Inter striker Romelu Lukaku insists that the club are targeting silverware in all competitions this season, as they prepare to face runaway Serie A leaders Napoli on Wednesday.
The Nerazzurri take on Luciano Spalletti’s unbeaten side at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza as they attempt to cut the deficit to eight points, with Lukaku set to face off against the Partenopei’s striker Victor Osimhen.
In a lengthy interview broadcasted by Italian television channel Sky Sport Italia today, and as reported by FCInterNews.it, the Belgium international warned that the Nerazzurri had not given up hope of winning the league, but were anticipating a tough encounter.
“Until a team has lifted a trophy everything is possible in football, we play for that. We’ll see at the end of the season, whoever lifts the trophy is champion. For now we’re still there, the season ends in June and we’ll only see then,” the Chelsea loanee declared.
“Napoli have a really strong coach, they are doing a great job, they have a lot of great players. They are in a good moment, they have Osimhen who scores a lot of goals, (Khvicha) Kvaratskhelia who is very strong.
“He (Osimhen) is really strong, he is the best now. We have to be honest, he’s doing really well and Napoli are first in the table. We have respect but not fear.”
Lukaku also addressed his personal experience of returning from injury in October and the backing of Inter supporters, despite angering many when leaving for Chelsea in 2021.
“It was a serious injury, much more than expected, it was to the flexor tendon. I am usually one who recovers quickly, but I always had this feeling that things were not going well.
“It was the first time in 13 years that I had been out for so long. My house is like a hospital, I have everything to recover quickly. This time I couldn’t, I played one game at the World Cup with two training sessions in four months.
“Then I rested and started from there. In these 10 days I’ve been rightly slaughtered, now I’m really eager to get back on the pitch. Let’s wait for the pitch and see.
“The return at San Siro was a strong emotion, but also when I came back in the Champions League against Plzen, I saw how everyone cheered for my goal. It was a really beautiful moment, I saw the love of the fans who are really special, the best in the world.
“Even if we are in trouble they always support us. I thought they were still angry with me. I spoke with the directors, I told them the truth about why I left. I hope to stay also in the future, for me Inter means everything.
“Before I always scored a lot of goals but that piece was missing to be a great player, Inter allowed me to become one even if obviously I’m still not at the top. The Inter fans will always remain in my heart but the story is not over yet, we hope to win a few more trophies at this club.”
Lukaku excelled under former Inter coach Antonio Conte, but has had little opportunity to impress under incumbent Simone Inzaghi due to injury, though the striker was full of praise for the tactician.
“He knows how to stimulate the players, he has found a way to awaken the lion inside me. He always provokes me and triggers a reaction, there’s a great feeling on a personal level. We have a great relationship between coach and player,” Lukaku continued.
“As I told him, my brother worked under him for many years at Lazio and he always got on very well with him. Last year we spoke a lot, then I left.
“But it applies to the whole team, there’s not just the relationship between Romelu and the coach. There’s the one between Inzaghi and all the players. We want to do well for this club and for the fans. We want to do well in the next six months and we are working towards that.”
The striker was also impressed with the work of former Arsenal and Juventus forward Thierry Henry in his capacity as Belgium assistant coach, and tipped him for the top job in the future.
“In my opinion he will be the next coach of the national team, he is someone who knows how to coach, he knows what we have to do.
“For me the new Belgium coach is him, though I don’t know who they will get, but I believe we don’t have to start from scratch. We haven’t won, but we have to keep trying. He wants to win, I don’t think the national team wants to take someone who wants to start from scratch. For me it’s not worth it.”
Lukaku has made 104 appearances for the Belgian national team, netting 68 goals to become his country’s all-time top scorer.
