Andrea Stramaccioni reveals what prompted Inter to sell Philippe Coutinho to Liverpool for €13m five years ago. “We had to balance the books.”
The Brazilian found fame at San Siro as a very young man, leaving for Anfield in January 2013, but only five years later completed a transfer worth at least €120m to Barcelona.
“I am not surprised by Coutinho’s move, as Phil has improved a lot in the Premier League, and above all playing for Brazil, so he deserved a top club,” former Inter Coach Stramaccioni told Panorama magazine.
Andrea Stramaccioni reveals what prompted Inter to sell Philippe Coutinho to Liverpool for €13m five years ago. “We had to balance the books.”
The Brazilian found fame at San Siro as a very young man, leaving for Anfield in January 2013, but only five years later completed a transfer worth at least €120m to Barcelona.
“I am not surprised by Coutinho’s move, as Phil has improved a lot in the Premier League, and above all playing for Brazil, so he deserved a top club,” former Inter Coach Stramaccioni told Panorama magazine.
“He was able to work on his weaknesses and go for goal more, while also working off the ball. Phil had made his debut at Inter under Rafa Benitez and was a protagonist of my team.
“Coutinho started really well, but Wesley Sneijder was in his position, so obviously there was a lot of competition for playing time. His evolution was already in progress.
“The offer from Liverpool was hard to resist and his desire to go to England proved decisive. It was a difficult moment and Cou was one of the few young prospects we had with such a high value on the market.
“We needed to balance the books and his sale was followed by Sneijder’s departure. I understood and respected the decision made by (then-directors) Marco Branca and Piero Ausilio, albeit with a heavy heart.
“Nobody was happy with his sale, because we could tell even then he had enormous potential. I am still in contact with Philippe, as he always was and still is an exceptional lad. Along with his technical quality, he has remarkable humility and a great work ethic.
“He has a wonderful girl by his side who grew up with him and helped him remain the same boy he was in Brazil. That helped his enormous talent on the field to develop fully.”