Inter manager Antonio Conte has shared his belief that he and tonight’s opponents Sevilla are both deserving of their places in the Europa League final.
“For sure when you get to the final there was a certain type of path you had to take. Both us and Sevilla have had it in my opinion,” he revealed in an interview with Inter’s official club broadcaster Inter TV, ahead of the match, which is scheduled to kick off at 21:00 local time in Cologne, Germany.
“The Spaniards have beaten teams like Roma, Wolverhampton that I know quite well, then United, perhaps the real favourites for the tournament. Two teams have reached the final that I think they deserved, it will be a tough and important match.”
The 51-year-old former Italian national team boss then went on to discuss how his team will be coming into the match which will be a first final experience for many of the squad.
“We will get there in the right condition, the right knowledge, the right humility then, aware at the same time that we have increased self-esteem and awareness in our ability.”
Conte, who is in his first year in charge at Inter, then went on to share his thoughts and feelings on Sevilla, who have won the competition five times in their history, as a team.
“They are a typical Spanish team in that they prefer to dominate the game and possession. They have many players with great quality, it is logical to think that the moment you allow them to play at the tempo they prefer it becomes complicated since they are able to run, to make quick game changes.
“We will have to be good at playing the match at our tempo, not theirs.”
During his first campaign on the Inter bench, former Chelsea boss Conte has managed Inter in 52 games across all competitions, of which he has won 32, drawn 12 and lost eight.
