Wesley Sneijder has told of how Samuel Eto’o defied Rafael Benitez when they were at Inter Milan by refusing to play on the left-wing for the Spaniard.
Sneijder played his final game for the Dutch national team on Thursday night – a 2-1 win over Peru – and, in his pre-match preparations, he spoke about how Jose Mourinho was the only manager who Eto’o would move his position for at Inter.
He told Voetbal International (via SempreInter): “Eto’o played left wing for Mourinho, when the coach who arrived later [Rafa Benitez] asked him to do the same, the Cameroonian replied ‘No, I only do it for Mourinho.’”
Sneijder, who won the 2010 Uefa Champions League at Inter under Mourinho, also took the time to praise the 55-year-old’s man-management skills – something he has come under fire for in recent times at Manchester United.
He added: “You can only understand him if you’ve worked with him, it’s special how he manages a team of 23-25 players; I saw things with him that I’ve never seen before.”
Wesley Sneijder’s career after Inter
After a glittering three-and-a-half year spell at Inter Milan, which yielded a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia crowns and a Uefa Champions League – as well as a World Cup final appearance at international level – Sneijder left Italy to join Turkish giants Galatasaray.
During his four-and-a-half year spell in Istanbul, Sneijder scored 46 goals in 175 appearances and helped the club to two Turkish league titles, as well as a host of domestic cup wins.
An eight-game spell in Nice for the 2016-17 season ultimately proved unsuccessful for the now-veteran midfielder, but Sneijder has recaptured some of his old spark at Qatar Star League club, Al-Gharafa, where he has 11 goals in 17 games across all competitions so far.
Wesley Sneijder’s Netherlands record:
• 134 caps
• 31 goalsThe most-capped Dutch player of all time bids farewell.
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After ending his international career on Thursday night, Sneijder walks away from the Oranje with a record 134 caps, 31 goals and a runner-up and third-place finish at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups respectively.
The post Sneijder reveals how Eto’o defied Benitez at Inter Milan: “I only play left-wing for Mourinho” appeared first on Squawka News.
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