APPIANO GENTILE - "We’ll try until the very end to qualify for the Europa League," stressed Andrea Stramaccioni once again. "It’s normal to see that the two teams placed high in the standings that didn’t compete in European competition, Roma and Fiorentina, have also been functioning more smoothly. But we want to make it to the Europa League just the same. Then I’ve always said this, and I’m not just saying it now that we risk missing out: in not qualifying there could be a sort of positive side, even though things have gone badly. It could also weigh on the club. We already know that the Europa League can take a serious toll on you, but should Inter one day compete in it again we’d face it in a different way.
"I’m sure Inter will continue with the good things they started this year.
I hear from the president every day and I know what he has in mind," the
coach added.
Stramaccioni was then asked about Ricky Alvarez and Tommaso Rocchi: "I’ve
never had any doubts about Alvarez. The most positive thing is that he’s
playing consistently. Let’s not forget that he had undergone surgery that
complicated his start to the season, and then he struggled to find consistency.
But now he’s won over the San Siro, which is one of the positive notes of this
end to the season. Rocchi? He’s recovered. Not 100 percent, of course, because
he can’t be if he didn’t play on Sunday. But tomorrow evening he’ll be our
centre forward. He’s improved, and he’s hungry to play a strong match."
Regarding an end-of-season assessment, the Nerazzurri coach explained that it
would be done "when the dust settles. From the coach down to the last
Inter employee, some things were done well and others not so well. We’ll have
to take a look at ourselves to figure out what not to repeat. My players and I
are still focused on the pitch until 19 May. We’ll take stock of things after
Inter v Udinese, because there are still three games left to play. It’s not
easy though. I mean, just look at what happened: you go and play well against
Napoli, the team gets its confidence back and then between Sunday and Wednesday
you lose Ranocchia and Chivu, or one of them. These things also weigh on the
situation. Anyone who follows Inter knows that these things affect you."
The coach was then asked to comment on Aurelio Andreazzoli’s proposal of time-outs in football: "It would become another sport and seriously change things. I’m not saying it’s not right, but it’s different. If I had the time to organise things or make an interruption when things are going badly, it would completely change the dynamics. I find the sport very attractive the way it is now. That’s the charm of football. The back pass rule changed a lot, for example. If something like the time-out were introduced it would drastically change the sport once again."
