APPIANO GENTILE - "I wasn’t in the Serie A for very long before I discovered what a difficult task it is to play in Parma, as I suffered my first defeat there…" On the eve of Parma v Inter, Andrea Stramaccioni began his press conference discussing this memory of a difficult match soon to be faced again.
The Nerazzurri coach continued: "Everyone is certainly keeping an eye on what Roberto Donadoni is doing. Even though they’ve lost some important players, Parma have still kept their identity. It’s a difficult away trip but we need to re-find those strengths of ours that allowed us to get near the top of the standings. We have respect for our opponents, but at the same time we’re very focused on our performance."
Various subjects were discussed during the press conference, including that of Wesley Sneijder following recent statements from Marco Branca: "Obviously I speak with Wes on a daily basis, just as I do with the president. I’m perfectly up to date on the entire situation; Inter, as a club, have decided to lay down certain very clear and precise guidelines that we have observed in my first transfer period here. This idea that the club has must be respected and shared. And then we have to understand the player’s position. Right now you’re looking at the person who perhaps has the highest possible regard for Wesley as a person and a professional, and I’ve shown this. There is nothing ulterior going on here and nothing personal against the player. And then it’s the coach who decides, based on what he sees and feels, not to use a player, for technical reasons, and obviously he hopes for the good of everyone involved for the possibility to sit down and resolve the situation as soon as possible. Having said that, I’m going to Parma with the best players available and I’ve decided not to use Sneijder for this occasion."
