APPIANO GENTILE – Captain Javier Zanetti gave an exclusive interview on Sky Sport 24, as he spoke about his Inter and the difficult time they are going through at the moment.
Read the complete interview with the captain on inter.it.
Following this bad period, have you had enough time to speak together and work out what is happening?
"Yes we've spoken about it among ourselves and with the coach. We all want to turn this situation around and get rid of these negative aspects. We realise we are going through a bad spell, but we want to stand together and overcome it so we can concentrate on the Champions League match."
How do you explain this series of bad results?
"I think that apart from the Roma game, where we just weren't on the pitch, the other matches could have finished differently. We performed quite well but lost matches which made us suffer, not just for our position in the league but it affected our confidence and now we have to pick ourselves up, and get back onto the path we were on before. There's still a long way to go in the league and we are obliged to do our utmost until the very end."
After so many victories and an unforgettable past hard times have arrived.
"That's life: you always try to solve problems at difficult times like these. We are responsible people and we understand only too well what's going on. There is a general will to find a way of solving the problem. We are talking about the past which will never be cancelled and what this team has achieved over the past seven years is something that not just any team could have done and it won't be forgotten. But that doesn't mean we are living in the past, because we won the Coppa Italia, which was our fifteenth trophy on this remarkable run. That's what Inter is all about. This year we have all been going through a difficult period and many different issues have contributed to this. However we still feel the urge to pick ourselves up and get back to being the best once again."
Did selling Thiago Motta cause a rift in this historic group which won everything?
"I wouldn't call it a rift. It was a personal decision. Decisions like this are always made by two people and I think the club tried to convince Thiago to stay here but he preferred to move on to a team with other ambitions. His decision must be respected, but there's no doubt that he was a key player for us."
How did the Inter captain feel when after José Mourinho's departure, another four coaches succeeded to the Inter bench? Did he feel that confidence in a project was missing?
"After Mourinho, who had decided to leave of his own accord, came Benitez. And after encountering a few problems with him we won the Italian Super Cup and the Club World Cup, then he made some statements which indicated his intention to leave. Leonardo came next and with the enthusiasm he generated we made an amazing comeback but, unfortunately we only came second. He decided to leave too. The coach who was sacked was Gasperini, but unfortunately in the short time he was here we didn't manage to work out what he meant to do with the group and the first negative results started to arrive. Then the decision to change was taken and Ranieri arrived, with all of his experience and ability; he's an intelligent coach. After a few initial difficulties, came a string of good results which gave us new belief in a great comeback, but then things changed again. I think it's all just part of this strange year, a particular season where we might solve some problems, but that doesn't mean that others might not appear before the end. We have to take it like that and try to make as few mistakes as possible and to get the very best out of Inter. Then we'll weigh things up and, if after seven years of victories, this has been the first problem, I'm sure president Moratti will strengthen this team even more and will want to win even more."
This is the first time in seven years that the title or league positions haven't been mentioned: Inter must take each match as it comes.
"Yes we have to live from day to day because I believe it's the only way we can achieve anything. As for the Champions League, we have an important match ahead of us and then we'll get back to fighting in the league where there are quite a few teams jostling for the third place and we hope to be among them."
It is being said that the Champions League tie in Marseille will be decisive for Claudio Ranieri's future.
"It will be for all of us, not just for him because the coach is in this situation with the rest of us. The most important thing that we all want is to get back on track. We are all well aware of what's going on."
Did you expect to be contested by the Meazza?
"I was a bit surprised but it's part of the job. We all try to give 100%, sometimes we manage it, sometimes we don't, but when we step onto the pitch each one of us is aware of the responsibility we have and we try to do everything we can for the team. There are fans who understand the difficulty of the moment and maybe reason that after seven years of success you might have a less successful period, and there are others who wonder why we're in this situation. You have to respect the fans' reactions: like us, they want what's best for Inter and we're trying to offer the best and achieve the results that everyone wants."
We keep hearing that Inter have to move on from the old guard and rejuvenate the squad.
"I feel as if I'm the first person implicated in that because I've always taken responsibility for what happens and as a captain even more so. Nobody has gifted me anything in my career. The first thing I said to Ranieri when he arrived was, 'Coach, I'm here to give you a hand on the pitch, on the bench or in the stands because I want what's best for Inter.' If Inter feel I should be playing all the time, there must be a reason for it. I don't want gratitude because when we won things I was only doing my duty and the reward was the important victories that we obtained together. Everyone has their own way of judging things but I will always leave the pitch with my head held high because I will always give everything I have for Inter's benefit."
What Inter should we expect to see from now on?
"The first thing we must try to regain is the compactness and balance we had a month ago and take it from there. Our strength is in the group and we know that we need everyone at the moment and that everyone is important. Hopefully we'll be able to invert this trend."
What do you think about all the criticism that has been fired off at Inter recently?
"I think that at the moment it's normal for everyone to think that Inter are finished, but we're only thinking about ourselves and we'll let the others talk. We must focus solely on what we have to do on the pitch. There's been lots of criticism in the last few weeks but we realise that when Inter lose there's a lot of interest in saying bad things about Inter because we all know everyone. That's why we must look forward because Inter, as a club and for its history, is above all these things and if we look forward Inter will certainly be even stronger."
