MILAN - "My job at Inter has changed; I have more responsibility now. It's up to me to ensure that we finish the season strongly, taking each game as it comes." That's how Andrea Stramaccioni sees his Inter: taking each day as it comes. The Nerazzurri coach was speaking at the official opening of the 13th edition of the Milan Football Festival youth tournament this evening. Julio Cesar, Dejan Stankovic, Wesley Sneijder, Samuele Longo, Lorenzo Crisetig and Alfred Duncan were also present, along with the NextGen Series trophy.
It was the day after winning the NextGen Series that Massimo Moratti plucked Stramaccioni from the Nerazzurri Primavera and handed him the reins of the first team. And after last weekend's win over Genoa the president said his new coach was "never dull". "Moratti has shown a lot of faith in me and given me this wonderful opportunity to take charge of the first team," Stramaccioni said. "I made sure I was prepared and I'm doing what he expects of me. I'm trying to do the best I can."
The coach was quizzed on his team selection for Cagliari v Inter. Might Guarin start? Stramaccioni was giving nothing away: "Fredy is an important player for Inter and I have several important midfielders. He has his own qualities. He gives his all every day and he'll do that till the end."
The Nerazzurri coach was equally coy about his own future: "Will I stay if I can clinch third place? That's a question you'd have to put to Moratti. I'm focused on Cagliari."
Finally, there was a question about whether Mario Balotelli might return to Inter: "All I know," he smiled, "is that everyone has a very good chance of seeing me in the Inter dugout in Trieste."
