In the extensive interview granted to La Gazzetta dello Sport on the day of the match between Manchester City and Inter, there is a part where Wesley Sneijder dwells on the situation of the Nerazzurri strikers.
After praising Lautaro Martinez, the Dutchman recalled the experience shared with Mehdi Taremi, dating back to the 2018-19 season with the Al-Gharafa shirt, in Qatar. The attacking midfielder was in the twilight of his career, the Iranian was preparing for a jump to Portugal, but Sneijder already saw his qualities:
“Few people know it, but we were teammates. I was playing my last matches, he was about to break through. I could still give him some good passes that he put inside: it was clear he was destined for a different career in Europe. He was shy, always polite: I remember once, in the Asian Champions League, he scored a double against an Iranian team and didn’t celebrate out of respect. What to expect from him? Overhead kicks! He is good at it, he does it instinctively, it excites him: if he has the right ball, he is not afraid to try it”.
