Sneijder: I’m happy and you’ll see that in my game

Wesley: Happy with the ball

Love came at the exact right moment for Wesley, after a tough time in Madrid. “There was a period when I thought “to hell with it all”. But now, I’m happier than ever!”, the new Interisti (?) says… And he looks sincerely happy. “It may sound simple, but that’s how it works for me. When I’m happy, you’ll see it in my game. I truly believe in that.”

No, this won’t be a showbizz story about the love between Sneijder and Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen. But life and top sport do meet often. Before, he was a football player from Utrecht. Now, he’s a celeb. A famous Dutch person. A potential target for the tabloids.

Yolanthe: Apparently, I make Wes happy…

“I don’t care too much about all that. People should simply say or write or read what they want. I do get more phonecalls so I switch my phone off more often. But I’m still the same guy and the same player. The fact that the news even covers the wereabouts of Yolanthe and me makes me laugh. We’re suddenly among the more famous people in the world. It’s just silly.”

With Oranje, Sneijder finds some hard-earned peace and quiet after hectic weeks. There was exactly one week between his move from Madrid and his debut at Inter. “It went really fast. So, it’s cool to be back in Holland, back home.”

Yolanthe: Not sure how I do it, but hey, if he’s happy…

Mid August, the playmaker lost control over his future. In a top class hotel in Dortmund. Right before the friendly against the local Borussia, there was this brief and business like remark by Pellegrini. “He said he wasn’t allowed to start me anymore. The club management received a fax by Inter and decided to bite. The coach was told to take me off the players’ sheet. I needed to be sold. To whomever and for whatever price. At any cost. I basically didn’t have a choice.”

The player suddenly felt he was part of a mafia movie, complete with manipulation and intrigue. “I was red hot with anger. But I refrained from responding, knowing they’d use it against me if I did. They played a dirty game. Later that day Valdano approached me. “Let’s have a talk” he said. I said: “I don’t need to talk to you anymore. Call my manager.” And I walked off.”

Sneijder clenches his fists when he recalls this. The pressure was on. “Pellegrini said I should play some foot-volley or take a ball and practice some free-kicks. They provoked me, suddenly. Pellegrini is a puppet. He doesn’t decide himself. The people who run the club now lack warmth and humanity. They’re bad people. They treated all the lads without any respect, not just me. Robben, Huntelaar, Raf… Totally disappointing and dishonest.”

Yolanthe: I guess whatever it is I do, it’s good for Oranje, right?

It was a fitting end to tempestuous years in Bernabeu. The first season, Sneijder started with a vengeance, but the second season was laden with setbacks and despair. Injuries, a divorce and disappointing performances. “I think I was unhappy for a whole year. It hurts, getting a divorce. Even if you know it’s the best thing you can do for both… It just hurts. You feel like a loser, it is so hard. And it’s horrible to be playing sports in that time… You aren’t your usual self. You sort of block off your energy. You can’t sleep well, you’re distracted… And you know what, football is suddenly not important anymore. I couldn’t care less what happened. Really challenging.”

He does have the ability to look at himself. “I made mistakes, man. I went out to party to get rid of that down-depressed feeling. I needed a break. But I did it in the wrong way. I was injured, people take notice of you when you go out. And obviously, the wildest stories broke. That was all my own doing. Those stories were highly exaggerated, but I allowed the media to have a go at me. I blame myself. I wish I handled that differently.”

Looking back at Madrid, the bad taste in his mouth is what stays. “Those last weeks were horrible, and I think those are impressions that stay with you. The way they treated me. I had a fab first season and highly enjoyed it. It’s too bad, but that’s how it is.”

Yolanthe: After Milan, I do hope Wes will sign with Paris St Germain… That’d make me happy!

Inter Milan embraced him with open arms. For days, Mourinho sent him text message. “About all sorts of stuff. About his ideas, about life in Milan. About restaurants, about the other players… He kept on doing it until I signed, haha… But he gives me all the confidence. He reminds me of Ten Cate. Intense, tough, but honest. And I’m backed by a couple of powerhouses behind me. I can do what I’m good at. Finding the opening, playing in service of the strikers. And that’s great, when I can play like that.”

Still it took some time for Sneijder to realize what perspective Inter could offer him. “Italian football lost some of it’s glitz. Sometimes, you play for empty stands. I did think about that. I thought about everything. I’ve discussed it at length with my family and friends. But now I’m convinced I made the right choice. Inter operates as a team, and a strong one too. I want to win the Champions League with Inter.”

His debut against AC Milan was impressive. “Mourinho had said: you’re my playmaker. I’ll gel the team around you. And he did so in the first game. I hadn’t really trained with the group. Mourinho is a gutsy operator.”

The Italian warmth does him good. “I arrived at the airport with Yolanthe in Milan and we wanted to grab a coffee. People came up to us and insisted they’d pay for the coffee. Now, it’s not that I want people to pay for my coffee, haha, but it does feel good. I feel respected and welcome in Italy.”

Interview conducted before the Japan game