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Coach Mazzarri, after the applause from last Wednesday we heard some booing on Sunday.
“It’s normal there would be booing. Actually I’d like to thank our fans for standing by us until the end and trying to spur us on. I truly want to thank them. When you lose 4-1 at home it’s natural for people to be unhappy. But we have to get right back up and play a strong match on Thursday, and then again in Florence. We’ll think positively and keep in mind that this game represents an aberration in our path up to now. We need to get up again and fight.”
Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini made reference to Inter as an arrogant side.
“I’m someone used to concerning myself with my own issues. And apart from the fact that they won yesterday, I think everyone should do the same.”
Is it possible to bridge the gap that exists between top sides Juventus and Roma?
“After Week 5 in the season, we insiders generally don’t make definitive judgements. Clearly Juventus and Roma are both off to a great start and have got some excellent results. There’s something of a gap between them and the others. But nothing is definitive in football, especially something that happens in Week 5. Here in Italy we’re especially good at turning everyone from a hero to a zero and vice versa, depending on the situation. Just three days ago it seemed Inter were playing well and their coach had got all his selections right. Now everything’s changed. Then obviously if you do poorly like we did yesterday it’s normal to get booed. But to go from that to making definitive judgements… Well, I’d be more careful. It’s better to keep some balance. At least for those of us on the inside. We’ll wait and view things over time.”
Has Mauro Icardi matured?
“Beyond the technical and tactical side of things, he’s also matured from a professional standpoint. He’s working flawlessly. He also worked very hard last season, when he had so much trouble staying healthy. But this season he’s maturing even more in this regard, which is crucial in modern football. Kovacic is also someone who has made a lot of progress, especially in terms of intensity.”
Even at this point would you not be satisfied with a third-place finish?
“I’m trying to get consistent play out of this team and a mentality that can get them competing as quickly as possible at the kind of level Inter has to be at. The highs and lows from yesterday’s match, for example, tell us we still have a lot of work to do. As a matter of principle I don’t set objectives because I’m never satisfied. So singling out a place in the standings means not giving yourself the chance of doing better. I think what a coach must do is have his players always believing the next game is the most difficult, and seeing the inherent dangers in it. That’s something we failed to do against Cagliari. Maybe because it’s a new group consisting of players that are still coming together with each other. Many choices have been made and it can happen that you hit bumps in the road along the way.”
Is it dangerous to mention the word Scudetto in Milan?
“After a loss like the one we suffered yesterday I would say so. We just need to work, get back up again quickly, show our spirit and fight like a great team does.”
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