One of the most difficult tasks a modern football coach faces is how to strike a balance when targeting multiple competitions throughout the season. The rigors of a midweek European fixture followed by a league outing the following weekend often lead to a significant drop in performance for his team. Squad rotation almost became a dirty word with the likes of Claudio Ranieri and Rafa Benitez ridiculed for their use of a larger group of players. These days it is normal to see a raft of changes from one game to the next as coaches seek a formula to keep their squads in peak condition without lowering performance levels. Walter Mazzarri has recently mentioned that he would like 23 players with very little difference between the starter and his rival for that position. This would enable his squad to be competitive in the three competitions they take place in this season.
With Inter facing a Europa League trip against Ukrainian outfit Dnipro followed by a tricky looking Serie A fixture in Sicily against Palermo, it’s an interesting time to look at Mazzarri’s previous record in these situations. At Napoli he was involved in European competition for three successive seasons, a grand total of 24 matches. Winning percentages for most managers dramatically drop the weekend after a European fixture for a variety of reasons but the main culprit being fatigue. However, Mazzarri’s winning % the game after a European fixture (54.16%) was actually better than his overall winning percentage for those same three seasons (52.63%).
Napoli played 24 European fixtures under Mazzarri and in the following league fixtures they won 13 drew 7 and lost just 4. This all bodes well for Inter as they will lean heavily on the experienced coaches methods of preparation during the busy weeks which lie ahead.
Can Inter compete on all three fronts this season? Cast your vote and comment below.