Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi felt that the reason that he turned to Raoul Bellanova as a substitute against Empoli rather than Denzel Dumfries was because the latter is not yet back at full fitness.
Speaking in a press conference after the match, as reported by FCInterNews, the coach explained his reasoning for substituting on the 22-year-old at the start of the second half.
Inzaghi had to turn to his bench and react after his team found themselves at a numerical disadvantage against Empoli thanks to a first half red card picked up by defender Milan Skriniar.
The coach decided to add defensive reinforcement, with Matteo Darmian shifting into Skriniar’s usual spot at the right side of the back three, whilst Bellanova took Darmian’s place on the right flank.
The fact that it was the 22-year-old who was entrusted to take over from Darmian on the right rather than the more experienced Dumfries may have raised a few eyebrows.
However, as far as Inzaghi is concerned, he chose the player who was most ready to play in the situation, and his decision was as simple as that.
“He’s working to get back to the same level as his teammates,” the coach said of the Dutchman, “he’s been working in the best way possible, but this evening I decided to bring on Bellanova who has looked excellent in training.”
“The times that I’ve brought him in the past, he’s always given me a good reaction,” Inzaghi said of Bellanova, “today he struggled playing one wrong pass.”
The coach also made clear that “Dumfries will be available on Sunday.”
“I made the most appropriate choice with the starting lineup,” he continued, “and I’m convinced that it was the right one.”
“With Dzeko and Lukaku on the bench I could have changed things up with half an hour to go,” he continued, “I’m sorry about the goal we conceded which came from pushing too hard to win.”
“In my opinion, we played the match in the right way tactically speaking,” the coach argued, “it wasn’t our best night though.”
“A sending off from a second yellow in the first half has never happened to me in seven years of coach, that’s why I remove players who are on yellow cards,” he added.
