MILAN – It was a good start for Andrea Stramaccioni and his Inter who, against Genoa, earned the three points that had been missing at the Stadio Meazza since 22 January. The Nerazzurri coach explained to Sky Sport Italia: "I think the main thing is that Inter won. It sounds trivial and obvious, but it was what we were working for all week. And then the fact that it came in such a cracking manner... The president had told me that he wanted to be entertained and at the end of the match when he was in the dressing room with us he was happy, as were we. I don't believe that you can lead a team in the Serie A without worrying about the result, but what we want now is to take it game by game, without making plans. For us, Inter v Genoa was played as if it were our final match. Starting Tuesday we'll start thinking about the future again."
Stramaccioni continued: "The thing that pleased me the most was to see an assertive Inter, especially in the first half when the match was going in a more linear way. I'm not surprised by the characteristics that these lads have. I liked the first half. Shame about Genoa's last minute goal; that's what got them back into the game."
There was no transformation into a psychologist for Stramaccioni, because as he himself explained: "I only put onto the pitch what I knew how to do, and then I think it was a victory for the team: from Julio Cesar, who did everything to be there today, to Chivu, who played on the left, to Cambiasso and Stankovic and also Guarin. In my opinion, the win belongs to everyone."
Diego Forlan was once again played out of position and Stramaccioni attempted to explain: "I spoke with him and I think he has quality. He arrived at Inter to complete a department. He's made history in European football as well as with his national team and in my opinion he needs to do well. We played him in a central position and I think the build-up to the first goal came out of his understanding with his other two team-mates." On the midfield: "I think it's gifted with elements of different characteristics and I had imagined being able to make changes. Stankovic was the playmaker, then in the second half he was getting a bit overrun, so I made a change with Guarin and Obi."
In the pre-match president Massimo Moratti had declared that if "Stramaccioni does well until the end of the season, he would solve a lot of problems." The Inter coach responded with certainty that "doing well for me means that we'll have played a better game in Cagliari. The president has given me an amazing opportunity and if he's given it to me it's just because he's seen these six months and what I did with the Primavera team. The victory belongs to all these lads. I don't have a magic wand. The president's words give me confidence, but we'll take it game by game."
Stramaccioni still does not know the Milanese dialect well, but the referee today was from Rome and he was able to tell him in his own dialect: "What luck. My first match in the Serie A and I get three penalties whistled against me..."
Speaking to Mediaset Premium, Stramaccioni stressed that: "It was important to see an assertive Inter, which is what we saw most of all in the first half with the quality of our forwards. This recipe is not to reason with standings and promises, but to work hard match by match and, starting Tuesday, thinking about Cagliari. Contrary to what is being said, coming from the youth sector, I've found a united Inter, a big family, with the president and his son who celebrated with us. It was only Inter v Genoa, but it was important, so therefore it was lovely. I don't remember seeing any great play from Genoa. A shot from Sculli in the second half. Then we suffered on dead-ball situations and 3 penalties awarded against us."
