Pre-season interview

12/07-2004

What are your first impressions at the start of this retreat?
"Good. There's lots of enthusiasm on my part and, above all, the team. There's optimism. We've started off immediately so we can work well and you can see that the things that need to be done are being done. Now we'll think about doing the work that will stand us in good stead for the whole year."

What do you think of the club's moves to reinforce the team?
"With Davids in the team we have a very important player who is very difficult to face as an opponent. The club has made very precise buys. Veron is also a great player, he oozes with class. We have everything to do our best in the championship and the Champions League, the qualifier permitting."

Mancini has spoken very highly of you. Is it important to have a coach who has all this esteem for you?
"I must admit that I always played last year when fit. Zaccheroni always had faith in me. Then I had a lot of physical problems and I had to play a lot of matches when not in top form. I'm very pleased about the fact that the new coach speaks highly of me, but the most important thing is repay this faith on the pitch. I hope I'll be fine, seeing as I have already trained for ten days without feeling any physical pain, which is important. I want to thank the club, my teammates and the fans for their confidence in me by doing well on the pitch."

How important is the fact that Mancini was a class player like you?
"What helps me most is the fact that he wants to technical team that will try and keep ball possession and that he wants the team to enjoy playing."

How have training sessions changed under the new coach?
"We're working as usual, but we're using the ball a lot more. For him the important thing is to play a fast game and you can do this if you have good players. When you interrupt a move everything usually becomes more complicated."

Now you have to show you have overcome the problems you have had in the last few years...
"I had problems because I didn't take care of myself physically. I would train even when in pain and I didn't do the things that now I do all the time. Two years ago I finished the season in disastrous condition. I started from scratch and last year I had a few problems because of this. I don't have certain problems anymore and I always try to prevent them."

In what position do you see yourself playing in this new Inter side?
"In these first few training sessions Mancini has used me on the wing, but we're not playing with a fixed 4-4-2. We either have a flexible formation with two strikers and two wide players who attack, or the 4-3-3. I'm training and I'm convinced we can do well."

What has changed since the arrival of Mancini?
"When you change coach during a season, which happened last year, it means things aren't going well. The club decided to bring in a new coach and the objectives became more realistic. Until the end we fought for fourth place, which wasn't our initial goal just like it isn't now. I think that first of all we have made good buys. Now let's hope we can understand what Mancini wants us to do on the pitch. We mustn't have peaks, neither must we have highs or lows. The club is doing a lot to put us in the best possible condition."

Who are your rivals in the race for the Scudetto?
"We're stronger than last year; we'll see what happens Milan and Juventus haven't changed much. We'll see about Roma and Lazio. The fight for the Scudetto is always between these teams. Without making any promises, we will have to be able to understand whether we are a strong team."

Any words to say about Massimo Moratti, who looked enthusiastic during training in Appiano Gentile the other day?
"He has made sacrifices this year, too. He looked very pleased, but I can't talk. He has always made sacrifices and it is up to us not to disappoint him. He always has words of encouragement after defeats and, at times, we feel a bit ashamed that we haven't managed to give him the rewards he is after. But he has made a lot of sacrifices to build a very strong team."

[inter.it]