Two days after the Milan Derby, where AC Milan defeated Inter with a score of 1:0 in the 28th week of Serie A, La Gazzetta dello Sport published an interview with former famous Croatian defender Dario Simic (50).
Simic, a former center-back for the Croatian national team, began his career at GNK Dinamo Zagreb, before moving to Inter Milan for around 11 million euros in 1999. He played 91 games for the club and scored four goals.
In 2002, he moved to city rivals Milan for around 5 million euros. It was with the Rossoneri that he experienced the most successful period of his career, playing 129 matches in six years and winning six trophies, including the Champions League twice.
The last clubs in his career were AS Monaco (2008–2010) and a return to Dinamo Zagreb in 2010, when he retired from active football.
One step away from Juventus
Simic also recalled a little-known episode from the beginning of his international career, revealing that he was very close to transferring to Juventus.
"I'll tell you something that few people know. Before I played for Inter and Milan, I was very close to Juventus. In 1996 I sat in the office with their directors Moggi, Giraud and Bettega and I was ready to sign," he said.
However, the transfer did not go through. "My family decided it was better not to go. I was only 20 years old and the war had just ended. I only arrived in Italy after the 1998 World Cup. Before that tournament, maybe only three percent of the people in the world knew about Croatia, while a month later that figure had increased to 30 percent. The quarter-final against Germany was unforgettable and at the end we all cried with happiness," he declares.
Arrival at Inter and debut at San Siro
In January 1999 he signed with Inter and remembers that it was a dream for him.
"I was sitting in the dressing room next to Ronaldo Nazario, Clarence Seedorf and Javier Zanetti. I had never been to San Siro before, so I thought I would go out on the pitch early to get acclimated. But we warmed up inside and I came out on the pitch just a minute before kick-off. When I saw the stadium for the first time, I was amazed."
However, the debut was not easy, with even a mistake on his part leading to a goal.
"After about 20 minutes, Filippo Maniero went after a long ball and I was late. He shot straight away and scored. I thought, if here it's enough to give the striker an inch of space to score, then I can go straight home."
He also remembers the good atmosphere in the team that existed at Inter in those years.
"The players from South America accepted me as one of their own. Ivan Córdoba was a very good friend, while Zanetti invited me to his house for New Year's."
Milan, Inzaghi and the "race of elegance" - and Ancelotti and Champions League triumphs
At Milan he formed numerous friendships, especially with Filippo Inzaghi.
"I got along very well with Pippo. When we went out together, a girl would approach him every ten minutes. Pippo was number one with women."
He also remembered the special atmosphere in the Milan dressing room, even the jokes.
"We also had elegance competitions. If someone came in with out-of-fashion jeans, they would quickly disappear. There were even cases where some underwear that didn't meet the standards ended up hanging in the middle of the locker room."
When asked who was the most stylish, he mentioned Kakha Kaladze, Marco Borriello and Andrea Pirlo.
Šimić also recalled Milan's Champions League successes in 2003 and 2007.
"The magic of 2003 was created thanks to the genius of Carlo Ancelotti, who moved Pirlo into a role in front of the defence. He was a visionary, a father figure and an extraordinary person."
In 2007 he admitted that he was not happy with the minutes.
"I played very little. By nature I am more of a central defender or in a three-back system. As a winger I couldn't show my qualities."
Life after football
After his career ended, Simic tried out various roles in football. For a while, he also worked at Palermo as a club advisor.
"It was difficult to work with president Maurizio Zamparini. He would tell me: 'Go to the coach and tell him to replace that player'. I didn't agree with that. You can't change the coach every three games."
Today he is away from football and dedicated to the family business.
"I'm no longer a scout for Milan, nor do I work for Dinamo. My family owns about 70 percent of the Croatian market for large water bottles – the ones used in offices and homes. My brother and I also own 22 cafes," he says.
Family, the greatest success
Simic says his greatest achievement in life is his family. He and his wife Jelena have four sons, three of whom are footballers.
"Roko played in the Champions League at the age of 18 and is now at Karlsruher SC. Viktor plays in Slovakia, while Nikolas is at Dinamo Zagreb. He has great talent, but also knee problems. In the life of a footballer, nothing is certain."
He also spoke with great emotion about his youngest son, David.
"When he was born, we were told he might have Down syndrome. It was a shock. A day later it was confirmed. Ten years later, David is very independent. He goes to school with an assistant and does his homework himself."
"He loves Coca-Cola - his mother forbids it, but he hides and drinks it. He also likes pizza and does sports with me. We have learned a lot from him. I can't imagine life without David. He has taught me that when you love someone, you don't count how many chromosomes that person has. While the rest of us always count everything," Simic concluded. /Telegraph/
