MILAN – "I think that once we were out of the running for Europe all we could do was hope to finish the year as best as possible. We can't be judged today. We were missing too many players, especially in central defence, and after ten minutes Udinese had taken full advantage of two mistakes of ours. Now we must move on quickly. I don't think today's game will change the way our end of season is judged." Those were Andrea Stramaccioni's first comments after Inter ended the season with defeat to Udinese.
"Is it a relief now that the season is over? The last two months have been extremely tough for us. We've tried to just get on with it but it's been very tough. The most important thing we can do now is turn the page on a very negative season in which all sorts of things have happened. Has Moratti given me guarantees? Inter is Massimo Moratti. Yesterday he paid us a visit in Appiano even though he wasn't very well, showing us how much he loves this club. What matters most now is that we don't get anything wrong in building the new Inter. Everything is in the head and the words of our president."
Asked whether Inter's disappointing finale has made it harder for him to remain at Inter, Stramaccioni replied: "Results matter in football and we've done badly in the last two months. But I can't not consider what's happened to us in any assessment of the team. Not only for me but for the players. We've had to play people out of position, field a string of youngsters, had five centre-backs out through injury. I think Moratti has very clear ideas about how to rebuild and from tomorrow he'll be working on that. Have I been officially confirmed? I can't stand in for Moratti, it's only right that he should be the one to speak, though I know because he's told me of course."
