APPIANO GENTILE – Derby fever is really hotting up now with the 187th Derby della Madonnina due to kick off at 20:45 CET on Sunday night.
It's always a special match and even more so when it's your first time. Stefano Pioli will of course be making his debut in the Nerazzurri dugout and it's the first derby for F.C. Internazionale's majority shareholder Suning, but also experiencing it for the first time are a group of Chinese journalists who have flown in specially for the occasion.
They're spending the weekend in close contact with the Inter world, coming all the way from Beijng to Milan to soak up the derby atmosphere, starting the day before the big match itself.
The Chinese delegation went on a tour of the Stadio Meazza on Saturday morning then visited the club's training ground in Appiano Gentile in the afternoon before meeting Stefano Pioli at a press conference to chat about the derby.
Fielding questions from the journalists in attendance, the Nerazzurri coach said: “We'll need to be careful and focused in the derby and that's exactly how we've been preparing for it on a daily basis. We know how important this is and the lads are ready to make a good first of it.
“Inter have some excellent players and I have the opportunity to train a group of individuals with great technical ability and excellent personal qualities. We need to work hard day in day out if we want to keep improving this squad.
“Inter's aim is to be playing in the Champions League again and there are lots of games ahead of us so we can achieve that.
“The club is very close to the team and very united. Suning are doing an excellent job and I'm sure they'll carry on doing that.”
Joining Pioli at the meeting with Chinese reporters was Eder, who recently returned from international duty with the Italian national side.
He was asked about fellow Italy team-mates Gigio Donnarumma and Alessio Romagnoli, working with a new coach at Inter and the recent increase in Serie A-based players moving to China.
“Pioli has lots of experience in Serie A. He's preparing for the match well and we're aware of how important it is. We're training with a lot of intensity.
"Donnarumma and Romagnoli are very good players and they could well be the future of the national team. AC Milan are doing well but that's down to more than just those two players.
“We'll give everything we've got to win this game. There's a long way to go in the season. Now we need to start climbing the table.
“Lots of European players have decided to make the move to China. I've received a few offers in recent years but now I'm focused entirely on doing my best for Inter.”
Finally, on Inter's Chinese owners: “We've always felt the club's support. Suning have spoken to the team and set out the targets we should be aiming for. They've come along to a few games at San Siro and generally made their presence felt from day one.”
