MILAN – Piero Ausilio spoke to Sky Italia before kick-off. "What role do I see Zanetti in? That’s not for to me to say but I’m sure the president will have thought about how best to fit him in. They’ll sit down together and work out the best solution. We know we’ll have another valuable resource available to us."

Asked whether the Nerazzurri fans can dream of a signing like Dzeko, Inter’s sporting director went on: "As things stand realistically that’s out of the question. I believe football needs a sense of realism and we’ll try to do the best we can while bearing in mind our financial strategies

"Hernanes? We always expect more from every player because you must never rest on your laurels. We knew that bringing a player in during the January window was forcing things a bit, not only financially but also on the playing side because the team had been working together for a while. As soon as he came into the side we started winning, then he had some injury problems but he’s a top player and I’m sure he’ll be even more important for us next season."