Inter Captain Mauro Icardi spoke to Premium Sport after the thrilling game against Lazio that saw Inter qualify for the Champions League in dramatic fashion.
Another tough game when Inter suffered, it almost seemed like you could not put Lazio under any pressure?
“That is true, they played really well but we had the force to turn this game around. And tonight we managed to.”
Do Inter deserve to be in the UCL?
“This was the finish line, the team was in a good shape and we are happy what we did today. Today was not one of our best games, but we had the strength and mentality to turn it around.”
Is it all thanks to Spalletti?
“Yes, he deserves a lot of credit. Then I would like to dedicate this win to my teammates, because all of us believed in this objective, all the way from the players to the physiotherapists. This is a huge award for us, we have worked hard and deserved this.”
De Vrij, who will be your teammate next year, caused the penalty that lead up to 2-2…
“This is destiny. All of us are professionals and I really do not think he did this on purpose. Every professional tries to do his or her best and, when these things happen it is part of destiny.”
What could bring a bit of continuity to this team?
“We will see this next year. We will definitely try to improve this summer, because Inter is a team and a club that can not afford these highs and lows. This will be the first thing to fix. We had an excellent start to this season but then we started to under perform. It is a thing where we have to improve, but this team is called Pazza Inter for a reason, that is why we have these performances on a high and a low level. Next year we will try to stay in the middle…”
You will play in the UCL for the first time, will it be with Inter?
“I will speak to the club and I will try to do what is best for Inter. Our goal this season was the UCL and we managed to get there, we will restart from there. My new house? It was a sign, as soon as it is ready I will throw a barbecue.”
What happened on the opportunities missed?
“I lost the ball a bit, behind me. The defender was coming and I wanted to get a shot which made me miss the finish. In the second half the cramp I suffered from made me miss the other chance.”
Do you expect any particular reinforcements when the transfer market opens?
“Now we have the possibility to do well on the transfer market and the club will do its best. Last year they did the best that they could, which improved the team a lot. The guys on the bench can enter the game and make a difference, let us restart from that base. Should there be any new arrivals we will welcome them with open arms. ”
Still hoping for a World Cup spot?
“Let us see tomorrow. If not, I will take a vacation.”
