SINGAPORE – Luciano Spalletti confirmed that Inter are aiming high this season after the squad arrived in Singapore ready for pre-season friendlies against Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
"Our objective is to finish in the top four," stated the Nerazzurri boss. "We can’t overlook what other teams are doing, but we’re Inter and our aspirations need to be worthy of the big team we are. These players need to do better than last year – one or two players might come in that help to get the best out of their team-mates but it’s up to us to work hard to put things right."
Spalletti also stressed the importance of putting in the hard yards now to lay the foundations for the season to come.
"It’s vital that we work hard to improve our situation," he said. "Above all we want to be a team so that we can concentrate on the league table, which is the most important thing. We’re working hard to get to know the team and the players – this period is really useful for me to build up a more detailed picture of the players I wasn’t so familiar with. We need the players to show that we can be a different kind of team.
"When you work for Inter you have to accept the pressure and be strong enough to live with it. You have to deal with wins and defeats alike. I keep the same mentality every day – I focus on improving myself and the team 24 hours a day."
The Inter boss went on to speak about the club’s transfer plans.
"We consider [Ivan] Perisic an important player," he said. "If a club gives us 100% satisfaction in terms of replacing him, we will look at it. But that’s not the case right now. There are always going to be rumours about Inter players because we have top players."
Spalletti also looked ahead to the upcoming friendlies in Singapore.
"We face Bayern and Chelsea now and we need to go for it regardless of who we play," he said. "I expect my team to be in a position to do well – we need to remember that we want to be competing with these teams in the near future. We have a tactical system that we need to keep in mind, but some games require a different approach. Things might not be working and you have to be ready to change."
The Nerazzurri coach spoke warmly about Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, who had had kind words for Spalletti in his pre-match comments.
"It’s nice to get the compliment from Conte," said Spalletti. "We have a great relationship and he’s top quality."
Looking ahead to the Serie A season, Spalletti was optimistic about challenging Juventus this campaign.
"Other teams have also shown that they’re capable of cutting the gap with Juventus," he said. "Time will tell who is working well enough to aspire to a place in the top four, but we want to be there."
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