Having netted nine goals in their first three home games, many were tipping Genoa to overcome the champions, who were without injured pair Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito.
But the Nerazzurri proved far too strong, and were leading 2-0 going into first-half injury-time when something quite remarkable happened.
“When people ask me about my best goal, they already know the answer. Amelia, the Genoa goalkeeper, can’t handle the ball because of the backpass. So, he kicks it out the box, but he’s in a wrong position. Really wrong. I am on the halfway line on the right and that is my luck, because the ball comes to me and I connect very well with a full instep. The sound is beautiful and the ball flies. It is a goal!
"My mates on the field, on the bench, Jose [Mourinho] – everyone goes crazy and I celebrate with my hands around the eyes like some binoculars, as if to say: ‘Look how far it went!’ It was far indeed: 177 feet! But it wasn’t accidental: I scored a similar goal in Yugoslavia, but sadly it wasn’t covered by TV. If this was by Messi or Ronaldo, it would have been goal of the century, but I’m satisfied.”
This article was originally published in the January 2011 edition of FourFourTwo.
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