APPIANO GENTILE - "On a personal level it's always nice to go back to Roma. I was lucky enough to coach them but that's all in the past and now we have to look ahead. It's an important match for us, but it is for the Giallorossi, too. They are a team who attack and attack well, create many scoring opportunities, but also give many away. We'll have to be sharp and take advantage of those." Claudio Ranieri is going back to the capital for the first time as Inter coach, and, during the pre-match conference, he analysed the Nerazzurri situation at this point in time.
"You can't expect to win every match," explained Ranieri referring to the defeats against Napoli and Lecce and the draw with Palermo, "and that's a fact. We must keep on working and get back onto the path we were on as soon as possible. Am I worried? I can't be because I never expect things to be easy. We have a lot of work to do; I'm not worried, I'm focussed."
Ranieri spoke of how he expected Roma to play: "They are a team with a different mentality than the other Italian teams: they attack a lot, keep possession not just horizontally but vertically too, with a Barcelona-style philosophy. I also think the club made an excellent move by bringing in Luis Enrique: he has shown he can win the players over and he's doing well and will do even better next year. Will the loser of this match be out of the Champions League zone? I don't know. It's been such a strange championship this season as when it started everything seemed difficult and now anything can happen. I don't think this match will influence things so much."
He spoke of the match, which
had originally been scheduled for tomorrow evening, being brought
forward to 15:00, on account of the bad weather: "I read some
ideas in the papers about how we could make changes to avoid such a
long season and having to play in freezing conditions. Reducing the
number of teams in the league would be an important first move, then
as a nation we are not used to living with snow. Of course seeing
empty stadiums even when it isn't only related to cold or snow isn't
great either, because players like to play in front of crowded
stands."
In the squad list for the match Wesley Sneijder's name does not appear: "All the tests came up negative, which is good news, because I was really worried. He won't be playing tomorrow but I hope to have him back for Inter v Novara." There are only 4 midfielders available: "That's what we have got and that's what we are taking to Rome. I preferred to leave Crisetig to play for the Primavera team." Without Sneijder will mean 4-4-2, Ranieri neither confirms nor denies it: "It is you who say I'm reverting to that formation, not me."
Ricardo Alavrez won't be with the team in Rome either: "He picked up a knock to his knee," explained the Nerazzurri coach, "it began to swell up, but I don't think it's serious. He should be available for Novara too."
This will be the second call-up for new signing Angelo Palombo: "He has settled in really well, he was able to read the play, and got free when we had the ball and was able to spread it around well."
Goals galore and a revival for Diego Milito: "As a coach I never feel positive aspects first, but rather negative ones. With Diego, I kept my trust in a champion who was nearly there, he was always in position, working hard, but the ball just wouldn't go in, however as long as I see a positive person, I'll always play them. This is a victory for him, for his family and for him as a champion."
He went on to talk about Forlan making a comeback to the team ("he's just the same as always. You'd need to chain him down to stop him because he always wants to get back playing") and about new signing Fredy Guarin: "It's something we'll have to see day by day, doctors and physiotherapists are beginning to get to grips with the injury. They'll decide what's best, but I'm not in a position to say when yet."
Finally, thinking back to Roma again, Ranieri was asked how he could summarise his Roma experience in a photograph: "I only have one photo in my mind anf that's of the Curva Sud, that's the one I would choose. Francesco Totti? As long as there are standard-bearers like him, like Zanetti and Del Piero, football will be great. Totti has been scoring a lot recently as well...let's just hope he doesn't tomorrow."
