Milano, 16 January 2013
An hour at the Dutchman’s house. Moratti’s haste is annoying him: “Having made football history, I don’t want to feel obligated. I’ll decide calmly”
The elevator opens directly into the hallway of the house. The Sneijder residence. Blue trousers, bare feet, a t-shirt with the face of Marlon Brando, his dog James in his arms. “Coffee?” Some orange juice, to go along with his freshly squeezed thoughts and revelations. Thanks!
Pressure — “Did someone really say I would be in Istanbul today? No, no… I’m here, I’m here,” smiled the midfielder. Wes’ house is spacious, beautiful and right in the city centre. Yolanthe is still asleep in her room. The terrace, with its view of Milan, deserves at least three laps to be fully appreciated. There’s a faithful reproduction of the Champions League trophy next to the couch along with one from the Club World Cup, the Bronze Boot he won in South Africa and photos; Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, Wes and Yolanthe, Yolanthe and Wes. He smiled, in no hurry to decide, which he could do in a few hours or by the end of the month. But there’s one thing that annoys him. “The pressure they put on me.”
Wesley, is it true that you’ll decide within a few hours?
“Look, like all the players during this transfer market period who have to decide what to do and where to go by 31 January, well, I’ll do the same. I’m in no hurry and I don’t want to be rushed.”
A specific question (“The vice president of Galatasaray is convinced he’ll have a positive response from Wesley Sneijder by the evening.”). Inter president Massimo Moratti said: “I believe it would be the professional thing to do.” Is this something that makes you bitter?
“After everything that has happened over the last few months, and considering how I and my team-mates made football history, well, I don’t want to have this pressure put on me.”
Does your wait come down to the uncertainty over the offers you’ve received?
“No, it’s not about the proposals that have come in. It’s just that after all I’ve done I don’t want to have to feel this way, almost forced to choose such an important step in my life in such a short period of time.”
Some people think it’s all a question of money, one way or the other.
“No, it’s not a question of money. No.”
No deadline — In the meantime Yolanthe arrives, with her coffee and a smile. Her tweets have broken her husband’s days of silence – chirping that did not please Inter. Currently, Wesley’s days consist of training, staying in shape and waiting. Galatasaray are chomping at the bit to announce what would be the signing of the century for them, but it doesn’t appear that Wesley was asked to respond by any certain date. There’s no deadline, not even for Inter, although that statement from Moratti to Wes made it sound differently.
Hours or days — Wesley reflects and knows he must decide. He receives calls and messages, and he’s already been to Istanbul on vacation. It’s a beautiful city, but he doesn’t want to be rushed. He’s 28 years old, captain of the Netherlands and he wants to stay on top. And Galatasaray are in the Champions League and aiming high. His agent and friend Soren Lerby has yet to arrive in Milan, but his father is coming in today and together they will talk things over and make evaluations. Nothing is being ruled out, and it might just be a question of complete openness of mind and conviction. And it all can happen in hours or days, or in the final minutes of the winter transfer market. Certainly Inter (who already have a written agreement with Galatasaray) would prefer that everything be done quickly, simply because they have transfer possibilities that must be pursued. But Wes is taking his time, and the confrontation continues.
Liverpool and others — Wesley waits, and his cell phone doesn’t stop ringing. Liverpool came forward a while ago and they’re an option. Wolfsburg and Anzhi have also made themselves heard. And all of them – naturally along with the Galatasaray offer – are on the table, there to be examined. It is no secret that, at age 28, Wesley aspires to land at a big European club, and among the big ones there are obviously the two from Manchester, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern, excluding Real Madrid (where he’s already been) and Barcelona. Inter and AC Milan are part of the lot, but it’s clear that if he were to leave Inter then Moratti would not let him go across town. His first choice? The Premier League, as he’s already said. It’s now one o’clock. Wes plays with the dog, jokes with Yolanthe, finishes his coffee and turns on the computer. And he smiles proudly when he discovers that, the other night in Istanbul, some even went to the airport to wait for him, convinced he would arrive. In Turkey they want him. And he wants more time.
