Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi went a long way towards silencing his doubters with the manner of his team’s 1-0 win over Juventus yesterday evening.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who suggest that the coach feels clearly vindicated by the result and by how his team have dragged themselves back into Scudetto contention.
Inter had endured a torrid few weeks starting with the beginning of February, going into the international break with a black eye from having taken just seven points from seven matches in Serie A.
The coach was hardly immune to the criticism and doubts, with some questioning whether the former Lazio boss had the ruthlessness or the tactical versatility to keep the team’s imperious form from November and December going over a full season.
The Nerazurri did not play the way that they had during that eight-match winning run in order to beat the Bianconeri, but they found another way to get the job done.
Inter found themselves in a cauldron at a packed Allianz Stadium, and faced an opponent who pressed them in an aggressive and organized manner from the first minute.
The Nerazzurri had to fight for the result in a match that was scrappy at times, and they defended with their backs to the wall as the Bianconeri pushed for an equalizer.
However, Inzaghi expressed pride in the nature of the team’s display in his post-match interviews, beaming at the dogged and organized defending in tough circumstances and noting that they largely denied Juventus good chances.
Now, the rumours that the coach’s future could be in doubt even beyond the end of this season have been all but dispelled, and the Inzaghi will feel more like he belongs in his position more than ever.
