APPIANO GENTILE - "Massimo Moratti's words are always crucial because if he makes a mistake with one of his adjectives, I get savaged... I ask the president then - who backs me - not to get his adjectives wrong because otherwise I get savaged every time! But whether the president gets rid of me tonight or in three years' time, I'll always thank him, my job is simply to work as hard as I can, we'll try to repay his faith with points." This is what Andrea Stramaccioni had to say on the eve of Inter v Juventus when asked about the praise and vote of confidence he received in the week from the Nerazzurri president.
And on the subject of contact with José Mourinho, the coach explained with a smile that: "José is the benchmark for all young coaches, he's Mourinho, I can't feel I'm competing with him, I know how much he's loved here but I also know the truth behind this story with the president. It is a shame though that these things are used to excite the fans - I'm talking as an Inter fan here - because then people are left disappointed. Otherwise this club will become a place where expectations are built up, before leaving people bitter and disappointed."
The Nerazzurri coach was then asked about the choice of referee for tomorrow's encounter: "Rizzoli is one of Italy's best referees, a top referee for a top game. Since we last played Juve we've not had much go our way in the penalty area but this is a fact, not me being controversial. And I think Rizzoli is the right man for such a big match."
Finally a look at his team's aim: "We believe we can finish third, but it's important to take things one game at a time. The build-up to this match is not quite how we usually do things, in terms of managing our preparation, but we'll try to sort everything out the best we can."
