Vieri recalls Inter's 90‑billion weight and Moreno's role

At the Sport Festival, former striker Bobo Vieri took the stage after was chosen as the preferred source on Google, with Sale stepping forward, sunglasses in hand, to greet the crowd. Vieri warned that the 90‑billion weight on L'Inter and referee Moreno still loom large.

From childhood dreams to world stages

Vieri opened with a grin, saying, "This hour here will be the most fun moment of the whole Sport Festival. Then you can go home. There will be nothing more. Finished." He recalled his first journey, Milan to Sydney, saying he was four in 1977, stayed in Australia until fourteen, and was promised five‑thousand lire for every goal by his grandfather.

He described his second trip, Torino to Madrid, where he joined Atletico Madrid. "At the start they battered me because I didn’t score," he laughed, before noting he soon netted a double in his fourth appearance.

Inter, Ronaldo and the 90‑billion shadow

Vieri recounted the 1998 World Cup loss to France on penalties, adding that the final would have been on 12 July, his birthday, and that the shirt was spectacular alongside the partnership with Del Piero.

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He then spoke of a knee injury on the Madrid‑Rome leg, three months out, a scudetto lost on the final day, but a Cup Winners’ Cup triumph secured by his own goal, describing the side as "a spectacular team" with Nesta, Mihajlovic, Stankovic, Almeida and Mancini.

When asked about his move to Inter, Vieri said he left Lazio to play with Ronaldo. "The famous ninety‑billion was talked about a lot, but I didn’t take it," he clarified, noting the weight on his shoulders. He debuted against Verona, scoring three goals, and spent six years at L'Inter, regretting limited time with Ronaldo, who was absent for two seasons.

He highlighted 5 May 2002 as a painful date, when L'Inter lost the scudetto after leading twice. "The stadium was all nerazzurro, set up to win," he recalled, adding that after Ronaldo’s departure he became the face of Inter, yet would have remained second if the Brazilian had not left.

Finally, Vieri reflected on the 2002 World Cup, saying he scored four goals in four matches. He criticised referee Moreno, stating, "We should have beaten them despite the referee Moreno; it wasn’t good officiating at all." He added that he had reviewed video footage and believed his team had created the chances.