By Anna Italia
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Here are the declarations of new Inter coach Roberto Mancini during his official presentation at the press conference on Saturday 15 November 2014 at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti in MIlan, Italy.
Mancini started by stressing the need for enthusiasm. From the fans first and foremost. “It’s up to us to find that spark again, bring the fans back to the stadium and return to winning ways,” he explained.
“I’m really happy to be here. If I’ve come back it must mean that I’ve done something right elsewhere, that’s all that matters.”
Asked about his previous experience in the Nerazzurri dugout, he went on: “It’s hard to make comparisons. It’s nice to be welcomed back in an atmosphere like this though, because that’s fundamental in this job.”
On negotiations to bring him back: “They laid out all their plans and I think we can write another success story. I believe in this club’s plans. We have to knuckle down because if we work hard we can achieve great things.”
As for the squad he’s inherited and differences with the team he had ten years ago: “It’s difficult to say but I do know that we have quality players here. Ten years ago we had some amazing players and I think we can go far with the lads we have here now too.”
Replying to the journalists’ questions, Mancini went on to comment on specific members of the squad, from Kovacic (“a young lad with fantastic ability”), to Medel (“a great professional”), Nagatomo (“an experienced player, he’ll do well like the rest of his team-mates”) and Guarin (“he can play a key role for us”).
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For Roberto Mancini it’s a homecoming not only to Inter but also to Italy, following spells at Manchester City and Galatasaray. Commenting on his time away from Italy, he said: “Working abroad enriches you so much. You get to measure up to different ways of playing the game. The last six years have been magnificent, in the Premier League and in Turkey. Both were fantastic experiences. Now I’m back in Italy, back at Inter, and I’m glad to be here. I’m very happy to be working in Italy again. I’d like to thank president Thohir.”
He then fielded questions on Massimo Moratti (“The Moratti family have written Inter’s history and you have to respect their decision”) and Italy’s traditional ‘big three’, Inter, AC Milan and Juventus: “I don’t think much has changed: We’ll have to do battle with Juventus and Milan.”
Finally, there was a brief word on tactics when he was asked whether he plans to play with a three- or four-man backline. He explained: “It’s not a big issue for me. I want to speak to the players about it and see what they think.”
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