APPIANO GENTILE – “We got things wrong against AC Milan, it hurt the lads and me, as I’m the man in charge of it all.” This is what Walter Mazzarri said on the eve of Inter v Lazio, as he faced the media.

“After
the defeat we’ve worked to go out there and put in a completely
different performance to the one we showed against AC Milan, when we
weren’t able to demonstrate what we wanted nor what we’re capable of
doing. Now we want to bounce back and show the derby was just a bump in
the road, something I’m in charge of.

“Now my first aim is to
best motivate the team to play a great match against Lazio. I feel safe
in the knowledge that I’ve always given everything for the cause. We’ll
then see where we are come the end of the season. The fans’ reaction?
Fans are very emotional, they have every right to be, they live in the
emotion of the moment, but I enjoy being the lightning rod, it’s part of
a coach’s job. Besides, the club knows what goes on, what’s happened,
the work the coach puts in and how it goes beyond a specific moment in
time.”

The coach then spoke about Zanetti’s final match at the
Meazza. But the captain was the first to want the lads focused on the
game, without distractions: “He said it himself – explained Mazzarri –
speaking as a great leader, and I hope that the ground is full tomorrow,
the atmosphere is positive and there’s great motivation for the match
to give us the enthusiasm and drive we need to get over this hurdle in
front of us. Will Zanetti play? You’ll see who I pick tomorrow. I speak
to him on a daily basis, he knows that my choices are always logical and
done based on beating the opposition. Either way, Zanetti is an Inter
legend, it’s weird to think we’ll no longer see him out there playing or
training, he’s emblematic of this club. It’s emotional when such an
important footballer retires, not just for the fans either.”