Pagliuca: Ferguson once wanted to sign me, but Ronaldo is the strongest player I have ever seen in my career and I don’t want to leave

In a long interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, former Sampdoria and Inter Milan legendary goalkeeper Pagliuca recalled several important moments in his career, including the 1998 Serie A title race.

Pagliuca: "People always talk about the Serie A title and the European Champions League final that season, but we had many other seasons where we performed well. We were a star-studded team."

When asked if we beat Barcelona in the final When asked whether Rona would make his career more complete, he said: "Of course, we should have won that game. That defeat is a pain that we will never heal."

Speaking of the lost final, the loss in Pasadena two years later was also a big regret. Many teammates called the loss a nightmare that lasted three decades.

In this regard, Pagliuca said: "I still suffer from insomnia because of this. Sometimes I wake up at night and replay the penalty shootout in my mind. I say to myself, 'Pounce to the right!' But in fact, the opponent deceived my judgment three times. . Although I saved a penalty, it was not enough to change the result. I still can't forget that moment. I was only one step away from the trophy and within reach..."

That summer, Pagliuca moved to Moratti's Inter Milan. In five years they have only won the UEFA Cup in Paris. He thinks the team deserves more.

"Yes, absolutely. We suffered a series of unfair penalties in 1998. Juventus was a great team, but we were stronger and more deserving of that title. Their foul on Ronaldo is an indelible stain. They took away our Serie A title and it was a scandal... I get angry every time I think about it."

Pagliuca responded to rumors that he was close to joining Manchester United. : "Sir Alex Ferguson really wanted me, but Inter Milan had just signed Ronaldo at that time, and I had no intention of leaving. I cherished this opportunity to play with the strongest player I have ever seen in my career. In addition, Moratti was unwilling to let me go. At that time, the Premier League was not as attractive as Serie A. If it were today, I might have made a different choice. But at that time, all the best players came to play in Italy."