APPIANO GENTILE – Inter are about to return to league action after a break that some quarters have said was good for the team. In his press conference ahead of tomorrow's match against Fiorentina, Andrea Stramaccioni gave his own view on the matter: "I'd hardly define this break as a good thing given the reason behind it, but I can say that Inter have looked good on the pitch here in Appiano Gentile. Now we have to put that into practice on other pitches. We've prepared well and I've seen the right mix of enthusiasm and hard work. Another good sign is the fact that we have everyone working together again – although we still have to assess the fitness of one or two – and that everyone is looking determined. However, we know, I know it and I'm the least experienced of the lot, that all this now has to be transformed into something concrete on the playing field."
The break means Inter will have five games over the next fortnight and the coach was asked how it changes the way he works with the team. "It has influenced things a lot. Obviously it's the same for every team but it has influenced the way I think because you have much less time to work on the pitch. You get into a 'play match then recover' routine and that increases all the variables. That said, I'm also lucky because I have a full squad available - even Samuel is recovering at light speed - and so, with the weapons and tools I have to choose from, I'm in a good position going into these next two weeks."
Tomorrow at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, the Nerazzurri will be up against "a Fiorentina side having a decent spell, in a dangerous league position, coming off the back of two good performances – one extremely good performance against AC Milan, and another one that was solid at home against Palermo. They'll be motivated by Delio Rossi and by their desire to haul themselves out of the relegation battle, and they showed they have that at San Siro. It will also be difficult because of the ground we're playing at."After the trip to Florence Inter will travel to Udine: two games
that will help the Nerazzurri understand if it's still worth
believing in third place. "Two extremely difficult away games, for different
reasons and against different teams," explained Stramaccioni. "But I don't think tomorrow's result
will be decisive and I mean that even if we should win. Things are
tough in the league this year and we must look at one game at a
time because I think the season could be decided in the final 90
minutes. There are six games left and we've seen how the table looks
different after three games. We have more reason to believe now but we
must keep a low profile and work, work, work. I've asked the lads not
to say much on the outside: a low profile but with lots of desire to make
it."
