ROME – Walter Mazzarri spoke to Sky Italia after tonight’s match at the Stadio Olimpico.

He began: "We lost what was a difficult match tonight. Lazio were very compact and there wasn’t much space, the pitch wasn’t in optimal condition. They sat back and waited for us so it wasn’t easy, but overall it was a balanced encounter. What we didn’t get right was the final ball. With the approach Lazio took, it was a game that needed something special to win it. In the first half we pressed Lazio back into their own box, we created things, but the problem was our final pass.

"Games that are so evenly balanced can also be decided by right or wrong decisions from the match officials, such as the non-sending off of Dias or the clear penalty on Rolando. Lazio made the most of their only chance in the second period thanks to a great player like Klose. As for Dias, we were reduced to ten men against Napoli for a similar foul… but let’s move on. We took the game to the opposition throughout. Lazio are a fine team, they have quality and are well drilled. The points they have on the board is no way a true reflection of the worth of their squad."

Mazzarri was told that Reja, in his post-match comments, said his team had played like Inter normally do, which is sit back and hit on the break. The Nerazzurri boss replied: "Reja is a friend but I don’t think he’s seen all the games we’ve played. Just take the Napoli game, when we had 70% possession…"

Probed further on the refereeing, the coach went on: "I said it was a balanced game, which can be won or lost by individual episodes, like Klose’s goal. That sort of game can also be determined by the referees, that’s just how it is. I’m not going to blame everything on the refereeing mistakes but this was a match that should have ended as a draw. If you ask me whether the referees can influence things with their decisions, then yes, there were two mistakes today. As there have been others in other games."

Was this a step backwards for Inter after the derby? "Some of the lads weren’t as sharp today but we’re talking about two different games. The changes I made today, for example, were similar to the ones I made against Milan. But we didn’t create quite as much today, and then we allowed Klose the space to score that goal.

"The transfer window? I can’t wait for it to finish. We’re a work in progress, we’re rebuilding but it’s up to the club to decide what has to be done."