Inter Milan legend Beding: The 65th Champions League final seems like yesterday, we are the era of the big international

May 23rd Inter Milan legend and midfielder Gifton Bedding recently accepted an interview with the Milan Sports Daily. He recalled the three Champions League finals he had passed.

In 1965, Inter Milan played against Benfica, led by Eusebio, at the Meazza Stadium. What memories do you have?

"The memory is still fresh, as if it was yesterday. Oh my god! I played three Champions League finals, lost both games against the Celtics in 1967 and against Benfica in 1972. We were exhausted at the time. But the night against Benfica eliminated all my pain and bitterness."

You became the starter when you were under 20 years old. What did the "Witcher" (the then Inter Milan coach Herrera) say?

"He has his own slogan, such as: 'I don't believe in failure.' Or: 'Whoever does not do his best is equivalent to no contribution.' We really put our all in. Soul, jersey and heart."

Your friend Jaer scored that night. Now that he is no longer here, were you very close at the beginning?

"Yes, we took the bus to the Apiano training base together, he was a very good, cheerful Brazilian boy. Herrera always practiced us. He said, 'First I have to train your mind, then the legs, you have to be faster. Bedding, you should also be faster when you are guarding people.'"

Bedding won three league titles, one Champions League and one InterContinental Cup at Inter. This is not bad, are you just thanking Herrera? (Note: Beding started his Inter Milan career in 1964, so he did not catch up with the first Champions League championship in the 63-64 Big International era.)

"Thank you to everyone, from clubs to teammates to fans. We are especially outstanding, we are in the Big International era."

People often say: those players have more desire for victory. Is this really the case?

"Many of us are poor, like Jair, Brazil. Many of the players are from poor origins. I live in Sant Donna, which is a slum, and we call it the 'Mauthausen Concentration Camp'. When it rains, water flows into the house. When I was a child, I went to a wheelchair factory to do piecework. The more wheels I load, the more money I brought to the family. Football was the only way out to escape. I wanted to escape, and I did it. I kept running and never stopped."