Inter beat Empoli and have now finished fourth with one game to go. Roberto Mancini commented to Sky:
“Sometimes games become complicated. For example Icardi got injured right after we had subbed Jovetic, thus losing offensive power. But it was a game we should have closed in the first half. Competing for the scudetto? If things stand like this we can’t compete with Juventus. But football is strange, just watch Leicester. The other teams need to reinforce themselves, if not there will be no competition with Juventus. We have had a good season, even with the errors. It is a different Inter, it is not the 2006 one. We need patience, we need to become better but you don’t build teams with a magic wand.”
Someone like Handanovic could be ired of not playing in the Champions League?
“I don’t know.. These are the players and I am the coach. If a player has this will, I think it is a good thing as well, we will satisfy that will. It is not a problem. We are doing well, we just need a bit of patience.”
Are there things to develop in how to handle the games?
“We were not with it in the second half today either, when we played the 4-3-3. We gave them the opportunity to keep us low instead of attacking them, reading the game is important, but what really matters is quality. We had four or fie chances to score in the second half and we did not. We need to defend well, like when we faced the teams ahead of us, to be able t win the league you need to play with the same concentration in every game.”
Icardi has developed a lot.
“They all have, not just Mauro. I think about Kondogbia, Perisic, Jovetic and his errors, Murillo that did great the first half of the season. Being players who are new in Italy they need to grow and do more next year.”
What can you tell the fans about the future?
“For now we thank them, because we are the club with the g´highest attendance average. It is important and they have supported us in the difficult times as well. And points wise this is the best season in the last five years, but we will try to do more.”
Source: Sky