Inter striker Edin Dzeko knew that he and the other players brought on in the second half of yesterday’s Serie A clash had to make a real impact and have an intense attitude.
Speaking to Inter TV after the match, the Bosnian spoke about having approached the task of coming on with the team trailing by a goal and not playing at their best with a strong desire to turn things around.
Dzeko was brought in during the second half alongside teammates Arturo Vidal, Matteo Darmian, and Federico Dimarco, with coach Simone Inzaghi looking to drastically change the fortunes of his team.
The Nerazzurri had struggled to get a foothold for much of the game, with Alessio Dionisi’s Neroverdi team well worth their one-goal advantage, but the introduction of Dzeko and his teammates swung the match decisively in Inter’s favour.
As Dzeko explained, the mentality of he and the other substitutes played a key role in this turnaround.
“The coach always tells us that we can’t all play,” the Bosnian reflected, “we have many strong players. Even when you come on as a substitute you have to give everything and today we have done just that, the game was important.”
He continued on his haul of six goals in seven games for Inter, “It’s nice, but Inter signed me for this. I know I can still give a lot, it’s my job and I try to give my best even when I come on as a substitute.
“You always have to help the team.”
Asked what coach Inaghi told the substitutes before they went onto the pitch, he stated, “I think nothing. He didn’t tell us anything.
“But the coach always tells us that whoever is on the bench is as important as whoever plays from the first minute. When we entered I told Vidal that we had to go in and kick a** and we did it.”
Giving his overall reaction to the first portion of the season, Dzeko stated, “There were many matches, in the league we can be happy but in the Champions League we could have done more.
“We deserved this, but now we look forward. Now some will rest, others will not, then we will think of Lazio.”
