Former Lazio midfielder Marco Parolo believes that Inter coach Simone Inzaghi is a manager who can rise to big occasions and guide his teams through important matches well.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, the 36-year-old gave some insight into working with the former Lazio boss based on their time spent together in the Italian capital.
While coaching Lazio, Inzaghi brought in three trophies in the form of a Coppa Italia title as well as two Supercoppa Italiana trophies.
In addition to these, the Italian tactician often saw his Biancocelesti side thrive against the strongest opposition in the league, including guiding the team to Champions League qualification in his penultimate season on the back of some significant results.
Parolo believes that the manager had a special way of approaching the most important games, which he anticipates will serve the Nerazzurri well as they face Juventus this evening.
Of big games under Inzaghi at Lazio he said, “Before these matches we perceived a change of attitude. Absurdly, it is even more instinctive, it lets itself be guided by sensations, by thoughts.”
“And it is good,” he went on, “because this is where the coach gives his best, he is able to impact the players and drag them. It’s something he has inside – pay attention to it, his teams are unlikely to fail to perform in big matches. Maybe it happens in other matches which appear simpler.”
Of the coach’s approach prior to the 2017 Supercoppa Italiana final where the Biancocelesti defeated Juventus he stated, “Here, you can see everything about Inzaghi, the relationship with the players, the feeling he knows how to create.”
“Before that game I came back from an injury,” he went on, “any other coach would have left me out. But he had decided I had to play and so it was. He did the same with Jordan Lukaku: he had recently returned, he was not in condition, he made the winning bet.”
And on whether to expect surprise moves against the Bianconeri he stated, “Maybe not in players. But every now and then an invention comes out. Of the type that the fan does not even notice, maybe just a player moved into a different area to receive the ball. But then it is a move that turns out to be decisive.”
