APPIANO GENTILE – Win or lose, Javier Zanetti is always your man. And when the team isn't living up to expectations the Nerazzurri skipper has no problem standing up and showing he's the leader of a group determined to get back on track.
Zanetti spoke to Marco Barzaghi this morning for an exclusive interview with Sport Mediaset. A quick glance at the newspapers and you find plenty of headlines about Inter's current form. "You expect that," Zanetti began. "Everyone likes to have their say when results aren't going for you, but the last thing we must do now is give too much weight to things like that. What we have to do is pull out all the stops and make sure we turn it around. What can we veterans do to help Stramaccioni? What we've always done: we'll all pull in the same direction and focus on the same target."The Catania game seemed to mark a turning point, "but we lost two games after that. The defeat to Bologna was especially surprising. Nobody expected a result like that. Now it's up to us to bounce back."
Is Inter's dip in form more mental or physical? Zanetti replied: "I think lots of factors come into play when you go through a rough patch. But it's precisely in times like this that you need to dig even deeper."The captain also admitted that president Moratti's anger is "normal". "No one is happy that we've got to this point but we can only pull through it if we all stick together and knuckle down. With hard work we can pick ourselves back up again."
Tottenham are coming to the Meazza on Thursday for the Europa League second leg after inflicting a heavy 3-0 defeat on Inter at White Hart Lane. "Yes, the first-leg result makes it tough for us, but we have to honour the competition and try to put in a huge performance."
Back on the domestic front, Zanetti was asked if he thinks the team really has what it takes to clinch third place. "We must have what it takes. Milito's absence is obviously a massive blow, just as it is to be without Samuel, Stankovic and Chivu for a good part of the season. They're all players who, when everyone is available, have shown they're capable of doing their bit."What about the future? Does Zanetti see himself on the pitch or behind a desk? The skipper ended: "I'll be honest, my future is the last thing on my mind at the moment. There are other more important things to focus on right now. There'll be time to decide about my future."
