Inter coach Antonio Conte discussed the Nerazzurri’s 4-0 win over Genoa to the gathered reporters in the official post match press conference tonight, with Italian media outlet FcInterNews in attendance.
“The problem of looking at the other teams is not a problem. We have to be realistic and look at ourselves first and be happy with what we have managed to do today. Forty-two points, if someone had predicted that to me at the start of the season, I would have had difficulty saying that we would have managed to because of the difficulty of the league.”
“But we reached this with important problems that shouldn’t be forgotten. I congratulate the guys because we’ve grown up with these problems, some have taken on even more responsibility and raised their level and I’ve always said that you have to grow to raise your level. This growth has come about through work, and this work brings us to today’s results and to an important path.”
He refused to entertain the idea that forward Matteo Politano didn’t play today because he will be sent away from the club in the upcoming January transfer window.
“I knew nothing of the rumours, I make technical choices. Politano played in Florence and Barcelona, today I played Esposito because he has more specific characteristics and I think he did well.”
The 50-year-old Italian coach then touched on the performance of striker Romelu Lukaku, who scored two goals, provided an assist and gave the penalty to Esposito.
“Only in a positive sense, we’re talking about a team that has very high human values. I always ask the players to put ‘we’ before ‘I’ and Romelu today proved to be a great man. He’s the penalty taker, then everything went well and we’re happy.”
“However, if we are here to talk about 42 points, it is because there is an improvement in human values for us. I would like to see this in the squad, now Sebastiano has to come back with his feet on the ground. He had a great game, but it’s just a game, the team must keep fighting until the end.”
Finally, Conte discussed the team’s mental focus.
“When I talk about big problems that the league position has hidden, I mean the fact that all the members of the team have taken responsibility.”
“For example, Borja Valero, who has always been a very serious professional and today is reaping the rewards. Others seeing lack of playing time, would have given up.”
“We must work on this basis. I also want to stress that Federico Dimarco has given his best. We have 42 points for that too.”