APPIANO GENTILE – Are Inter going to play with three up front tomorrow? That was one of the questions put to Andrea Stramaccioni during his press conference on the eve of Inter v Chievo. He replied: "We have five players who can play in a three-man forward line: Palacio, Cassano, Milito, Alvarez and Rocchi. And Schelotto too when you need to attack. Cassano, Palacio and Milito have shown they're capable of causing problems for any defence and do it anywhere. But I won't be able to field all three every game because I'll be looking for balance. At the moment I need to get the new players settled but I have to carry on the work we began six months ago. There have been games where the team has been unbalanced. I'm entertaining the idea of playing all three but I don't know from what minute."
Moving from the attack to the defence, via midfield and Esteban Cambiasso, Stramaccioni commented on Walter Samuel's absence: "Losing Samuel is a blow for us, on and off the pitch, because he's often held the defence together. We mustn't rush him back though. As for Cambiasso, I've read some crazy suggestions about him. He wanted to come with us to Siena. He's an important figure for me, both in the dressing room and on the pitch. There's no problem with him: he gives everything for Inter, he always has, and he's helping me with his experience."
The journalists in the conference room then asked the coach how he thought the club's internal organisation could be improved: "I understand that as the coach of Inter I'm likely to get all sorts of questions but I think that is something you have to put to the president. I get on very well with all the directors here, but I'm just thinking about tactics now. Of course these things come up now that we're doing less well than before: nobody was talking about how to improve the club's internal structure five or six months ago."
Finally, Stramaccioni was asked for his view on former Italian cyclist Mario Cipollini, who has been caught up in a doping scandal: "As a sports enthusiast all I can say is that it's a defeat for everyone, that's the way I see it. But I have no intention of judging anyone."
