improve him. Winning the Europa League won’t be easy, as there are four very competitive sides left, but I do hope Inter can be the next Italian club to lift a European trophy.”
Moratti famously signed Ronaldo to Inter and tried everything in his power to get Messi when he was still in the very early years at Barcelona.
Now the rumours have flared up again following Leo’s frustration at Barca and their campaign.
“I am just a simple fan of Inter now, so I don’t have any inside information. Having said that, I do know this: Suning have everything it takes to bring Messi to Milan, in terms of both resources and competence.”
While Moratti congratulated Atalanta on their Champions League quarter-final run and stoppage-time exit to PSG, he had harsher words for Juventus.
“It’s one thing to be eliminated by PSG, another to go out against Lyon, the team seventh in Ligue 1. There is simply no comparison,” noted Moratti.
“Inter waited for 45 years between Champions League trophies, so Juve are pushing 25 years, maybe they’ll be quicker than we were…”