Inter defender Francesco Acerbi feels that the team can still be a surprise packed in the Champions League and in Serie A this season.

Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport on his 35th birthday in an interview published in today’s print edition, via FCInterNews, Acerbi also gave his thoughts on the disappointment of Milan Skriniar’s decision to leave at the end of the season.

Acerbi has only been at Inter for a few months, but the 35-year-old has already become an important source of stability and reliability at the back for the Nerazzurri.

It is not clear whether the Italian will be signed permanently from Lazio when the season ends, but his form would suggest it’s a real possibility.

In the meantime, the 35-year-old should still have a role to play as the Nerazzurri look to play their cards domestically and in Europe.

“If we’re all fit and in form, we can be a surprise package,” Acerbi predicted for the Champions League.

“The group has faith,” he continued, “Porto are a tough, physical team, but we can beat them.”

“And then, if we reach the quarterfinals, anything can happen,” he noted, “it will depend on form, morale, luck.”

“Not to mention, we’re now getting to that point with Brozo and Lukaku back.”

Of the decision of Skriniar to leave for Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, Acerbi said that from the dressing room’s persepctive, “We all knew that PSG made him an offer, but he never said anything to us.”

“And we didn’t care much,” the 35-year-old added.

“We’ve always seen commitment from him, that’s what mattered to us.”

“Then at the end of the season we’ll be sad to see him go and it will be tough to replace him,” Acerbi went on, “top-class young defenders are hard to find and when you do they’re not cheap, look at Scalvini.”

Asked whether he expects that he’ll be an Inter player for the start of next season, Acerbi said that “I don’t know, that’s the truth.”

“I’d like to stay,” the defender continued, “I’m doing well here.”

“One thing I know for sure is that I won’t still be unsure about my future when I get to August.”

“By July I want to know where I’ll be playing,” he added.

“I hope the clubs find a solution as soon as possible so I can be signed permanently,” he added, “I’m 35 years old, but I’m in good condition physically and mentally.”

Asked what the best qualities of coach Simone Inzaghi are, Acerbi replied that “He’s intelligent, kind, empathetic, always positive.”

He called the coach “A profound connoisseur of football, he knows every player in the world – it’s incredible!”

Asked which Nerazzurri striker is the toughest to mark in training, Acerbi said that “It’s a pleasure to have Lautaro as a teammate, he’s impressed me with how he fights for everything on the pitch.”

“If Lukaku is fit, he’s devastating, he can’t be marked,” the 35-year-old continued.

“Edin has an elegance that’s unusual to see, he can find the solution to unlock a match 2-3 times per game.”

“And then there’s Correa, who’s struggling for fitness, but he still has just as much quality as the others,” he added.

Asked why he thinks Inter’s form has been excellent in head-to-head matches with top teams but subpar against “smaller” ones since the winter break, Acerbi reflected that “Let’s take Empoli as an example – you subconsciously think you can win it, but sometimes it’s not enough.”

“And then maybe something unexpected happens,” he added.

“In ‘one-off’ matches there’s a different motivation, but we should always have that hunger.”

“If we show the right ruthlessness, we win,” Acerbi added. “I have no doubt about that.”

“Sometimes, however, we’ve lacked a bit of bite.”