Ausilio in an extensive interview: “The dream is to build a team with young players who have grown up with you”

Inter’s Piero Ausilio talked, in a long interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, about how he came to Inter, about the transfer market, about players who were close to playing for Inter, about which signings he is most pleased with, and much more.

Ausilio and Inter, when and how did you meet?

“It was in January 1998, I was in charge of the youth section at Pro Sesto when Mario Meneghetti called me to reorganize Inter’s. During 2001, a year zero for me and the club, Massimo Moratti decided that the club should invest abroad for the Primavera. I was responsible for the organization, Beppe Baresi was technical chief: we acquired Pandev, Martins, Pasquale, Potenza and with Verdelli we immediately won Viareggio and the Scudetto.”

And meanwhile, you began to get more involved in the transfer market.

“Immediately, it was with Mazzola, Terreaneo, Oriali and Branca. In 2004, I was in Spezia one year and was part of the board and won the Coppa Italia. Since 2004 /05, I’m sporting director at Inter, with a closer contact with the first team from 2009/10.”

A signing you remember more than others?

“I say of course Balotelli, considering what Mario represents for Italian football today. But I’m very attached to Bonucci, because I know how hard it was to get him, or Destro who I brought to Inter when he was 14 years old. Not to mention Pandev and Martins because it was with them it started for me.”

When you say Balotelli your thinking of…?

“The fact that he had decided to go to Bellinzona and it took two days to get Lumezzane to release him to us. It was just a loan, given that he was already, so to speak, exuberant: 30000 euro directly, 340,000 to buy him. Maybe even a little less.”

A signing that you missed out on?

“It was the national finals for Allevi, we were just about to sign Immobile from Sorrento, but we already had Destro and Balotelli and nothing came of it all.”

The greatest remorse: Destro, Balotelli and all others who are no longer at Inter.

“The dream for someone who does my job is to build a team that is made up of young people growing up and making a name for themselves with you. But some sacrifices were made to get players who were important for the immediate future: Bonucci, Acquafresca, Bolzoni, Meggiorini to spend less for Milito and Thiago Motta; Destro because it was fundamental that we in that moment acquired Ranocchia.”

A player who has been close?

“Fabregas. At age 16 he decided to leave Barcelona and our Pierluigi Casiraghi put us in a position to sign him: we tried, but he found Arsenal’s project more compelling.”

With Marco Branca you shared the tasks, between scouting, transfer meetings and being present at the side of the team. Are you going to do this alone now or you will be backed up by someone?

“Since Thohir has decided to invest in this structure I have already identified a person of trust who will be responsible of scouting (Massimo Mirabelli, who is at Sunderland until June 30). Then, a technical director doesn’t need to be at Pinetina every day, where there is already a team manager in Cordoba and a technical advisor in Santoro. If I can utilize a strong and organized structure, it isn’t impossible to do alone what two people did before. It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be willing to work with anyone the club would consider necessary.”

And Mazzarri? It has been speculated in an expansion of his role, like an English manager…

“He has great character, he lives for his work 24 hours a day, follows the dynamics of the team as anyone else. Yeah, I’m referring to Mourinho.”

The Executive Director Fassone has called Mazzarri a pillar for Inter, also for the future, although he after a series of negative coincidences may fail with the objective to reach Europe?

“He said pillar, I say foundation stone: because his career speaks for itself, because you can already see a group that is developing, a tactical idea, a solid defensive, a starting point to start next season from. This is what we’re looking at, not the position in the table. Mazzarri will remain, regardless.”

Moving on to the transfer market: you’re looking for a winger, a central midfielder and a striker.

“In our laptops there are at least three names for each of the positions: there are players of high level. The winger can be both a right or left winger because we already have two wingers who can play on both wings in Nagatomo and D’Ambrosio. A striker? One of those who has many goals in his feet – apart from Palacio who has scored 12 goals without penalties… – has been missing this season, in the absence of Milito and Icardi.”

Talking about penalties: but are the players still practicing on shooting them?

“No, we’ve quit doing that… ”

Many contracts are expiring and we start with Rolando: he remains, right?

“It’s Mazzarris merit. During the summer a need to sign a defender came up, he just gave us one name: Rolando. Branca and I was a little surprised and he said: ‘Calm down, he ‘s an intelligent guy and he can play at all three positions.’ He is here on loan: he wants to stay and we want to keep him…”

And Ranocchia?

“A month ago we were clear with him: we take on the discussions at the end of the season and we don’t rule out that there could be an extension.”

Here are the contracts to be extended: Palacio is done, there are some problems with Alvarez and with Guarin?

“Fredy’s agent has arrived and we’re talking about it: there is a mutual willingness to adapt and extend the contract. Alvarez, we want to keep and he is happy here, but his contract expires in 2016 and therefore we have plenty of time at hand to sign.”

All the heroes from Treble has expiring contracts: Is Cambiasso the only one that could get an extension?

“We will talk to them all at the end of the season, as last year with Walter Samuel who renewed in five minutes. But who knows who won’t renew, we have also Milito, who can provide experience and quality, even if he isn’t a starting player. There is one requirement: to leave out some parameters in terms of wages, the current ones. Thohir has decided so.”

And set a salary cap.

“It is cumulative. Currently, the roof is 80 million, in 2010/11 it was 180 million, next year it will be between 70 and 80.”

Talking of Thohir, is there anything about him that struck you?

“He has great enthusiasm, he is well aware of the responsibility it entails buying a club like Inter and he knows where he wants to take it, with a leadership that goes beyond the immediate results. An Inter to be built over time and is durable.”

Will Mbaye, Duncan, Bardi and the others return?

“Not because we have to cut costs, but because they have developed after receiving continuity of playing elsewhere. Not to mention the requirements regarding the player list in the European tournaments.”

Kovacic: have you ever had the idea to send him away to play elsewhere?

“Mateo is useful for this Inter just like the one in the future. Continuity doesn’t always mean that you play 90 minutes. Inter must be a quality team beyond the 11 players on the pitch, but have 16-18 players to change between.”

Dzeko, Torres, Chicarito Hernandez, Mandzukic: dreams or viable speculation?

“For the needs we have looking at the technical parameters, they would be, but financially they aren’t. Players who earn 5-6 million over our budget and under normal conditions we can’t sign them.”

What do you mean by normal?

“I mean to sign them according to their market value. It doesn’t appear to be easy to sign such players on loan.”

And Lamela?

“We’ve liked him since he was at River Plate, but even then he was too expensive and given that he cost 30 million, I fear that he will continue to be so.”

Tell us about the background to the deal Vucinic – Guarin that did not materialize.

“The whole thing lasted no longer than a day. We talked with Vucinic, Juve requested for Guarin to be inserted in the discussion. We had already started negotiations for Hernanes and therefore it could happen, but only for compensation.”

Is it true that they only offered a million?

“We had talked about it for 7-8, but it was out of the question. So we can say that the deal was not done to 70 percent depending on economic grounds and 30 percent of the circumstances, let’s say, the surroundings. I don’t think there is any shame in that you ever stop to consider the suitability of a deal.”

With Juve you were talking about Isla during the summer.

“I’m still in Pinzolo, waiting for him for the press conference.”

More intrigue: The one with Mbaye in the deal for Hernanes.

“Tare had asked about him already a month earlier. Lotito wanted him. Sacrificing him would have given a great discount, but we decided not to do like with Destro and only paid cash.”

If Moratti, in June 2010, had said: ‘ We’ll sell Milito and Maicon’, what would you have said?

“What I would say now: ‘only if we get an offer we can not refuse.’ It didn’t arrive, given that it was the best striker and the best right-back in the world. We were offered 50 million plus Eto’o for Ibra and we sold, didn’t we? Eto’o for 20 million, a savings of more than 10 million in net salary per year, we sold, right?”

Vidic free is your first signing as technical director.

“It’s Thohir’s, not mine.”

Why did he choose you?

“He was convinced by Inter’s history and wanted – after winning 15 titles with Manchester United – as quickly as possible to bring the club back to where it always was.”

Source: fcinternews.it