Inter midfielder Roberto Gagliardini discussed the Nerazzurri’s 7-0 friendly win over Pisa and the season opener against Fiorentina next weekend in an interview with Italian broadcaster InterTV after the game.
“We must be happy with the signs we saw from these friendlies, they are important for the match that next Saturday.”
The Italian highlighted the importance of playing friendlies in preparation for the start of the season.
“In these matches it is important to find good things. Surely it can be a positive thing to take advantage of our athletic conditions from the end of last season to start strong in the league.”
He also discussed how having some fans in the stadium was a pleasant change from the recent reality of playing behind closed doors.
“Having even just a thousand people at the stadium is a very nice feeling, it is pleasant to feel the closeness of the fans.”
Gagliardini commented on the upcoming Serie A season opener against Fiorentina next weekend. Former Nerazzurri midfielder Borja Valero recently signed for the Viola on a free transfer.
“Next Saturday we will start our season, we’ll face Fiorentina. It will be tough, we know how they play. It will be an important game immediately.”
Finally, the Inter midfielder touched on the squad as a whole ahead of the season opener.
“The squad is very good, Achraf Hakimi and Aleksandar Kolarov settled immediately while the others already knew the environment.”
The Nerazzurri finished a bitter one point behind rivals Juventus last season, showing how small the gap between the two sides really is.
Work in the off-season to strengthen the squad with veterans like Arturo Vidal and Aleksandar Kolarov will help coach Antonio Conte in his quest to win the Scudetto for the Nerazzurri, stopping Juventus from winning a record 10 consecutive league titles.