EMPOLI – While being interviewed by Alessandro Alciato of Sky Sport Italia, Walter Mazzarri spoke about the day after the Genoa defeat and gave an evaluation of his team:
"Unfortunately the latest results have allowed the teams ahead of us to gain even further distance. I always tell my players that, in my opinion, they have to think about playing all the games this season at 100%, and then at the end we can see where we’ve got to and take stock. I believe creating an assertive mentality, as we also did yesterday in Genoa, should pay off in terms of results in the long run. And clearly this season we have a lot of things to do. It could turn out that the points we’ll earn will be less than what we should have earned. We’ll have to see at the end of the season when it comes to an evaluation of this team."
Does president Thohir being far away from the club have an effect on Mazzarri? He stated: "I have my way to work with my players and I carry out the role of the coach in the purest sense of the word. I focus entirely on coaching and I don’t worry about other things. However, I think the president was clear as regards myself and the players – even from far away – and he said he has confidence in us and in our play. We’re in contact, and there are people we communicate through. We manage to keep in touch constantly and he was just as unhappy as all of us were with yesterday’s defeat. He understands what we’re doing and was clear with all of us. I don’t want to cling to anything. I want to move forward trying to do everything I can to get this team winning again as soon as possible."
The comparisons to Andrea Stramaccioni’s Inter annoy Mazzarri, but only in one particular way: "I know this world by now, and I don’t want to dwell on these things. I can see everywhere, and not just with me, that sometimes a 10-year career can be forgotten in a minute. It’s not something I’m saying as a comparison to a colleague. I’m saying that you should evaluate things in a different way. I respect everyone as long as I’m respected, and if I’m not respected then I don’t worry about anyone else and I move forward just the same. Have I ever regretted saying no to Roma over the summer? Another quality I believe I have is that of never regretting things I’ve done. I’m someone who feels fulfilled, and I’m content with myself because I’ve accomplished a lot. I’ve never been one to dwell on ifs and buts or be regretful. It’s just not the way I think. I threw myself into this adventure body and soul. I liked the adrenaline rush I felt when this club called me, and as long as I’m coaching here I’ll always give my all. I’ll do it with passion and without thinking about what could have been."
It was inevitable that the discussion would turn to the ‘Mirko Vucinic to Inter’ rumours: "Right now, more than ever, I prefer to avoid discussing the transfer market and the players being talked about. As I’ve said since the beginning, I’ll share my thoughts on the transfer market with the club, and together with the president they’ll decide what moves to make. Out of respect for my position and those of the others, I have to train the players the club makes available to me at 100%. Then, should a new player come along, I’ll say what I think once he puts on the Inter shirt."
As regards the best win so far and what area Mazzarri perhaps hasn't expressed himself as well as he could have: "It’s too soon to start thinking about these things. Many things have happened, and I feel I’ve done a pretty good job helping the people close to me to deal with this historic step the club has taken. I’ve never become distracted myself by what’s being said, what’s being done, nor by this transfer window. My conscience is clear from this standpoint. I’ve only thought about improving this team as much as I can. I want to wait until the end to make an assessment, because I’m also curious myself about what could happen. I have a good feeling, but as someone who works on the pitch, I don’t want to discuss other things. When will the first penalty arrive? It’s better to avoid that topic…"
