MILAN - "I'm happy to be here for the first time, it's fantastic to see so many people!" Mateo Kovacic spoke to the press at Solo Inter in via Berchet 1, Milan.
"The president has said I'm the future of Inter? It's great that us young guys are the future of Inter, because he's right: we still need to learn, but if we're given a chance, youngsters really can do great things.
"It's been a tough year, but definitely better than the last. We've come fifth and we shouldn't be happy about that because Inter need to finish at least third. We've played well in some games and less so in others. Now we need to focus on our last match against Chievo, then think about next season.
"I've come on a lot tactically this year, I've got to know Italian football more and the coach has helped me improve defensively and add a bit of bite to my game. It's definitely been a difficult year, because I wasn't playing a lot at the start. I've still learned a great deal though. Now I'm waiting for the World Cup and I want to perform well.
"Will I start next season? I won't talk about the future, I'm only thinking about Chievo and then the World Cup. I'll have a rest after that and only then will we speak about next season. I've prepared very well for the World Cup, even when I wasn't playing much. My team-mates and I want to perform well, because Croatia have a good squad. We'll go to Brazil and then think about next season."
