On the eve of one of Serie A’s most anticipated matches, the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus, Bianconeri manager Thiago Motta addressed the media in a pre-match press conference. The game is set to kick off at 18:00 on Saturday, October 26th at San Siro.
Motta opened the conference by stating, “There’s always a desire to get on the field. We are determined to play our game, tomorrow as in other matches. We are focused on doing what we know how to do.”
Regarding Juventus’ approach, he emphasized, “Juventus must play its game as it always has. We must always face the opponent at our best, trying to play as it suits us. They are the last team to win the championship and are favorites along with Napoli for this season. We will need to be concrete and determined to play the game that is needed to put them in difficulty.”
On Inter, Motta commented, “Today, the two favorite teams are Inter and Napoli for what they have done in recent years and for the moment they are going through. Tomorrow we face a strong team, and we must play with great concentration as we have done in other matches.”
Addressing Juventus’ first seasonal defeat in the Champions League, Motta said, “There’s no need to work on the players’ minds because they are fine. A historic team like ours has high expectations. After the first defeat, we must move on; there’s no time to feel sorry for ourselves. Stuttgart remains in the past. Now we think about Inter and the big game tomorrow.”
When asked about his past with Inter, Motta reflected, “I played for Inter but also for Barcelona, PSG, Genoa, and others. I’ve been in teams where not only at a sporting level but also at a human level, I tried to do the right things without having anything to hide. I’ve always been myself, for better or worse. Maybe that’s why, despite being an ex-Inter player, this isn’t highlighted.”
On the anticipation for the match, Motta stated, “I’m experiencing this wait very well because I already know that we will take the field giving 200%. We know we can win or lose, but we try to get the best result by working daily and giving our all.”
Regarding team availability, Motta confirmed, “For tomorrow we won’t recover anyone; there will be the same players who played against Stuttgart.”
Finally, Motta shared his expectations for the match against Inter: “Tomorrow, two great teams with great players on the field will face each other. Collectively, we will have to do an excellent defensive phase but also offensive. We will have to play very well with transitions because they put their opponents in difficulty.”
