Wesley Sneijder says he has no regrets about missing out on the Ballon d’Or after helping Internazionale win the Champions League as part of a historic treble in 2010.
Speaking at the Trento Sports Festival, Sneijder dismissed the significance of his failure to win football’s most prestigious individual award.
“I don’t give a damn about the Ballon d’Or; I won the Champions League with Internazionale!” he said, according to TMW.
Sneijder was not only overlooked for the award but also missed out on a place in the top three, eventually finishing fourth in the voting. The result has remained a source of debate among supporters and figures within the game, given the role he played in Internazionale’s outstanding 2010 campaign.
That season, Internazionale won three trophies, including the Champions League, and the team remains fondly remembered. Sneijder also shared an anecdote about the club’s captain at the time, Javier Zanetti, as he reflected on the squad’s celebrations.
“After every training session, everyone would go home and meet again the next day,” Sneijder said. “After we won, we would have a few beers after the match. But Zanetti would only ever drink water.
“After winning the Champions League, he switched to Coke and ended up getting drunk on Coke (laughs). Seriously, really!”
Sneijder also spoke at length about Zanetti, Internazionale’s number 4, and the impression the former captain made on him.
“For me, Zanetti was already a legend, but when I started playing with him, he became a true legend in my heart,” he said.
“He was truly everywhere on the field, always by your side. I think the phrase ‘there is only one captain’ perfectly sums up Zanetti.”
Zanetti’s importance to the team was reflected in both his leadership and his presence on the pitch, according to Sneijder, who considers the former captain central to the identity of the Internazionale side that completed the treble.