Inter manager Luciano Spalletti held his pre-match press conference today ahead of tomorrow’s derby match with Juventus.
“We have everything that is needed to perform to the best of our ability during the Derby d’Italia. My players have a strong desire to achieve some important objectives, in the very same way as our fans. The history of this club, the fans, the city of Milan, they all deserve players that leave a lasting impression, playing with desire and professionalism.
“We will be coming up against a team that has won the last six Scudetti and also taken part in two Champions League finals in three years. We know how strong they are, but we’ve built up our conviction over the past few months and we now want to show this out on the field. We have a precise identity which we are still working on as a means of achieving our objectives. Also, given how the season is going, we will need to secure plenty of points. We have highlighted our qualities and we’ll now seek to get a result because we need as many points as possible for the league standings.
This match against Juventus is obviously a test that motivates you, however, we must remain calm. The lads have trained well and they know how to act out on the pitch. We will try to do our best for us and also for those who care about Inter. We want to finish as high up as possible. We must work in a serious manner and move forward step by step. In any case, the result of this match will not alter our thought process. The road is still long and we’ll need balance to carry on.”
Spalletti then discussed the kind of tactics he could deploy for the game at the Allianz Stadium tomorrow night.
“We must not create a whole new style for this match. On the contrary, we must replicate what we’ve done over the past few months and demonstrate our skills. We have confidence in our ability and we must now put this into practice. We must ensure that we are ready in terms of our personality and character. We must react strongly to all they’ll throw at us. They are strong off the ball, therefore it could be useful to put out a side who are strong from a physical perspective. As for who plays in midfield, we have a lot of top quality players in this position. We have faith in all of them. I will make my selections without dismissing anyone, however, as you know, at the end of the day we can only have 11 starters. In terms of Borja Valero’s best position, it is out on the pitch. Then it all depends on who is playing with him. He’s just as good as a trequartista as he is playing in behind a bit further back. He does extremely well in dictating play and positioning himself in the best place possible to help the team.”
Spalletti was also asked who he would sign from Juventus if given the opportunity.
“If I had to choose, then I would take the manager, Max Allegri. He is one of the best coaches in terms of making changes mid-way through matches. He does very well in terms of tactics and organising his team’s attitude.”
Spalletti concluded by discussing some of the players at his disposal.
“Yann Karamoh has great pace, full of flair and creativity and can get past his man. He is a player that can use this in every game, but experience is also an important quality. He has great potential but we do not want to give him excessive responsibility. Vecino? He has recovered and he will be available. As for whether D’Ambrosio and Santon still struggle against Juventus, I don’t think this will be the case. They both know how to play in the best way possible and they can read any type of play.”