Inter fans we’re back! Welcome to one of our fave appointments. 
It’s that time when we build up to a classic Inter game. 
I am not alone!
I always say hi to him far too quickly… Fernando Siani! Hi there!
Hi Ale! No worries!
And of course I welcome our very special guest, Julio Cruz. 
I think it’s clear what game we’re about to preview… Hi Julio!
Hi guys! How are you both? Good?
We are always good thanks Julio. 
I am sure our switched-on fans will know the match is against Juve. 
On paper, arguably one of the least likely Inter teams to win at Juve. 
It took place in November 2003 thanks to a brace from Julio Cruz. 
Your first goal you could say is one of your fave goals in your career. 
It’s the one fans remember you best for!
Yes. That match meant a lot. By everyone involved at the club. 
The week before the game people on the streets would rally us. 
We have to win they would say. 
But I didn’t realise it had been such a long time 
since Inter had won in Turin versus Juve. 
Ten years to be precise.
Ten, eleven years? More or less.
We didn’t go into that game in great form. We were struggling.
Cuper had left the club. Then Alberto Zaccheroni took over in the dugout. 
But I remember our will to win. Our desire. We knew it was not going to be easy. 
But the game went brilliantly. I remember as soon as we took to the pitch, 
we all looked at each other and said: this is our chance to show 
what we can do. And we won it. 
No one expected me to take that free-kick. 
Even if I have always worked on my free-kicks. 
I was not in the category of say Recoba or someone like Roberto Baggio. 
Or Beppe Signori. 
But I always practiced in training. I practiced a lot. 
I took the free-kick after Martins had been fouled in the build-up. 
The first thing that came to mind was how close it was to goal. 
I knew if I lifted it over the wall it would be hard for the ‘keeper. 
I aimed to hit it with real power and to Buffon’s far post. 
It went well and where I wanted. 
I don’t think he was expecting it. For me personally, 
it was an incredible moment of joy. 
Also because of all the tension surrounding the team in the build-up. 
We wanted to show we could win. After that goal it certainly wasn’t easy, no way.
But I think we controlled proceedings. In the end we won 3 – 1.
It wasn’t your first goal versus Juve. You scored against Juve 
for Feyenoord and also Bologna. 
You were accustomed to scoring against Juve!
It’s quite strange if I think about it. My first game against Juve was in Tokyo. 
I was playing for River Plate. The Intercontinental Cup. We lost 1-0. 
The year after I moved to Rotterdam and Feyenoord. 
We faced Juve in the Champions League. 
We beat them 2-0 and I scored both goals. 
That’s where my goal antics against Juve started. 
I think there is extra motivation against teams like Inter, Milan, Juve, 
Real Madrid, Barcelona when you play for a smaller club. I did that for Feyenoord. 
You try and show what you can do against bigger clubs.
I did that and had a good record against Juventus. 
I gave my all. It's clear to see.
I will come in on that. Julio I wanted to ask: 
you played lots of great games for Inter. I’ve seen that Juve – Inter game again. 
You scored the second goal and was involved in the third. 
You even had chances to score a hat-trick. 
Was that your best ever performance in an Inter shirt?
One of my best for sure. But my display against Arsenal 
at Highbury was also fantastic.
But not just because I scored or we won. The whole performance. 
Do you know four months ago I met up again here with Hector Cuper. 
Obviously we started to reminisce about Inter. He said to me: 
you played so well when we won away at Arsenal. 
But not just because you scored and the result. 
For all the work I asked you to do. 
You did it that night. I was pleasantly surprised. 
I remember what he asked of me that game. 
He wanted me to press the first ball-carrier. 
I had to put pressure on Vieira and the midfielders. I had to stop them from playing. 
I did that and feel I did a great job. It was very special to win. 
That Arsenal side was fantastic. We made life hard for them
 and I think we won 3 – 0. 
It was a fabulous match in London that night. 
At times a striker is judged by the goals he scores. 
But I felt that I always tried to play for the team. Of course, I tried to score. 
I remember that derby we were chatting about off-air, 
I came on and scored. Naturally people said I had a great game. 
But that game against Arsenal I put in a real shift. I did a great job.
I deserved to score and we deserved to win. 
The impressive thing Julio is that you had a number that carried a lot of weight. 
Number 9.
Ronaldo wore it 12 months prior. Then Crespo. 
It was not easy to wear that number.
You had some top striker partners. Bobo. Ibrahimovic. Crespo. 
Some excellent forwards. But in the big games it was you that left your mark.
I played under some top coaches too. 
Going back to my days in Argentina, it was Ramon Diaz. 
We know him well!
He said to me: you must do everything to win every game Julio. 
But the ones that really count are the big, historic fixtures.
Those are the ones everybody eagerly awaits. In those games,
you must show what you are capable of. Do what you always do. 
I took that advice to heart. Every time we faced a big and major club, 
I tried to give my absolute all. At times it went well, at times not. 
But looking back at my record in Italy,
in the games that mattered most I tried to do my best. 
It didn’t always work out. But I am pleased.
Julio, going back to the game, Juventus - Inter 2003. 
I saw it the other day. And we will show it soon to the fans. 
That night Zaccheroni played Martins as the main striker and you played in behind. 
The Juve defence didn’t expect that and struggled to deal with that tactical decision.
Yes. I remember he had only just been appointed. He always tried to play attacking football. 
As you mentioned, in attack we had players like Vieri, Adriano, Recoba, Kallon too. 
But he chose me in attack that night alongside Oba. We had a great game.
He was so fast. We played it to Martins. We tried to link up.
We often looked for him. We wanted to exploit his pace. 
We prepared well for that match. I scored the opener from a free-kick. 
Then in the second half Javier Zanetti went on a mazy run. 
He passed it to me and I shot. Buffon saved it. 
It came back to me and I slotted it home with my left 
on the rebound in am empty net. 
I have another question too. We have seen more 
than 850 games of Zanetti with the Inter shirt. 
But one that he runs almost the length of the pitch, 
sets up a great goal like that is very difficult to find in my opinion!
Maybe against Siena for Milito?
Yes true every now and again!
There was a game here in Argentina. We were both playing for Banfield. 
We were at the Bombonera against Boca Juniors. 
He got the ball and must have dribbled 60m. 
He weaved his way past his opponents and made his way in front of goal. 
The ‘keeper came off his line but Zanetti passed it to a team-mate. Goal. 
I am talking about 1994, 1995. We were both very young. 
Zanetti had that in him. At times it led to a goal. 
He was very good in driving upfield. 
Julio, previously Ale mentioned the pressure 
of wearing the no. 9 jersey for Inter. 
But I think you were the best twelfth man of our history. 
You listed all those great strike partners earlier. 
Ibra, Vieri, Adriano, Recoba. Crespo too. 
You were not always top of the pecking order. 
But when you came on you made the difference. 
In certain games, we knew that we could rely on. Always. 
From the start or off the bench. This is not an
 easy trait to come across in my view. 
For me, there was no one better in this aspect. 
Well, that’s how it was at Inter. 
It wasn’t like that in the other teams I played for. 
People expected me to come on and change the game and score. 
I repeat: it’s normal but it happened a lot. 
Someone perhaps kept it up because of superstition. It's not normal. 
The truth is I’ve always admired respect. 
The affection, warmth of the fans in Italy, 
especially Inter fans. I always say Inter but 
also Milan fans I came across and others. 
They always spoke to me and praised my abilities 
and respect for my team and team-mates. 
That’s the way a professional player should be. He should have respect for his team-mates. 
Obviously we all want to play. Talking to my friends and family 
they always said I should play from the start. You always score, help the team. 
But when I spoke to them I made sure they understood it was not about me. It was about the team. 
The best thing about Inter, apart from the affection of the fans, 
the President and his family, my team-mates, 
was that we took Inter to the top which was our goal. 
We won trophies, championships, lots of silverware. That was our goal.
This made me happier than coming on and scoring a late winner. 
Why? Well, all these years on we are here reminiscing. 
It’s nice to talk about moments from 10, 15 years ago.  
It makes me very happy that the fans still hold me in high regard. 
For what we achieved, winning the Scudetto, taking Inter to the top. 
It’s what we all wanted.
Absolutely. Thank-you Julio. One last thing. 
Just think of those Juve fans at the end of that game! 
They probably thought it would never happen again. 
But the year after? Juventus – Inter. One nil to Inter. 
We all know who scored the winner that night…
I also remember that game really well. 
But I want to tell you an anecdote from the Juve game in which we won 3 – 1. 
There was Almeyda. There was Kily Gonzalez. 
I had moved to Milan more or less the same time as Gonzalez. It was all new. 
Almeyda gave us advice on the city. What to do, where to go. 
As soon as the game ended, all three of us went back to Milan from Turin by car. 
We stopped at a... what do you call it?
Service station.
Exactly. We asked for some hot water so we could make a matè. 
We drank it a lot. 
There were Juve fans there too. 
We didn’t think too much about it. We said hi to them, waved to them. 
But they were shouting us! What fools we were! 
Just imagine the situation! Who knows what could have happened!
Whenever I speak to Almeyda I think of that. When you’re young you do those things. 
Now I would never do that. I thought of that moment because 
I remember how happy we all were in that moment. 
Together we had achieved something important. 
We were so satisfied.
The fans kept telling us how much they wanted to win. 
So after that game we relaxed as we had done what they asked of us! We won! 
I wanted to tell you that story. I remember it well.
An incredible scene! I think we can end it there. Thanks Julio. 
Thanks Julio!
Thanks guys. All the best to the Inter family. Inter is always in my heart. 
Us too. Enjoy the game! Bye!
