Colonnese: "Best season of my career at Inter"

MILAN – Francesco Colonnese has told Inter Channel’s Memorabilia programme that the 1997/98 season he spent at Inter was the best of his career.

"That squad was so well put together – it had quality, talent and personality," said the former defender, who was this week’s guest on the Wednesday night show. "There was Ronaldo, Djorkaeff and Zamorano, plus plenty of Italian players. We’re all still friends, 20 years down the line.

"It was the best season of my career. I won the UEFA Cup and nearly the Scudetto. I literally felt like I was flying every time I played at San Siro with those players and in front of those fans," he said.

Colonnese stressed that the 1997/98 squad shared – and continues to share – a special bond.

"We’re still quite a tight-knit group today. We were young back then and we showed each other respect on and off the field. You were all fighting for the same objective when you wore that jersey.

"We had the best defence in the league that season with some top players. Obviously it was the talent of Ronaldo that caught the eye, but we had a really strong, tenacious midfield too. We led the way for so long and would have deserved the Scudetto – there’s still a lot of disappointment there, but let’s not dwell on that," he explained.

Colonnese also revealed some fascinating insight into two of Inter’s shining lights back then: Javier Zanetti and Diego Simeone.

"All Zanetti and Simeone did was watch and talk about football," he said. "El Cholo would prepare for a match the night before in his room – it was clear that he would go far. Now he’s able to manage his team and get the best out of his players even when they’re facing better teams."