Inter has held a press conference ahead of tomorrow’s big game against Juventus. As usual, head coach Walter Mazzarri was present to answer the journalists’ questions:
Mazzarri begins: I have tried to isolate the team from everything else, I am satisfied with our pre-match preparations. I hope that we can perform on a level that matches the occasion”.
Is there a real gap between Inter and Juventus?
“Do not ask me these questions, I will let others talk about and evaluate that”.
Hernanes will not be available to play tomorrow, does this ruin your plans?
“I prepared the tactics for this game with the players I had available at the time, without considering the arrival of the Brazilian. There were several possibilities and therefore I didn’t include Hernanes into my preparations in advance. I would only have done that if I knew that the player was available”. C’erano tante variabili, quindi non ho pensato a questa eventualità. Ci avrei pensato solo con il ragazzo a disposizione”.
The Guarin situation, how do you think you can make the player recover from this?
“I don’t think it is sure that the player leaves in June. The board of directors give us certain signals as they are already trying to plan for the summer, and the signings we have made can be included in the same way of thinking. However, I will always count on my players as long as they are available”.
You mentioned that you see Hernanes as a “golden boy”. Can you tell us anything else about him?
“Of course we were looking for a player who could give us something extra. Hernanes can help us in all of the midfield roles, in the Brazilian national team he has a more defensive role and this proves that the player has matured. I want players who can both win the ball from their opponents and do something creative with it. Hernanes is both an elegant playmaker and a trequartista, a complete player who is brilliant with the ball at his feet. I see him as someone who can make the difference for us”.
Describe D’Ambrosio.
“With my help he can still improve, and I like how he talked about his motivation and great will to join Inter. If a player has a good attitude, that is a great base for me to build on”.
Inter have shown ambition on the transfer market. Are you satisfied?
“The club is aware of all the facts. I only discuss the transfer market when it comes to players who have officially joined Inter. It has been an unusual transfer window, with deals aiming to develop the players who haven’t recieved a lot of playing time. The players who left us in January can still return to the club in the future”.
Inter are not favourites against Juventus?
“It doesn’t bother me. If we perform perfectly, we can cause troubles against any team in the world. The result is based on several things, we focus on the performance. g. Resultatet är baserat på mycket, vi tänker på prestationen. In the end of the game I will make an analysis.”
Do you feel more responsible after the transfer window?
“I have always felt responsible. If certain decisions have been made, I will always try to get the most out of my team. I have been in this business for thirteen years and nothing has changed, I will be evaluated by you aswell”.
Will Inter aim for new objectives with these two new investments?
“Definitely. But these two signings have also been made for the future. I will work even more with our wingers I will try to integrate D’Ambrosio into the team now when I have more alternatives. Hernanes can help us in several positions right away. For the others, we will have to wait”.
Juventus Stadium, do you fear the atmosphere?
“The numbers speak for themselves and the way Juve play at home says it all. The atmosphere helps them a lot. It is a factor, but we have thought of everything. We will concentrate on playing our own game”.
Can you give a grade to this month’s transfer window?
“I won’t discuss it. Grades are set in relation to the objectives and the squad that is available. I will leave that to you journalists”.
Does Juventus have a weak point, what is the secret to beating Juve?
“At home, statistically they seem unbeatable, but we are motivated and we are hoping to play a great game. I hope that some situations will be to our advantage. We need to perform all the time and that is what we are looking to improve, the result is not always the one you deserve. We will try our best, and then we can analyse the game”.
Guarin has not been called up?
“If the transfer window closes at 23:00, it is natural that the player cannot be a hundred percent focused, which is a must and especially against Juventus. This is why Guarin hasnt been called up and I known this for quite some time”.
Ranocchia?
“The situation is not the same as that of Guarin, Ranocchia has been training without breaks and the choices I make tomorrow will also be influenced by what information the club gives me. At first I had to evaluate a different squad, but now things have changed due to a normal situation that is still going on”.
Will we see a defensive Inter tomorrow night?
“Sometime I regret saying certain things that are then understood the wrong way. I need to stay attentive, tomorrow we will see what we can do. After the game I will come to you and discuss everything, be it good or bad”.
Is last year’s game against Juventus something to draw inspiration from?
“It was a game with different players and at a different point in time, in other words two different teams compared to the ones we see now. I dont want to compare. The teams have changed a lot and therefore it is impossible to make a fair comparison. Juventus have changed a lot less than we have.”.
Would you prefer not to speak?
“I decide based on what I believe is best for the club”.
The importance of this game?
“I want us to do our best, and afterwards we will play Sassuolo. In football you shouldn’t talk too much because in the end, the league table is what counts. This year I am working on our performance and that is what I will be looking at, regardless of what the results are. This has always been my philosophy, I work on our performance because a good performance eventually brings good results”.
Do you have a feeling for how Inter should approach the game?
“Juventus change playing style a lot. This is one of their strengths and Conte studies every game in detail. In some games they do not let their opponents as much as breathe, other games they find a new solution as they did against Roma. We have observed all of this, worked hard during the week and now we are ready for anything”.
Will you change the formation?
“We have used several different formations, slowly we will also begin to play with four defenders, like I did at Napoli. I have almost always wanted my team to start the game with one formation but then be able to change throughout the game without difficulties. That can really hurt the opponent and at Napoli I did it a lot, but it was easier since we had been working together for a while”.
Does Hernanes make you feel more confident?
Fate plays its part aswell and to want something is not always enough. If a club buys an important player, that also means that they have confidence in the head coach. Hernanes age and quality will be vital for the next three years or so, and because of this it is a very good signing”.
Our colleagues at FcInterNews ask if Kovacic will get some playing time:
“That is a possibility”.
Regarding the balance of the team, can Hernanes play together with two other attacking players on the pitch?
“The game against Parma was strange, I did not recognise my team on the pitch. We need to evaluate the tactical balance and that begins with our attack. With Hernanes I will have more solutions, he can score goals and do many other things which means that he can be used in several different roles. But this will only be possible if the team is able to handle certain tactical details. Hernanes gives me many possibilities to improve the team”.
Is the second half of the season set up to be better than the first?
“Absolutely, I hope so. I hope that we can find a stroke of luck and put an end to these negative results”.
What do you think of Juventus and especially of Vidal?
“Juventus statistics speak for themselves, especially at home. The Chilean is a fantastic player, just like the team he plays for. He is a complete champion who would be perfect for any team. One of the best in the world”.
Would you rather win by a penalty goal or by a goal scored by Handanovic?
“Regardless of which, our supporters would be happy and so would I. These games are special, but I always want my team to score one goal more than our opponents and it doesn’t matter who scores it. Everyone can score, to me it doesn’t make a difference”.
Source: FcInterNews.it
