ZANETTI: “When he called me to let me know he was going to be the new coach, everything changed drastically."
"I have always been a fan of strength training. I was taught that training well, consciously, saves you from injuries, prepares you to perform. And when Mourinho arrived at Inter, everything changed. He took us out of the gym. Everything was with the ball, all on the pitch. And yet, we were flying. It was one of the most intense trainings of my life. An hour and a half a day, at maximum. No excuses. Not repeating a single exercise in two weeks. It was another world."
"What really struck me was what he did even before he started training us. The season ends, I’m on a plane heading to Rome. I land and my phone rings. Unknown number. I answer: ‘Hello, I’m José Mourinho. I just signed with Inter. I’m going to be your coach. You’re going to be my captain.’ That call made me understand that this guy was different. Then came the trainings, the tactical talks, the 10-minute videos where you knew exactly what was going to happen in the match. He convinced us we could win the Champions... and we did. Against all odds. Against everyone. With 10 players at Camp Nou, against the best Barcelona in history. And we won. Because he prepared us for everything... even to play with one less.”