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Ahead of the Champions League tie between Italian giants Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur let's take a look at the players who were involved in the most exciting match ever to take place between these rivals in the Champions League.
The match started with the London club on the defensive as Inter Milan legend Javier Zanetti slotted home the first goal of the match in 2 minutes into the game before Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o made it 2 from the penalty spot after Heurelho Gomes was given the marching orders on his foul on Jonathan Biabany.
The proceedings were more worsened for Tottenham when Dejan Stankovic made it 3 before Eto'o struck again in the 35th minute to give a 4-0 lead to the Italian giants, ending the half 4-0 in favor of Inter Milan.
The second half of the match saw the "Gareth Bale show" as the Welsh man took it upon himself to single-handedly try and bring back Tottenham to the fixture, scoring a wonderful left-footed shot past Julio Cesar after making a dashing 50-yard run.
Bale ran havoc along the Inter Milan defence as he tried to find Tottenham's second goal failing to do so till the dying moments of the half as the Welsh International scored to quick-fire goals in the 90th and 90+1 minute of the match to complete his hat-trick, finally ending the match 4-3 in favor of the Italians.
Inter Milan XI:
Goalkeeper
Julio Cesar - Retired
Remembered mostly as the goalkeeper who conceded 7 against Germany in the 2014 World Cup Final, Julio Cesar was once considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his time with the Nerazzurri. The Brazilian spent 7 successful seasons making 300 appearances for the Italian giants between 2005 and 2012 before moving onto Premier League club Queens Park Rangers.
Julio Cesar then moved onto the MLS joining Toronto in 2014 before flying back to Europe joining Portuguese side Benfica where he enjoyed another three years of his career before finally joining boyhood club Flamengo in 2018. The Brazilian made a single appearance for Flamengo hanging his boot at the end of his 3-month contract with the Brazilian side in 2018.
The Brazilian shot-stopper won 5 Serie A titles, 3 Coppa Italia, 4 Suppercoppa Italiana, FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Champions League during his stay in Milan. He was part of the Jose Mourinho treble-winning side of 2009/10 guarding the Nerazzurri goal.
Defenders
Maicon - Retired
Another Brazilian who was part of the 2014 World Cup Squad, Maicon is most famously remembered for the zero angle goal he scored against North Korea with Brazil. The Brazilian right-back was another player in the squad who was considered to be one of the best at the time in the World during his time with Blue and Black side of Milan. The Brazilian spent 6 successful years making 236 appearances and scoring 20 goals with Inter Milan before moving to Premier League side Manchester City in the 2012/13 season.
After a single season in England, the right back came back to Italy joining AS Roma in the 2013/14 season enjoying 3 years with the Italian capital-based side before finally returning back to Brazil joining Avai FC in 2017, spending a single season with the club finally calling it a day in 2017.
Maicon was another integral member of the 2009/10 treble-winning side under Jose Mourinho and won 4 Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italia, 3 Suppercoppa Italiana, 1 Club World Cup, and the UEFA Champions League title during his days with Inter Milan.
Lucio - Brasiliencse Futebol Club
The third Brazilian in the starting XI that day, Lucio is regarded as one of the greatest center-backs of his generation, spend 3 years with the Italian giants between 2009 and 2012 making a total of 136 appearances and scoring 5 goals for the Black and Blue side of Milan before joining rivals Juventus in the 2012/13 season.
The Brazilian was on the move again, after just a single season with the Turin club, joining Brazilian sides Sao Paulo and Palmeiras in 2013 and 2014 respectively before spending 2 years in the Indian Super League with FC Goa. The 2002 World Cup winner joined back to Brazil joining local side Gama in 2017 before finally jumping to rivals Brasilience in 2018 where the center back still continues to ply his trade at the age of 40.
The former FIFA FIFPro World XI member as another vital cog of the side that won the 2009/10 treble and collected 1 Serie A title, 2 Coppa Italia, 1 Suppercoppa Italiana, 1 FIFA Club World Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League in his short 3-year stay with the club.
Walter Samuel - Retired
A player who was referred to as the hardest player he played with by Argentina and Inter Milan legend Javier Zanetti, the Argentine was one of the greatest center-backs of his generation and made a deadly defensive duo with Lucio in their 3 years together with Inter before the Brazilian moved away. The Argentine spent 9 years with Inter Milan making a total of 236 appearances and scoring 17 goals before joining Swiss side FC Basel in the 2014/15 season where he ended his career in 2016 after 2 years with the Basel based side.
Large, quick, powerful and aggressive style of play earned Walter Samuel the nickname II Muro or "the Wall". The Argentine won 5 Serie A titles, 3 Coppa Italia, 4 Suppercoppa Italiana and the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan in his 9-year stay with the club
Cristian Chivu - Retired
One of the best players to come out from Romania, Cristian Chivu spent 7 years with the Nerazzurri making a total of 162 appearances and scoring 3 goals between 2007 and 2014 for the Italian giants, retiring from Football on the same day that he terminated his contract with Inter Milan in 2014.
The Romanian won 3 Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italia, 2 Suppercoppa Italiana, 1 Club World Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan.
Midfielders
Javier Zanetti - Vice President, Inter Milan
One of the legends of the game, Javier Zanetti is arguably one of the greatest ever defensive player to come from Argentina. The versatile player who essayed the roles of Defensive midfielder and Full-back almost perfectly for Argentina and Inter Milan started his career Argentinian side Talleres before spending two years with Banfield from where the Italian giants signed the young Argentine in the 1995/96 season.
Arguably one of the greatest ever player ever to play for Inter Milan, Zanetti spent 19 years making 858 appearances and scoring 21 goals with the Nerazzurri between 1995 and 2014. His remarkable stamina and tireless runs up and down the wings earned him the nickname El Tractor.
Quick, strong, physically fit with excellent ball control and technical ability as well as the versatility that allowed his managers to play in a wide range of roles differing from right offensive winger to center back made him a legend and a fan favorite with the Italian side.
The Argentine literally won everything on offer at the club level, winning 5 Serai A titles, 4 Coppa Italia, 4 Suppercoppa Italiana, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Club World Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League with the Blue and Black side of Milan.
As a token of gratitude Inter Milan retired his Number 4 jersey, when he retired in 2014, while also made Javier Zanetti the vice president of the club.
Dejan Stankovic - Retired
One of Serbia's greatest ever players and their former captain, Dejan Stankovic joined the Seria A giants in the 2004/2005 season from Lazio, spending 9 years with the Blue and Black side of Milan making 326 appearances and scoring 42 goals between 2004 and 2013 retiring at Inter Milan at the end of the 2012/13 season.
The Serbian was a part of the treble-winning side of 2009/10 season and altogether won 5 Serie A titles, 4 Coppa Italia, 4 Supercoppa Italiana, 1 Club World Cup and 1 Champions League with the Nerazzurri.
Deki as he was nicknamed even had a year as the assistant manager of Inter Milan.
Jonathan Biabiany - Parma
The 30-year old French winger who joined the first team in 2007 from the academy spend almost 8 years with Serie A giants in three different spells with the club that saw the winger mostly playing away from the Parent club on loan.
The Frenchmen made a total of 50 appearances and 2 goals for the Nerazzurri before joining Parma in 2018.
Wesley Sneijder - Al-Gharafa
One of the best footballers on the planet in his prime, the recently retired from International duties Dutchman joined the Italian giants in the 2009/10 season from Real Madrid spending 3 successful seasons with the Nerazzurri notching up 116 appearances and scoring 22 times before signing for Turkish giants Galatasaray in the 2012/13 season.
Sneijder was the heart of the Jose Mourinho side that won the 2009/10 season treble picking up 1 Serie A title, 2 Coppa Italia, 1 Supercoppa Italiana, 1 FIFA Club World Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League with the Blue and Black side of Milan.
The now 34-year old Netherlands midfielder nowadays plies his trade in Asia with Al-Gharafa, joining the Qatari side in 2018 from French club OGC Nice.
Philippe Coutinho - FC Barcelona
The one that got away, it is hard to believe that the present day FC Barcelona player had a stint with Inter Milan before becoming famous in his 5-year stay with Liverpool.
Philippe Coutinho was rightly transferred to Inter Milan in 2008 after the Inter Milan scouts found the brilliant unpolished Brazilian in the Vasco Da Gama side. He spent his initial 2-year with boyhood club Vasco Da Gama on loan from Inter before finally making his debut in 2010.
The young Brazilian was touted as the future of Inter Milan but remained largely in the sidelines during his 5 seasons stay with the club, 3 of which he spent on loan, where the Brazilian made 47 appearances and scored 5 times for the Nerazzurri.
The little magician as he is nicknamed won the Copa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana with Internatiozionale before joining Liverpool in 2013 and then Barcelona.
Forward
Samuel Eto'o - Qatar SC
The most decorated African Player of all-time, Samuel Eto'o joined Inter Milan from FC Barcelona in 2009 as a part of the transfer deal regarding the transfer of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the Nou Camp. The Cameroonian legend enjoyed 2 seasons, between 2009 and 2011, with the Nerazzurri making 102 appearances and scoring 53 goals before moving onto Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, becoming the highest played player in history for at the time.
During his stint with Inter Milan. Eto'o won 1 Serie A, 2 Coppa Italia, 1 Suppercoppa Italiana, 1 FIFA Club World Cup, and 1 UEFA Champions League.
The 37-year old has had a vagabond career so far playing for 13 clubs since he started playing 20 years ago. The forward now plies his trade with Qatari side, Qatar SC, joining them after a single season with Turkish club Konyaspor in 2018.
Substitutes
Ivan Cordoba -
Vice-captain of the club behind Javier Zanetti, Ivan Cordoba was an Inter Milan legend who joined the Nerazzurri in 2000 from San Lorenzo. The Colombian enjoyed 12 wonderful seasons, between 2000 and 2012, with the Serie A giants before finally hanging up his boot at the end of 2012 with Inter.
Cordoba made 455 appearances and scored 18 times for Blue and Black side of Milan and won 5 Seria A titles, 4 Coppa Italia, 4 Suppercoppa Italiana, 1 FIFA Club World Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan.
Goran Pandev - Genoa
One of the greatest Macedonian players of all-time, Goran Pandev joined Inter Milan in 2009 for the second time after joining Lazio in 2004 due to lack of playing time in his first stint with Internazionale. The Macedonian spent only 2 seasons with the club after being on loan during his first spell with the club.
The midfielder made 70 appearances and scored 8 times for the Nerazzurri winning 1 Serie A, 2 Coppa Italia, 1 Suppercoppa Italiana, 1 FIFA Club World Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League during his stay with the Seria A giants.
The Macedonian now at 35 years old plays as forward for Serie A side Genoa
Davide Santon - AS Roma
A product of the Inter youth system Davide Santon joined Inter Milan at the age of 14 and broke into the first team during the 2008/09 season. The Italian international spend a total of 6 seasons with the club in 2 different spells, between 2008/09-2010/11 and 2014/15-2017/18, with the club making a total of 110 appearances for the Nerazzurri.
The now 27-year-old won 2 Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italia, 1 FIFA Club World Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League during his time with Inter Milan.
The defender now plies his trade for AS Roma after joining the Italian capital side as a part of a deal that saw Radja Nainggolan joining Inter Milan
