FLORENCE – (goal.com) Thiago Motta is currently with the Italy squad preparing for the Azzurri's forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia, but he took some time out to give an interview to goal.com. The first thing he talked about was the Nerazzurri's dramatic win at the Allianz Arena and in particular how Leonardo reacted: "Naturally he congratulated us all but he too was delighted. For him it was a new experience in a way, and he revelled in it with the rest of us. He hasn't been working as a coach for long so it was an intense moment for him, as it was for the rest of us."

The Inter midfielder feels the victory over Bayern Munich was an important result for Italian football as a whole: "It was a massive win for Inter and Italian football because it came at a time when everybody was writing us off. For a while it looked as though all the Italian clubs were going to get knocked out and that the Serie A could no longer compete with the other big European leagues, but by winning we proved that's not the case."
On the subject of the Champions League, Thiago Motta believes Inter are right up there with the other big teams and says they are aiming to win it again: "We're in the quarter-finals and we're happy to be involved. Teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid are always going to be there or thereabouts but we're in the mix too. We've done superbly in the last year and a half and we want to win the Champions League again this year."

However, Inter's No. 8 doesn't want that to be at the expense of the league title: "We can win the Scudetto as well. We're up there with AC Milan and the derby is just around the corner so we still have a good chance of winning it."

Asked about that fact that Ibrahimovic is suspended for the derby, Motta replied: "It won't make much of a difference. He's a great player of course, and important for them, but personally I would have preferred it if he had been playing."

Finally, the Italy midfielder revealed that pulling on the Italy shirt was "an amazing feeling, a huge moment" and doesn't seem disappointed that he was never called up to the Seleçao: "I've never thought about it. I know it's supposed to be the dream of every Brazilian but it isn't for me." (goal.com)