Inter Forever, Maicon: "My first Scudetto success with Inter was incredible"

MILAN – “How strong is Maicon?!” The San Siro crowd loved singing about Maicon, knowing that they were watching a full-back who was out of this world. He was so impressive and dominant, an absolute colossus. He was capable of putting fear into the opposition and rousing his teammates in the hunt for goals and wins.

“It was wonderful knowing the fans had made up a chant about me: when I took to the pitch, I could hear them singing and getting behind me. This encouraged me to always give my very best and try to improve. This is the mentality of champions: you should never settle for what you’ve already achieved.”

Playing for the Nerazzurri had such a profound effect on Maicon that when he returned to San Siro to officially become part of the Inter Forever family, the emotions he felt were overwhelming: “I held that shirt which will always remain in my heart and became very emotional. Inter gave me a lot, and I’ll never forget this.”

After arriving from Monaco, it didn’t take long for Maicon to settle in. His fondest memory from the incredible time he spent with the Nerazzurri? The special evening when the Nerazzurri won the Scudetto in 2007 following Materazzi’s brace in Siena: “Winning the Champions League is obviously something I’ll never forget, but I love thinking about the first time I won the Scudetto with Inter. When we were celebrating that evening in Milan’s Piazza del Duomo, I understood what Inter meant to all those people. Everyone was so happy, it was a great feeling.”

The former full-back scored 20 goals in 249 matches for the Nerazzurri and played with many champions during his time at the club: “When I arrived at Inter, I knew I’d play with exceptional footballers. But there was one player who always demonstrated his superior ability when he took to the pitch. He knew how to make the difference and was different to all the others. This player was Adriano, the Emperor. He was incredible.”