Gargano: "Already at home at Inter"

"I supported this team as a boy, now I want to stay here for a long time. We're at least as good as Juve"

APPIANO GENTILE - He's already introduced himself on the pitch, against Pescara. And the first impression was excellent. Today Walter Gargano introduced himself in his own words, in the press room at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti. To begin with he was asked to explain the difference between Napoli, where he spent "five wonderful years", and Inter: "Inter are more experienced." On joining the Nerazzurri: "It was the right time to come here, this is a dream move for me. I've supported Inter ever since I was a boy and I immediately felt at home here. My team-mates have made me feel very welcome – it's as if I've been here for years. How did I start supporting Inter? It started when I was a young boy, playing on the Playstation – I always used to choose Inter. And now I hope to play here for a long time."

The midfielder continued by talking about the relationship between Inter and his homeland: "Inter are one of the most popular teams in Uruguay. I'm immensely proud to be wearing this shirt and it's a big thing for me to be able to represent Uruguay in Italian football. Recoba? We spent a bit of time together on holiday in Miami. He was always one of my idols. Him and Ruben Sosa."

Gargano was then asked for his opinion on why another Uruguayan, Diego Forlan, wasn't such a huge success at Inter. "I'm not Diego. All I know is that he wasn't able to express what he's capable of. He was a bit unlucky too."

Since his arrival in Appiano, Gargano has been joined by another Uruguayan, Alvaro Pereira: "Pereira is a great player. He'll need a bit of time to get used to Italian football but he's a great player."

What about targets for the season? "We want to win all the competitions we're involved in." Juventus and the Scudetto race? "We mustn't think about Juventus, just ourselves. What I can say is that with the players we have at Inter, we're just as strong as Juve, if not stronger."