Ivan Ramiro Cordoba was universally hailed as one of the strongest defenders in world football during his remarkable career but the qualities that made the Colombian such a respected man on and off the field and an immensely popular figure in the Inter dressing room shone brightly yesterday.
During a whistle-stop stay in Malta to promote his upcoming training camp at the Luxol Grounds, Cordoba was the picture of serenity as he expounded on the work of his foundation for the benefit of the needy in his homeland, especially young children, his enthusiasm for next month’s event and his love for Inter.
“Inter represents a lot of things that have happened in my life,” Cordoba, , who retired from football two years ago after winning a myriad of honours with Inter, including the treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League in 2010, said.
“I had 15 great years at Inter during which I had the opportunity to do and give a lot of things to the club.
“I received the same from the people at the club, especially the fans.
“For me, Inter are my one and only club in Italian football.
“I received offers from other clubs but I had already made the decision to join Inter (in 2000). I could have gone to another important club but I only wanted to play for Inter.
“Time later proved that destiny had something special in store for us.”
Returning to Malta 14 years after being part of the Inter squad that played a friendly match to mark the inauguration of the Millennium Stand at the National Stadium brought back happy memories for the 38-year-old.
“It’s an honour for me to be here,” Cordoba remarked.
“I had not been to Malta since I came to play a friendly with Inter 14 years ago.
“Hector Cuper was the coach of the team then and I have nice memories of that visit. For me, discovering Malta was special as I had only just joined Inter at the time.
“I was fascinated with the tifosi Interisti (Inter fans), it felt like being in Italy.
“Now we are here for a charitable cause. The aim of this training camp is to raise funds to help children in Colombia.
“For this, I want to thank the parents of the children who will be taking part in this event.
“The young participants will surely have fun playing football with us. This is the most important thing for them.”
Cordoba’s training camp, from December 6-8, is being organised by Inter Club Pupi Zanetti Malta, spearheaded by president Paul Fenech, and Luxol Sports Club.
Fenech and Jason Falzon, representing Luxol who hosted a similar training camp by former Inter captain Javier Zanetti earlier this year, were present for the news conference at the Radisson Golden Sands where the Gala Dinner in honour of Cordoba and former Inter goalkeeper Francesco Toldo will be held on December 7.
A smile formed on Cordoba’s face when he recalled his first reaction after receiving Fenech’s proposal to conduct a training camp for children in Malta.
“When I received the email with the invitation to come to Malta, I thought it was a joke,” the affable Colombian said in perfect Italian.
“I asked Javier (Zanetti) if this was true and he said very nice things about the club (Pupi Zanetti Malta).
“He told me that it was ok and that I could trust these people.
“I thought that it would be nice if we could do something for our foundation in Malta.”
News that Toldo will be part of the coaching team has further enhanced the allure of next month’s training camp which will also feature a two-and-a-half hour session in Gozo.
“I didn’t think of Toldo when we agreed to do this training camp,” Cordoba said.
“Francesco is now in charge of the Inter Forever team and he has a lot of commitments.
“I didn’t want to disturb him. I tried to contact some of the other lads but it was difficult because many of them are either coaching or working for other clubs.
“I eventually decided to give Francesco a call and he immediately said yes.
“Francesco and I have lived many important moments together, good and bad.
“I remember all my experiences at Inter with great pleasure, they’re part of my story with the club.
“And the time I will spend with someone like Francesco will enable us to revive many of those memories.”
Like Zanetti, Cordoba is very fond of his foundation, Fundacion Colombia te quiere ver, whose principal objective is to give a better life to poor children. The former Inter stalwart said that without food and other basic necessities, children can’t do well at school which is crucial for their development.
Apart from children, Cordoba’s foundation also provides assistance to mothers with social problems as well as the elderly who, in his own words, “together with children are the most vulnerable”.