MILAN – "We prepared for this game with the aim of stopping Napoli from doing what they are good at, not letting Cavani unleash his quality and limiting Hamsik's space. We succeeded by going about our jobs very carefully." That was Andrea Stramaccioni's first comment after watching his side beat Napoli.
The coach continued: "It was a big win, just as we turned in big performances in the other matches against our direct rivals and showed that we can give anyone a game. I want to congratulate my players. Mazzarri has honed his team year on year, whereas Inter have just started building theirs now. We're in the first year of our project but I'm delighted with how we're doing. We've got a very close-knit group, we prepare for matches carefully, the lads have really applied themselves. I have a lot of respect for these players.
"Transfers? We're obviously thinking about the type of player that might help improve us in the future, but not necessarily in January.
"Guarin's goal? The players did fantastically, timing and execution were spot on. It was a move involving ten players and they all carried it out superbly."
Stramaccioni then explained that he had asked Guarin "to play almost in the hole, behind the two strikers. Then when Napoli changed, I asked him to make a sacrifice and track back on Zuniga. He played a great game, Inter as a whole played a great game."
What about Cambiasso starting in defence instead of Silvestre? "Cambiasso can play in both roles, in midfield and in defence. because he's an intelligent footballer. Silvestre is more a man-marker and I needed someone who could do more of a sweeper's job tonight. That's why I went with Cambiasso."On the decision not to go with three up top: "Napoli are very strong in the middle of the park. It would have put the team's balance too much at risk if we'd played with three in attack. It wasn't the right sort of game for it."
Finally, in response to a specific question about Behrami, Stramaccioni replied: "Yes, he should have been given a second booking. I'm not saying that to stir up controversy, I'm just answering your question."
