stefano pioli

Last match of the year and also a good opportunity to greet all the journalists a merry Christmas. This is what Inter coach Stefano Pioli had to say earlier today at Appiano Gentile:

What comments do you have on the words from Jovetic’s agent that it’s the players who decide? “There has already been to much talk about that, I can only say that I call up the players that are in the best physical and mental form.”

Will you make any changes tomorrow? “We have some balance that has to be respected, there are some important players missing but we have other strong players, a competitive sqaud and we are well prepared.”

How come you still believe in the 3rd place? “We face a rival that are doing well, they are in front of us in the standings and every opportunity that allows us to gain points will be incredibly important. There will be other big games and I think there is still room for improvement but now we just want to do well.”

Will Lazio stay at the top in the long run? “I think so, because they don’t have the cups. History tells us that they have one bad year followed by a good year. This is a good year and they will be a tough opponent.”

Any good memories from your time with Lazio? “For sure we are talking about two intense years, a great experience, but I only concentrate on the game tomorrow. The past is the past, the present is a great present.”

A year ago at this time, you had just beat Inter that was first in the standings, then everything went south. What happened that year? “I can only think at where I am today, trying to improve this situation, sacrificing ourselves in order to get the results we want.”

Will individual quality be of importance tomorrow? “Quality is important, but we have to have a precise idea, attack and defend as a team. But without individual performances few teams can win games.”

What is still missing in the group, what does Inter need? “Tomorrow’s game is too important to talk about anything else, we have clear ideas of what we want to do, but we have to see if there are any restrictions due to FIFA Financial rules. We will be ready for the mercato though.

Is the result the only thing that matters tomorrow? “Of course, now we don’t care about if we play beautiful or not. We only care about the standings. Confidence comes from good results and this is what counts.”

Kondogbia doesn’t seem to be able to do deliver, is that the case? “I see him confident and eager, this is what counts.”

Felipe Melo is suspended for two games, have you talked to him in order to understand what happened? “I found out last night, I will see him today and then I’ll ask for a explanation. We’ll see how the club will react.”

How much do you miss Medel, when will we see him again? “He’s important, I trust his qualities a lot. But I have a roster that can cover for him. But I hope he can return as soon as possible. Maybe he will recuperate during the Christmas break but we still don’t know if he’ll be back against Udine.”

Where can you improve the most, in attack or in defence? “The major part of the games tells us that the offensive phase has been good, we can still be better taking advantage of our chances, but I have a message: If we don’t concede any goals we have the possibility to win.”