APPIANO GENTILE – With two goals against Cittadella, Rodrigo Palacio has
started off with a bang, and he plans to score many more this season. The
Nerazzurri striker discussed this and more in an exclusive interview with
Andrea Paventi for Sky Sport Italia: "The goals in the Coppa Italia matter
a lot, and it’s always important for a striker to score. The games that count
have started and luckily I had the possibility to score."
According to Palacio, beyond the hard work in Pinzolo and the U.S. tour, what
has remained from the pre-season "are the coach’s ideas. We worked hard on
how he wants the team to play. We still have to improve a lot, but I believe
we’ve already seen something more."
Can the team’s combination of youth plus experienced players lead to great
results? "We want to fight for the Scudetto and keep this up game after
game. Do we see the Scudetto as a realistic goal? We’re not talking about it.
We’ll work to finish this season in the highest position possible."
On the fact that other teams beside Inter have brought in reinforcements for
the 2013/14 Serie A season: "Juventus and Napoli are a bit ahead of us,
but the league is balanced and there are more teams capable of winning the
Scudetto. There’s not much of a gap between the big teams and those that are
seeking a Champions League spot? Yes, that’s true. There are 7 or 8 teams that
could fight for the title."
On what has struck him in particular about Walter Mazzarri: "He works hard
and I like how he has us training. He hasn’t asked me for anything in
particular compared to the others. He’s asked me to do what I did last year and
to try and score goals. As we await Milito, and with Icardi and Belfodil having
just arrived, am I the one who can’t make a mistake? Diego is very important
for the team. We’re waiting for him because he’s a difference maker, but Mauro
and Belfodil can also do well for us."
All his thoughts are on Inter’s next opponents; on Sunday the San Siro will
host Genoa, the team in which Rodri-goal spent three fantastic seasons. "I
haven’t sent any messages to any of my ex team-mates, but it will be a special
game for me. I left behind many friends and enjoyed some great seasons there,
but now I'm entirely focused on Inter. Will it be difficult to start the season
well at the San Siro? We can’t fail on Sunday. We have to play a good match and
show we can be a contender," concluded Palacio.
