Former Inter midfielder Youri Djorkaeff has backed the Nerazzurri to secure a third-place finish in Serie A as the season enters its final month.
Inter face Roma on Saturday in what could be a decisive match in the race for Champions League qualification, with Luciano Spalletti’s side holding a six-point lead over the Giallorossi in fifth.
Djorkaeff admitted he was surprised to see Inter so far behind Juventus in the table but assured they would have no trouble rubber-stamping their place in the top four.
“I can see a team which is ready for the final sprint and the match against Roma could give them the last push they need,” he told Gazzetta.it.
“I would never have expected Inter to be 24 points behind Juventus at this stage of the season. The team I saw in the Champions League group stages made me think they could do better than that.
“If you think about it though it’s clear that Inter aren’t quite at that level yet: they don’t have the consistency you need to challenge Juventus.
“Inter are trying to recreate something which is similar to what they had under Jose Mourinho, but when Massimo Moratti sold the club they lost a piece of their history, so it takes time to rebuild.”
Djorkaeff spent three seasons with Inter in the 1990s and scored one of the club’s most famous ever goals against Roma in 1997, pulling off a spectacular overhead kick to secure a 2-0 win.
“I was so confident that day it just seemed natural to get my legs up and try it,” Djorkaeff remembered.
“If I think back to that goal now, the first thing I remember is the amazing feeling of freedom that my teammates, the club and the fans gave me.
“I would never have imagined that fans would still be stopping me 20 years later to ask about that goal.
“That goal didn’t belong to me, though, it belonged to all Interisti. I’ve always said that goal symbolises Inter: instinct and courage.”
