MILAN – "We're in for an extremely difficult game tomorrow but we've prepared for it with great attention to detail, making the most of the break and without getting distracted by games such as today's," said Inter chief executive Marco Fassone, a guest on Rai2's Stadio Sprint programme on Saturday evening.
"Andrea Stramaccioni and the players are, and have been, 100% focused on tomorrow's match, only afterwards will we think about the other games on the horizon," the managing director continued, before speaking specifically about the Nerazzurri coach: "I haven't known Stramaccioni for very long but I'm getting to know him now and I appreciate him more and more. I think in many ways he's a mirror of this Inter team, which is growing as it's rejuvenated. He's still a young coach so he might lack a bit of experience but he prepares for games very accurately, intelligently, carefully. He's created an wonderful atmosphere here and we wish him every success."
Fassone was asked to comment on Antonio Cassano's exclusion from the latest Italy squad: "It's hard to get inside the head of Cesare Prandelli and know the reasons behind his decisions, but what we have here is Antonio in a very positive moment. He's doing well on and off the pitch. I know he's a little disappointed, but from a selfish point of view at least he was able to remain with us and train well, so that he can keep doing all the good things he's shown us so far."
Moving from the pitch to the office, how important is a marketing man at a football club? How much is he influenced by results on the pitch? "A football club is a very peculiar entity, you can have the best marketing man around but if you're not getting results... It's a fairly recent figure here; in other countries it's quite normal for there to be more intense managerial activity. In the future I think more and more managerial figures will come in from outside the world of football."Inter's chief executive, having seen images of Juventus v Napoli and Lazio v AC Milan on the screen in the studio, was then asked to rate the performances of the match officials in those games, considering his past as a linesman: "They were good. Damato and Tagliavento did very well. There was a difficult atmosphere in Turin, it was a complicated match, but Damato refereed it well, as did Tagliavento his. We directors often blame match officials when we might be better off looking at our own mistakes. Well done to Braschi too for appointing them. Generally speaking, the referees are interpreting the technical guidelines well and, compared to the lack of dialogue and cold atmosphere we had immediately after Calciopoli, the balance is right now. And you definitely see things better when there are six of you."
Lazio president Claudio Lotito joined the studio via phone and Fassone said: "I'd like to congratulate Lotito for the consistent results he has achieved and for the way he's managed to combine success on the pitch with sound financial management, proving it is possible to compete at a high level in football while keeping the books in order."
The topic then moved onto the considerable damage caused to Juventus Stadium during Juve v Napoli: "It's a terrible shame, an appalling thing to happen. I'm sorry it happened with Napoli fans, who always behaved impeccably during the two years I was there. I headed the Juventus Stadium project for eight years and I must restate that owning your stadium is the only way forward."
