Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia says his goal against Empoli in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 was the best one he has ever scored in his career and insists that playing for the Nerazzurri was his childhood dream.
The 34-year-old will likely leave the Nerazzurri at the end of his contract in June but has one last chance to win a trophy with the club in the Coppa Italia Final against Juventus tonight.
“The Coppa is the first trophy I won with the Nerazzurri. I have great memories of the Final against Palermo. It was thrilling to share the pitch with the heroes of the treble,” he said in an interview on the match programme.
“It’s always been a dream to play for a big club like Inter. Wearing this shirt is an honour to me.
“The goal against Empoli [in the Round of 16] was the best one of my career,” he added.
“It helped us reach this stage and after that victory, we beat Roma and Milan. We’ll need full focus tonight and try to avoid any sort of mistake. We know that we play against a strong team. It’s tough to face them, but we are ready to do it.”
I have to say this, Andrea Ranocchia was one of the most promising Italian defenders. Unfortunately he got injured and to some degree never really came back from that. What a shame as when he started at Bari, he was really a very promising defender. Shame that so many players do not get their share of luck. Buona fortuna Andrea.