“I see myself in Akanji. The derby man on Sunday? I vote for Lautaro.” The former Nerazzurri defender ‘played’ the big match at San Siro like this, and added on Chivu: “I was amazed by the impact”
If it is true that the derby is also an anatomical question, Massimo Paganin used his imagination: to score against the Devil he used his knee, like children on the street. The now 55-year-old defender was a Nerazzurri player from 1993 to 1997, from Pellegrini to Moratti: no one knows more than him that in this match everything is truly worth it and “every part of the body is allowed”.
Paganin, let’s start from there, from the famous knee.
“Inter-Milan 1-1, 29 October 1995, the example that in a derby you have to push the ball in any way. But I want to say that we had tried the corner scheme. Perfect execution, blocks studied: look at Ince, a brother to me, who blocks Desailly. That moment has become history, under our curve with San Siro exploding.”
It was also network no. 400 in a championship derby.
“Fortunate coincidence which makes the memory even more special. It was also the second of the three goals I scored in Serie A, certainly the most prestigious, but not the best: in the 1992-93 Brescia-Cagliari match I scored from distance, but no one saw it because there was a TV strike. In that derby, however, Savicevic equalized my knee with a fabulous left foot.”
How important was the other left-handed player, the one who took the corner that started it all?
“Witnessing a set piece from Roberto Carlos was a mystical experience. I really say it. He and Maldini were the strongest full-backs in the world, but the Brazilian was something that, in person, I had never seen before. His corner cut like that was decisive, but in derbies I was also useful in defense…”.
“The following season, Milan played at home and another 1-1 with a goal from Baggio and a penalty from Djorkaeff. Boban jumped Pagliuca and shot into an empty net, I launched myself desperately and saved on the line. I remember Boban at the end saying: “I didn’t expect Paganin to get that far…””.
What were the challenges of those years like?
“It must be admitted that the Milan of the time were technically stronger, better built, but Moratti was working to make Inter grow. In the derby, however, everything is reset: it starts 50/50, the one who puts more heart wins. There has always been respect between Inter fans and Milan fans on the pitch, but inside we played each other badly, as it should be.”
Who felt the derby more than the others?
“Who came from the youth team, who had started playing this game as a child. I think of Uncle Bergomi, Ferri, Zenga. But if I have to name one name above all, I’d say Nicola Berti: he thought about it all week, he couldn’t stand it, he didn’t talk about anything else. However, he managed to convey to you his own desire.”
You remained linked to Inter even when you changed shirts, to be honest.
“I’m very happy when they tell me “you’re famous because Ronaldo scored the first goal in Serie A against you”. After all, I witnessed another historic moment in our championship in that Bologna-Inter match. Can we say that I wasn’t the only one who was dribbled past by the Brazilian in that season?”.
Is there a Paganin in today’s Inter defense?
“Unfortunately they are incomparable eras. In our period no one asked us to play the ball like now, we weren’t trained for that. Maybe Acerbi resembles me in terms of certain characteristics of a goalscorer but, if I had to name a name, I would say Akanji: he is a physical centre-back, always present, he gives solidity and calm. What a success Inter have made with him.”
How do you rate Cristian Chivu’s impact so far?
“I’m honest: I didn’t think he could do so well straight away. He lacked a path as a coach, but he made up for it with enormous personality, clear ideas and great honesty: what he says to the players is what he then says outward. He put the head of a team back on track after a complicated end to the previous season. Tactically, then, he changed little: he tried the 3-4-2-1 during the Club World Cup, then returned to the 3-5-2 and the team is moving almost automatically. The new players are having an impact: Bonny and Esposito brought goals, Sucic gave balance to the midfield, Akanji completed the defensive unit. Let’s say that this Inter arrives at the derby with the right certainties.”
And what are the certainties of Allegri’s Milan?
“For me, there are two clear dangers in Milan: Leao and Pulisic up front, especially the former. If the Portuguese has a good day, he can change the game on his own. The player who transformed the team, however, is Rabiot: a box-to-box and very modern midfielder. With him Allegri gave shape to a team that didn’t have it before.”
At Inter, who can decide?
“I may be banal, but today’s Inter has the face of Lautaro. He is the symbol, the flag, the example, the one who embodies hunger and identity. He is today what, among others, Bergomi, Berti or Zanetti were in my era. I think, however, that you only win the derby when you can withstand the emotional impact. And there is no era that holds up: every time it will be a new story, but the same as before.”
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