Inter’s treble-winning goalkeeper Julio Cesar believes the Nerazzurri have the strongest defence in Italy this season.
Diego Godin has joined a back-line which already included Stefan de Vrij and Milan Skriniar, with Samir Handanovic appearing to get better and better as he moves into his mid-30s.
Cesar talked up Antonio Conte’s new-look back three before backing the Italian to drive Inter onto success.
“Godin, De Vrij, Skriniar and Handanovic are such important players for this team, and they’re reference points for everyone else too,” the former goalkeeper told Gazzetta dello Sport today.
“If the players are determined to follow Conte’s lead this year then Inter supporters will enjoy themselves. Antonio is very fired up and that can only be a good thing.
“It’s impossible not to have the right level of motivation as a player when he’s in charge. I hope he can win the squad over with his ideas and strike up a good working relationship, so they can take Inter back where they belong at the top.”
The Brazilian said he was confident Inter could challenge Juventus for the Scudetto this season, despite the large gap in points that needs to be closed.
“Inter will always merit respect from the others for what they’ve done in the last 15 years,” Cesar continued.
“If they start well they can compete to win the Scudetto immediately and do well in all their other competitions. The conditions to succeed are there.”
Cesar was unwilling to draw comparisons between the current Inter team and his treble-winning side, but he reminded supporters that you can sometimes turn things around after starting a season poorly.
“I remember that season began with a defeat in the Supercoppa, and then we ended up winning everything,” he concluded.
“This shows you that even when things start badly they can end in the best manner possible. The important thing is to keep believing and work well.”