Former Inter goalkeeper Walter Zenga discussed Inter’s transfer market moves, the decision of Juventus to appoint former midfielder Andrea Pirlo as head coach and Nerazzurri coach Antonio Conte in an interview in yesterday’s paper edition of the Milano based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
“It will be a complicated season. It will restart after just ending, without normal preparations, with soft friendly matches and players still struggling with COVID.”
He commented on the Bianconeri’s choice to replace former Chelsea and Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri with the unproven Pirlo, who has no coaching experience.
“I was certainly not one of those who said ‘ah, what a scandal that he’ll coach Juve immediately. Who cares if he never coached, he’ll start. He will have someone to help him on the field, a team that will support him, the intellectual capacity to know how to manage situations. I would have liked to have done the same thing at Inter, but it didn’t happen.”
The Italian touched on how it’s important to know when to rest players, especially the older stars.
“I always tell my players, we have to be so good and lucky that we know when to let someone rest, to allow them a whole week of work. Technology helps, doctors and labs also, but the coach’s eye and his honest dialogue with the players are still the only things that work for sure. If Ronaldo will have to rest, Pirlo will be right to let him rest. And the same for Conte with Lukaku.”
Zenga didn’t think that it was now or never for Inter to win the Scudetto.
“Now or never no. But Conte has stayed, last season ended in a certain way, a certain kind of market is happening. Inter must play to win the Scudetto.”
The 60-year-old Italian had no doubts that Conte would remain the Nerazzurri coach, despite his outbursts in the media and issues with the club’s management last season.
“Never. Antonio’s outbursts are always targeted, but in a positive way. I feel like saying only one thing, he should tone it down a bit. The Inter fans follow him, there is great enthusiasm, he is on the right road to win. Even if he left, without the fans for Inter it will be a handicap even more than for the others.”
The former Nerazzurri goalkeeper touched on Inter’s decision to sign more experienced players like Aleksandar Kolarov and Arturo Vidal.
“So, the feeling is that they are doing it to win immediately, it is the year to win. Also, because there are other players, like Barella and Sensi, who have one more year of experience. I’ll add one thing, because I trained him, if I have Nainggolan, I’d keep him all my life.”
Finally, Zenga didn’t think that Inter’s midfield would be too packed full of talent should Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante arrive this transfer window.
“Do you see the Champions League final and the Bayern substitutions near the end? Perisic and Coutinho entered. The coach must be good to know how to rotate them, but if you aim high the player serves in every role.”