Inter captain Samir Handanovic is expecting that the team will have to show all of their quality to win tomorrow’s Coppa Italia final against Juventus.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of the match, as reported by FCInterNews, the 37-year-old emphasized the need to outplay, outwork, and outthink the Bianconeri if they are to lift the Coppa Italia trophy.
The Nerazzurri have played Juventus on three occasions so far this campaign, twice in the league and once in the Supercoppa Italiana, and have won twice and drawn once against this opposition.
However, they will be taking nothing for granted in this encounter with the Bianconeri, who have shown in all three matches that they can cause the Nerazzurri serious problems despite the final results.
Handanovic feels that Inter cannot leave anything to chance and must show that they can perform at the necessarily level to win against the Bianconeri in a high-pressure environment.
“We have to be better than them in every way,” he said. “Being better at one thing isn’t enough, as we’ve seen in the three other matches which have been balanced.”
“They played better in Turin, and we played better at home and in the Supercoppa,” he recalled. “I expect a close and balanced match.”
Of the importance of reaching the final, the captain said that “For us it’s a source of pride, we wanted to reach the final after so many years away and we succeeded.”
“We’ve played three games against Juve this year and they were all hard-fought battles,” he added, “focus and concentration will be needed. The details will decide the match.”
Of the Bianconeri’s most dangerous qualities, he said that “Their best feature is their transition, they wait high up the pitch to counterattack.”
“I want to see the team play as we always do,” Handanovic went on, “we have to play our football and put what we’ve have prepared during the week out on the pitch.”
“Training our way and then playing that way, that’s the essence of our season and how I see football,” he added.
Asked whether he thinks of the Coppa Italia or the Scudetto race against AC Milan as the greater challenge, Handanovic responded “Good question, I don’t know.”
“We’re certainly thinking about tomorrow,” he stressed, “for us the future is tomorrow and then we’ll see what happens.”
On the perceived lack of a decisive edge to the team, the Nerazzurri captain said that “Sometimes it happens to all teams, but usually it’s when you play a lot of games – in some you’re emotionally spent.”
“But you don’t do it consciously,” he added, “it happens when you play a lot. It’s easier to have the right approach for teams who only play once a week. That’s what I think.”
On the growth of the team over the past couple seasons, Handanovic said that “Many things have changed, owenrs and objectives.”
“To win you need to follow a path,” he emphasized. “These have been difficult years for Inter, somewhere Inter is not used to being. With everyone’s work, we’ve once again competed for trophies, where Inter should be.”
