He lives in Canada, follows the team around the world, and has become a point of reference on social media for the entire Arab-Nerazzurri community: “For the Super Cup, I fulfilled a dream of entering the press room and asking Chivu a question.”

Can you travel more than 200,000 kilometers for your favorite team, follow them to every corner of the planet, adapt your work shifts to a six-hour time difference, and even risk being kicked out of your house? Yes, if, after defeats and victories, souvenir photos and songs in stadiums around the world, you even manage to intervene in a press conference to address your coach in an official capacity. Yazeed Mushal, 39 years of pure Interism, has broken through the only wall that was missing: he, the most Nerazzurri Arab there is, has fulfilled his last dream and was able to talk to Cristian Chivu before Bologna-Inter. A classic question about the head-to-head matches missed this season, answered with translation problems, but what matters here is the passion that has traveled from Canada to Riyadh and become an example for fans: Yazeed has long been the point of reference for the entire Arab-Nerazzurri community around the world.

Mushal, who are you really?

“An Interista! Simply an Inter fan, everything else comes after that… I’m originally from Jordan and, after ten years in Dubai, I’ve been living in Halifax, Canada, since 2021, where I work as a nurse and live with my wife and son. Many people think I work in finance because on my social media channels I continue to translate all the articles about my Inter into Arabic, especially those on economic topics, from financial statements to news about the old and new clubs. People follow me and trust me. Before he passed away, my father managed to make his children fall in love with soccer, although he must have done something wrong with my brother because, unfortunately, he became a Juventus fan…”.

How can you watch Inter live from… Canada?

“By taking lots of flights. In recent years, I’ve seen more than 20 games at San Siro, the most beautiful and magical stadium in the world. I was even on the sidelines once, and I still get goosebumps thinking about it. But I’ve also been to other stadiums to watch Champions League games, the Club World Cup and, of course, this Super Cup, which I can’t miss since it’s in Saudi Arabia. Otherwise, I always organize my work shifts so that I’m free on match days, or I work the night shift, since most games are played at 3:45 p.m. in Canada. In those cases, I watch it on TV and then go to do my duty at the hospital. Let’s say that my life is dictated by Inter’s calendar: when I have to go and see a match live, I always try to take three or four days off, planning everything in advance. There are lucky nights, like the one against Barcelona with Acerbi’s goal, and also sad days: in Munich, in the stands for the 5-0 defeat, I never stopped cheering.“

But when and how did this passion begin?

”I became an Inter fan in 1998. And it’s first Ronaldo ‘Il Fenomeno’ and then Roberto Baggio’s ‘fault’. My father and brother often watched the Italian national team’s games, so how could I not be enchanted by Roby? When he also moved to Inter, love took over everything.”

Who is your favorite player, past and present?

“Today, I don’t want to upset anyone, so I’ll just name one from the past: Javier Zanetti. He arrived at our club when many people didn’t know him, and then he played until he retired. From 1996 to 2014, Pupi was loyalty, passion, love, respect. Everything. Everyone who loves soccer should love Zanetti. I have a sacred ritual: every single time I travel to follow Inter, and I do that a lot, I always have to take a photo with the captain. I wait outside the hotel until I spot him. It doesn’t matter if I already have 50 or 60 different selfies, I always add another one. I managed to see him this time too. Obviously, who do you think is in my WhatsApp profile photo?”

What’s the most extreme and crazy thing you’ve done for Inter?

“At the Club World Cup in the United States last summer… I went to see the games in Seattle with my whole family. After the win against River Plate, I took a flight to Canada to drop off my wife and son. I made sure they were okay and then, on the same day, I went back to the airport and flew to Charlotte, North Carolina, where Inter were moving to. In the end, we lost to Fluminense, but I had to be there. And then there’s also a more everyday, family-related ‘crazy’ side to it: my wife isn’t very happy because now all she sees at home are Inter clothes, shirts, and gadgets… There’s practically no room for anything else. I laugh about it, but not too much…”.

From the stadium to the press room in Riyadh: how did you manage to sneak in?

“It happened because I’m very active on X and, as I said, I always translate all the news about Inter there, so I’ve become a point of reference for all the fans in the Arab countries. However, I have to thank Inter Club Saudi Arabia for giving me this access. It was one of my dreams to be inside the conference room, and I was so nervous before asking Mr. Chivu a question, almost like a journalist. It’s a wonderful memory that I’ll never forget, but I hope it’s not the last time. Also because I’m passing on my passion to my son, who already has photos with Dumfries, Sommer, Maicon, some executives, and, of course, Javier Zanetti. That one must never be missing…”