VERONA – "This was a huge win because Verona were right behind us in the race for the European spots. Now we have to keep Parma at arm’s reach." That was Jonathan’s first reaction as the left the pitch after scoring in Inter’s victory over Verona tonight.

"We’re happy with our form at the moment. Tomorrow I’ll be hoping Fiorentina don’t win," he grinned. "I liked the way we played tonight and we deserve this win because we’ve been working really well. Hopefully we can keep going like this till the end. 

The right-back continued: "Mazzarri told us to keep knuckling down and the bad luck we were having would pass. That’s what happened. Now we must push on without looking at the table and try to climb as high as we can.

"An Italy call-up? I don’t think that’s likely now, it’s too late to force my way into the World Cup squad and I’d have bureaucratic problems to resolve first anyway. I’m keeping my feet on the ground but if Prandelli were to call me, I’d be happy to go."

VERONA – Jonathan was named man of the match by Sky Italia for his performance in tonight’s victory over Verona. Speaking to Inter Channel afterwards, he admitted: "Yes, I’m happy with the way I played and more importantly the way we played as a team. We were up against a tricky side who are doing very well this year. They didn’t double up on me as much today so it was easier for me to run at my man.

"A special night? That ball from Hernanes to set me up for the goal was a bit special… I was screaming at him but afterwards in the dressing room he told me he’d seen me. He wanted to shoot but they blocked his line to goal and he managed to pick that pass instead. Hernanes oozes class, he’s a key player for us. We’ve won every game when he’s started."

VERONA – Nerazzurri coach Walter Mazzarri took questions from the media after watching his side overcome Verona at the Stadio Bentegodi.

This is what he had to say:

"Let’s not have any talk about third place. We just need to make sure we play every game like we did today, whether we’re at home or away. We’ll add everything up at the end – that’s our aim for this season.

"Hernanes? He’s a player we wanted to sign because we thought he could be a big player for us. I’ve always liked him, even when I was at Napoli. He can only get better because he’s not fully fit at the moment, but he offers us qualities that no one else in this squad has.

"I certainly expect to be the coach of Inter next season. The answer I gave to a journalist in my press conference yesterday got twisted out of context. We were talking about contract renewals in general and I said that June will be the time to talk about extending them, and that the coach is always at the centre of the club’s plans.

"But that’s the last of my thoughts at the moment because there are still lots of games left for us to try and win. If we can see out the business end of the season in a certain way it will give us a boost going into next year, when we’ll have to raise the bar."

VERONA – Danilo D’Ambrosio chatted briefly with Inter Channel before the Nerazzurri boarded the team bus and headed back to Milan with all three points following their visit to the Stadio Bentegodi.

The wing-back said: "It was important to win today. We performed really well individually too and managed to do that against a very good Verona outfit. They didn’t push up too much on my flank so there wasn’t much space for me going forward. What mattered was that we got the three points. 

"Who do I want to dedicate my full debut to? My brother and my girlfriend. It feels different starting the game compared to when you come off the bench, but I’ll always remember my debut against Juventus because it’s the Derby D’Italia."

VERONA – Piero Ausilio stopped to speak to Sky Italia before Inter took on Verona at the Stadio Bentegodi this evening.

The Nerazzurri sporting director was asked about his recent trip abroad: "I always like to take advantage if there’s a chance to go and see a Europa League or Champions League match. It’s part of my job to keep up to speed with things and it helps me keep an eye on and assess interesting players.

"Do we need to qualify for the Europa League? It’s not something we need to do, but it’s a target we’ve set ourselves and I think we have a good chance of achieving it.

"Could Guarin sign a new contract? We’re working on it. We’re delighted that Palacio’s signed a new deal and we’re confident that we’ll come to an agreement with Guarin too. These things take time but we’re optimistic."