APPIANO GENTILE – Roberto Mancini has praised the Inter fans for providing unerring support in a season of ups and downs.
"Our supporters have always stuck behind the team, even in the tough times," said the Inter coach, speaking to the media on Friday. "We want to thank them for their support and we’re sad that they won’t be able to see Inter in the Champions League next season. We’ll do everything we can to get back to winning ways as soon as possible, as our club deserves."
Turning his attention to Saturday’s visit of Empoli, Mancini was adamant that three points is all his side are focused on: "Tomorrow night we need to get the win – period. That’s all that matters. We want to secure fourth spot. It won’t be easy because they’ll be coming here with nothing to lose and they’ll play with abandon.
"I didn’t like our attitude at the start against Lazio. Sometimes the lads play fantastically, others they make mistakes but that’s all part of the process of building a team. As a coach you hope things go perfectly, but that doesn’t always happen. We could have achieved more this season, but we’re still lacking something to give us the right level of consistency both home and away. There’s no one explanation for our results – we need to improve as a team, especially on the mental side of things."
Mancini was then asked for a general opinion on his side’s campaign: "When you start the season you’re always looking to win, but we knew it wasn’t going to be easy this season. Now we need to weigh up the positives and the negatives and try to not repeat the same mistakes next time around. The fact that we were top of the table for 20 matches shows that we did some good work."
Inevitably, talk soon turned to the impending summer transfer window. Mancini was asked about rumours linking him with a move to PSG: "It’s rubbish. Paris Saint-Germain have a coach that’s won the league and two cups."
The Inter boss also spoke about potential changes to the playing staff: "We can’t say now how many changes we’ll make. Last year we bought several players in the summer, but many people forget that just as many players left the club. The club hopes to keep hold of our best players so we can develop the team. This group has its strengths and all we need to do is add a little bit extra, bringing in players that can raise the bar in terms of quality and strength. My priority is to get Inter back winning things."
Conversation then turned to the Champions League final, which will be held at San Siro on 28 May. Mancini was asked about lack of any Milanese interest in the showpiece: "Inter and AC Milan used to be at the pinnacle of world football – both clubs have made history in the competition. Right now they’re finding it hard and it’ll take a little time to rebuild, especially within the context of Italian football, which has more problems that other leagues."
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LIVE! CONFERENZA STAMPA DI MANCINI PRIMA DI INTER-EMPOLI 06.05.2016 16:30CEST
