Inter CEO Beppe Marotta has confirmed that the match against Parma is not decisive with regards to Luciano Spalletti’s future as the club’s coach, in an interview with Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia.

“It is absolutely not true that the Parma game is decisive for Spalletti. We recognize that this is a difficult moment for Inter. We are in a transitional period of the season, as there are 16 matches to go and we are in third place. It’s true, our form has been going down lately, but we can count on a strong club, a competitive squad and a coach who is very capable. We’ll emerge from it stronger.”

“Naturally there was a discussion after the game, which is normal after every match, whether we win or lose. It’s nothing to report” Marotta continued.

“The jeers from our fans is a show of love when things are not going well. We have to understand the mentality of those who come to the stadium and pay good money to do so. This is a difficult moment, there are a few problems and we can improve, but that can only happen if we let the tactics settle and above all find a winning mentality. Don’t forget, many of these players are young and have real room for improvement. It’s not as if we are aspiring to win the Scudetto this season, but we do have to qualify for the Champions League and in that sense we should believe more in our qualities. Fortunately, Spalletti knows how to handle these situations.”

Marotta then defended club captain Mauro Icardi stating that: “Icardi is a good lad and always gives his all. He too is young and can improve, so it doesn’t seem right to put the blame on him. When there are these crisis situations, everyone is to blame, if indeed you can talk about blame. I want to maintain an optimistic vision and believe we can go into these final weeks of the season in the best possible way. We do have to become more consistent.”

“Nainggolan had some difficulties settling in, accompanied by performances that are not in keeping with what he has shown in recent years. He can and must do more, but the player is the first to be aware of that situation. He is working with Spalletti behind the scenes, I am sure his professionalism will come to the fore and Radja will put in strong performances.”