Former Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia feels that the Nerazzurri are heading in an overall positive direction under coach Simone Inzaghi, even if the failure in the Serie A title race was a major disappointment.
Speaking to Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, the 35-year-old gave his thoughts on the current Inter coach, who has been coming in for some criticism recently due to the team’s form.
Ranocchia spent his final season at Inter playing under Inzaghi.
Whilst the team did win the Supercoppa Italiana and the Coppa Italia, with Ranocchia instrumental in the latter due to his late equalizer against Empoli in the round of sixteen, they were disappointed to miss out on the Serie A title on the last day of the season to AC Milan.
Of his final season at the club, Ranocchia said that “I was gutted because we didn’t win the title again, it would’ve been our twentieth Scudetto and it would have had a special meaning.”
“But we won the Supercoppa as well as the Coppa Italia,” he noted, “I left with two trophies anyway and that’s fine,”
“I’m happy with how things went,” the 35-year-old said.
“I really enjoyed the final send-off that San Siro gave me,” Ranocchia said, “it was very emotional, perhaps one of the most emotional moments of my career.”
“I’m happy with how things ended at Inter.”
Of Inzaghi’s work, Ranocchia said that “Inter are still a strong team capable of winning trophies.”
“Now they’re in the semifinals of the Coppa Italia, and the quarterfinals of the Champions League.”
“Of course, you always expect Inter to be able to win the title, or in any event to at least be in it towards the end in every competition,” Ranocchia added.
“But this season it’s understandable that no one is close to Napoli, they’re in a league of their own,” the former defender added.
“Credit must be given to the team who are leading the way,” he said.
Ranocchia argued that “Inzaghi’s had Inter on an excellent path, what can anyone tell him?”
“Beyond the fact that the league is gone, I have to repeat that they’re still in the running in all the other competition.”
“It will be a matter to be dealt with at the end of the season, not after every win or loss,” Ranocchia suggested of Inzaghi’s work and the coach’s future.