APPIANO GENTILE – Here is the second part of the exclusive interview Claudio Ranieri gave to Andrea Paventi for Sky Sport Italia.
Is it true that if you had been at Inter before, Samuel Eto'o probably wouldn't have left despite the megabucks offer from Anzhi?
"I don't know about that but I do think Eto'o respects me, because I wanted to sign him when he was still a nobody, before he became famous. I also wanted him when I was at Juventus – and he's the one who said that because otherwise I would never have said it – so I'm sure he remembers these things. I like to think that if I had arrived earlier he would still be here, but it's just something that's nice to think about."
What do you make of Wesley Sneijder? Do you really think he is the man who can change this team?
"I think that he and Diego Forlan will give us something extra but it will be difficult as well because without them we've managed to build a team here. It might not always be pretty but this side doesn't lie down easily, it fights for every ball and it's a close-knit group. Now we have a couple of players who can add a huge dose of quality. I'm convinced we can do it, I believe we can, but they also have to believe they can change this team for the better because otherwise we could end up shooting ourselves in the foot."
What will you ask the club for in January?
"I often talk about the transfer market with Marco Branco, with Piero Ausilio and with the president, so they know what ideas I have. We'll see what we can do but I don't like buying for buying's sake, that's something I'll never ask for."
So do you expect there to be smart signings or big signings in January?
"I don't want to speak for the president but I think what he is doing – investing in youth – is the right thing. There's a financial crisis, there's no point denying it, so it's important to make sure you don't make the wrong signings. Even if you don't make many, they have to be the right ones."
Do you think Inter have managed to create the conditions necessary to challenge for the title again?"No, not yet. We still have a lot to do. Inter must be higher up the table battling it out with AC Milan, Juventus and Udinese. When we're up there we'll see. We'll see in January if we can carry on from where we left off."
Do you think 2012 can be Inter's year?
"That's the challenge, to win games and to catch up with the sides ahead of us, to get Inter back among the protagonists again."
What is your wish for 2012 on a professional level?
"I would really like people to talk about Italian football for what goes on on the pitch, for the good things, for the difficulties Italian teams cause others on the international stage. I'd like footballing people to love this sport more – it's given us and it still gives us so much."
