MILAN – Shortly before kick-off in Inter v Crotone, Piero Ausilio responded to the rumours in some media quarters that speak of a divided camp at Inter.
"There's been a lot of chat in recent days," declared the Nerazzurri sporting director, "but everything we've done has been normal and exactly what all clubs do when making an important decision. It wouldn't have been right to rush things when we have two matches close together and a well-prepared coach like Stefano Vecchi available to us.
"We've interviewed three people, all together," he added. "It makes me laugh because often there's a circus around everything that happens at Inter. We've made our assessments and you'll find out more in a couple of days.
"You can only build credibility by working hard and we're taking a long, hard look at everything, not just the coach. There's no truth that Inter is a divided club. There's recently been a change in ownership and we need to give everyone time to settle in. There have been some mistakes, true, but we're doing everything to improve. We have the humility and sense of responsibility to do this. I can assure you that everyone wants to succeed. The owners have always been behind us, as has Erick Thohir, who has recently suffered a big loss in his family.
"As for Frank de Boer," Ausilio continued, "everything I said about him was sincere. Unfortunately there was another bad result against Sampdoria, but results weren't the only factor in our decision. We analysed every aspect, but it's normal for me to defend a coach right until the end of his time at the club.
"I have known Kia Joorabchian for over ten years. We've got a great relationship with him, but he's only Joao Mario's agent, not everyone else as has been claimed. I smile when I hear certain things because they're normal for any football club."
