It’s time for press conference at Suning Training Center, and this isn’t your ordinary press conference. Juventus is ahead of Inter and this is what coach Stefano Pioli had to say about Sunday’s clash:
On Sunday you will have the most important game of the season, what’s at stake for Inter? “Three points, like for everybody else. But we know that there’s other stuff at stake too. There is a reason we call this game the derby d’Italia, but we are well prepared.”
Has the visit of Bauza (Argentina’s head coach) had any impact on Icardi? “I don’t know what they talked about, but for sure it’s an important visit for Mauro. But now we focus only on preparations for the game. I have seen a determined squad, even more after Tuesday’s result and they are aware of the importance of this game.”
Do you have to be prepared for an aggressive start? “Absolutely, but not only that, Juventus show impressive numbers in the first 20 minutes. It will be important to have the right approach, being efficiant for the first minutes. They are the team that scores the most during the first minutes, we on the other hand during the last minutes. But we want a positive result.”
Is a draw ok? “We will give everything we can in order to win.”
Do you need a special “cure” for Dybala? “Juventus gives us few reference points. They are really good at moving the entire team and we will have to be compact and attentive of our game. The balance will be important for responding to our opponents and we have to have positive situations. We have to be efficient and play as a team, focus cannot be on the individuals. We know that we are strong when we play with intensity, rhythm and speed. Together with the work of everyone we can be really strong.”
How was it for a young Interista like yourself to play in black-and-white? “I was a kid, it was a good start for me but now there’s another situation, another role. I want to give my best for my team.”
You have never been close to Juventus? “As a coach, no.”
Would you have preferred if Juventus didn’t have this new way of playing like they have had the last three games? Were they easier to face before? “No, Juventus is a strong team, just look at the numbers, the results, the mentality, the players, the coach. They are the strongest team in Italy right now, but we are amongst three teams that can put pressure on them.”
Is there anything to learn from the game at San Siro? “Each game is a game of its own, but the approach and the attitude in that game is something to bear in mind. Inter played with intensity and that is what we have to do on Sunday too.”
You arrived 13 points behind Juventus and if Juventus wins their postponed game the distance will be 12 points. You have reduced the gap? “On Sunday we will understand the distance, we have done well but so have the other teams. It will be a great fight on Sunday.”
What will a win or loss mean for you? “We are only focusing on preparing ourselves for the game, after the game we will know what we accomplished. We are in a situation where every win gives us confidence and every loss brings us further away from our objective. But this game won’t be decisive for any of the teams.”
Four months ago, did you picture yourself on this bench for a game like this? “I am used to live in the present, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of my work. When I was at home I tried to do everything that I liked: taking it easy, travel, following other coaches. I was only thinking about the right moment that finally came. I took charge of the situation because I felt right away that this was a good chance to serve a great club with great fans. This is definitely my chance.”
How come you never have beaten Juventus? “I have never coached Inter…”
How do you relate to a monster like Higuain? “Juventus is a strong team as a whole and we must be equally strong in order to stand up to him.”
Higuain or Icardi? “Icardi.”
Was Tuesday’s game a healthy slap in the face? “The performance against Lazio made it clear for us what gives us an advantage and what gives us a disadvantage when it comes to playing in a certain mode. If we lose distance and are not attentive we take a risk. But we showed that wew have a strong spirit and that’s something we need on Sunday.”
Will the externals be something to take under consideration? “I think they will try to center their game, but the sides are always important zones. We have great numbers on the sides, any team that can do better will have an advantage. But they score their goals from a central position.”
Can Juventus-Inter be a title-game? “If we think about the future, I hope. But we don’t think that much about the future, we can only give our best now. ”
Kondogbia has matured a lot but hasn’t performed great in the top matches. Could this be his game? “It’s an opportunity for everyone to prove that we are a team at a certain level. Also for the guys coming on as substitutes, that have to give everything they have in order to be at the top in a really strong team.”
How would you label this team? “The team has value, I have helped them to think positive, I have given them the confidence to believe that they can achieve great things.”
