Inzaghi: “The victory over Napoli gave us great awareness, it was an Inter that was still getting to know each other”
To Gazzetta: «I leave the players free to decide. From the bench, with the public, it is possible to affect little. The game is a set of choices “
Db Genoa 12/09/2021 – Serie A football championship / Sampdoria-Inter / photo Daniele Buffa / Image Sport in the photo: Simone Inzaghi
La Gazzetta dello Sport interviews Simone Inzaghi, Inter coach of Serie A leaders.
«I was calm even in October, even when we were far from the summit. I met the fans around Milan, they told me that they liked the team, that they liked to go to the stadium. And this is the most important compliment for a technician. This thing gave me an extra boost. Indeed, he gave us, to me and my staff. I’ll say more: we had already believed in it since July, from the day of the first training session. Now it is convenient for many to say that we are the favorites, that we are a battleship. But I already knew then that we could do well ».
An important role in the climb was the victory against Napoli. Inzaghi says it has added great awareness.
«Great awareness, it was a game we had to win and I also liked how we won it. That was an Inter Milan that was still getting to know each other. But from what I saw in training, even if it ended 3-3 it wouldn’t have changed much. The road was drawn ».
For the scudetto race he fears Milan and Naples, but also Juventus and Atalanta.
«Milan and Napoli are the ones that have changed the least. Napoli did not give up a big one, Milan replaced well. But in the Scudetto race I also put Atalanta and Juve inside. The bianconeri have lost points, they are further behind than we expected. But they are coming back, they have won six of the last eight: Juve are an opponent to be taken into consideration ».
Several Inter players praise Inzaghi for giving them more freedom than Conte. The technician explains:
«Today’s football is above all the occupation of space. So by freedom I mean this: I leave the players free to decide, to choose the moment. Also because from the bench, especially now that the public has returned, it is not possible to affect that much. You can organize the defensive and offensive phases, we take care of it a lot with videos and ad hoc sessions. But then the decisions are made by the players, in three seconds of the game they must understand and act competently. The match is a set of choices: the best ones are made by the strongest teams, those who win the trophies ».
The player who most surprised, among the Nerazzurri, was Ranocchia.
«If I have to say a name, I answer Frog. Without De Vrij, against Napoli and Shakhtar in two matches that we had to win, he gave me fried food, playing as a real Interista. But it is a discourse that also concerns others. Training
Gagliardini I understood why he found so much space with Spalletti first and then with Conte. When I turn around on the bench, I can choose with my eyes closed ».
