Date: January 27, 2003
Source: Kier Radnedge, Daily Record (Scotland)
Posted by: Petya
The Big Interview: Bat Out of Hell
Argentine superstar GABRIEL BATISTUTA is smiling again at Inter Milan after being forced out of Roma by supporters who blamed him for a form slump
THE smile is back on the face of Argentina's best ever marksman.
Gabriel Batistuta, scorer of 56 goals in 78 internationals, has just had his fading career revived with a switch from Roma to Inter Milan.
He thinks it's a move that was long overdue after the hell to which he was condemned by fickle fans in the Italian capital.
They blamed the man they call Batigoal for the club's slump into mid- table this term.
Following Argentina's World Cup flop, 34-year-old Batistuta then had to face a critical mob at Rome airport because he missed an open goal in a crucial Serie A clash with Milan.
The former River Plate, Boca Juniors and Fiorentina striker was so desperate to escape that he readily gave up on playing in the Champions League.
Roma are still alive in the competition but, since Batistuta played for them earlier this term, he is ineligible to help Inter try to get the better of Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona and Newcastle United in second phase Group A. But Inter are not being merely charitable. Fellow Argentine striker Hernan Crespo is out for three months and they need a proven striker to fill the gap.
Q: Why leave Roma and give up an opportunity of winning the Champions League?
A: I had been expecting to see my contract through to the end of the season but the fans had turned against me. If you are a professional footballer you play for the club whatever people's reaction but the situation was not good. Even so, I would have turned down an offer from any other club apart from Inter. I would rather have been the odd man out at Roma than just go somewhere else for the sake of it. But Inter have a great chance of winning something.
Q: Did you expect Inter to come in for you?
A: To be honest, no. Also, I didn't expect the Inter fans to be so welcoming. It has helped rekindle my enthusiasm for the game. When you get to 34 and things haven't been going your way, your confidence starts to slip and confidence is crucial for a goalscorer.
Q: Is it true Inter tried to buy you years ago?
A: Yes. President (Massimo) Moratti has made a number of enquiries over the years. We were very close to a deal once. Of course, then Inter got Ronaldo and Christian Vieri instead so I assumed my chance had gone. I'm grateful he had not given up and that he still believes in me.
Q: Do you wish you had joined Inter when you left Fiorentina in 2000 - rather than Roma?
A: OK, it didn't work out too well for me at Roma in the end but I am not one of those people who looks back and wonders what would have happened if things had been different. I've won leagues and cups and now, with Inter, I have a chance to win the league again. That's good reason to look forward, not back.
Q: You are ineligible now to play for Inter in the Champions League. How does that feel?
A: It's a pity. I enjoyed playing in the Champions League with Roma even if results did not always go our way. Now I'll just have to be one more fan at Inter's European matches. The positive side of it is that I will be fresh for the Serie A matches and that's important at this stage in my career. I'm not sure I could play two games every week anyway now. But I want to make it clear I'm not Jesus Christ. I can't work miracles wherever I go. I cannot guarantee we will win the league but I will give it all I've got.
Q: Does it make a change to be on the same side as your new coach, Hector Cuper?
A: A big change. We've been on opposite sides since I was a teenager, scoring goals back in Argentina for Boca Juniors and he was in midfield for Lanus, one of our local rivals.
Q: Some say you're not a good team player. Is that true?
A: People have said lots of unpleasant things about me. I don't think so. The best people to ask are the players of Roma and the Inter players who were with me at Fiorentina. They'll tell you I'm not like that. I always like to think I'm one of the gang.
Q: Roma coach Fabio Capello wasn't your biggest fan.
A: I think I've been fit and in form but Capello felt differently so I wasn't getting a look in. Then, when I did play, I wasn't perhaps as sharp as I should have been so I made mistakes which gave people the excuse to say I was finished. I'm not stupid. I know that not everyone at Inter will welcome me with open arms - we've played each other too often down the years - but I think people will be fair. The trouble at Roma was a few people had it in for me for one reason or another.
Q: You have been signed because Crespo is injured but it's said the two of you are not the best of friends. Why?
A: It's a lie. It's an old story which was started in Argentina when we were both in the national squad and, of course, playing in similar positions. At one time we were both scoring a lot of goals but the national team coach would not play us together because he thought we would get in each other's way. It was a tactical thing but everyone read too much into it.
Q: Don't you think the same will happen with Vieri at Inter?
A: Vieri is a great player and it's always easy to play alongside them. Anyway, I'm adaptable. I have played lone striker or in a partnership. If the service is good, we'll do well. I'm delighted to be playing on the same side as Fabio Cannavaro. Last time we played against each other he caught me right across the face. It's good to know I don't have to worry about him any more!