Tomorrow night against Napoli, Inter will try to bounce back after a serie of disappointing results. This is what Stefano Pioli had to say at a press conference at Appiano Gentile:
How was the ritiro? “We have worked well, we have been focusing on the situations that have punished us lately. I have seen the right attitude in order to correct the mistakes previously made”.
Did you get an explanation? “Staying together like we did serves that purpose, to work and meet both on a collective level and an individual level. We have to find the continuity again as well as the spirit in order to start the game concentrated and attentive “.
Do you consider Inter being at an equal level with Napoli? “There is a huge gap between us in the standings, Napoli has had more continuity. It’s a team of great quality, well organized and well trained. They have worked on their project for years and has made a good job following the idea of the coach. We have been at a high level during long periods, now we have prove that we can play at the same level as our opponents”.
Do you consider these last five rounds to be the most important ones in order for you to remain at Inter? “They are important but my job here will be evaluated after the end of the season. Five games are a lot and our objective is to give everything we have to the end”.
In what mood are you in and can these last five games change your relationship with Inter? “In these six months with Inter, if I had to deny every false news, I would have called you a lot. I came here to concentrate on the job and that’s what we are doing. We are all responsible for the situation we are in and tomorrow we have a great opportunity to change that. Then we have another four games to show what we are made of”.
What do you expect from the boys? “The numbers Napoli can show speak for themselves, their offensive play is at the highest level. But we are not that far away. We are ready to take the pitch with a clear strategy and I want the team to do that with conviction and continuity”.
How do you feel? “Don’t you see I feel great? I didn’t have that much hair before I took the job. These situations come with the job, in such important environments it’s better to stay calm. Now we just have to prove what we are made of”.
Did you ever think about resigning after the Fiorentina game? With the management arriving, is there any tension? What do you expect from the meeting with him? “About the resignation, I have already given my answer to that. We have lost too much energy talking about my future, to build the future of Inter we have to build the present. The presence of the chairman just stimulates us, we will talk about our different situations but there will be time after the game”.
After Crotone you said “Good thing we have the derby”. After Fiorentina you said the same about Napoli? “I think that after a loss, the next game is an opportunity and the stronger the opponents is the more difficult but stimulating it is. It has to be a boost for the motivation. What people say about Pioli doesn’t mean that much, I continue on the road I have chosen. I try to improve with the players. At the end we will see where my work brought us”.
People talk about Oriali coming back, have such a character been missed? “I have always had the support I needed when it comes to performing my tasks”.
How will you stop Napoli? “We will try to play better, with ideas and intensity and with compactness that we have lacked in the last couple of games. Against Napoli it is important to stay close to them, if you give them space they will punish you”.
In games that mean a lot you have always tried to find different types of tactics. Will there be a new one tomorrow? “It’s normal to adjust the tactics depending on the results. Against Juventus we had one of our best performances. Every week I work on our different situations, I try to interrupt the plays from the opponents best players, we will continue to do that and therefore some positions could change”.
Do you fear the reactions from the San Siro crowd? “The fans have been great so far and have helped us a lot, they want what we want: that we give everything we have and that we try to win”.
Kondogbia and Gagliardini don’t cover the defence as much as before. Do you need another midfielder tomorrow? “The way we play depends on the work of the team. The defensive phase hasn’t been as effective as before becuase the team is working with less participation. We need to work better, especially tomorrow, and everybody has to participate, be organized and sacrifice themselves. I have two more practice sessions, then I chose what the team will be like”.
