Inter striker Edin Dzeko believes Napoli deserve credit for their impressive start to the season and revealed he plans to discuss his contract renewal in the summer. The Bosnian forward is tied to the Nerazzurri until June 2023 but the club are reportedly keen to extend his deal for at least another season. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dzeko offered an assessment of the season so far and his immediate future:
What do you think about the slow down in middle of the season (the international break)?
“Many players will have had more days off than usual, even veterans from the World Cup. I don’t see anything wrong, the body can almost react better. More than on the break, however, I would focus on the period after: I just hope that Inter will do better and not repeat the same mistakes made so far.”
Is really a difference of 11 points between you and Napoli?
“We must give credit to them if they have accumulated this lead at the top of the table. Of course, 11 points are too many, but they are children of our first phase. It’s needless to rethink those months, to get by, to puzzle: the only thing we can do now, I repeat, is to accelerate, because it can always be recovered.”
Last year’s experience, on the contrary, can almost help you …
“Here, last season there may be lessons to learn. In January everyone said that we were already champions of Italy and even there, perhaps, we relaxed a bit, thinking that the hard part was done. But Italian football is like this: there is no game where you can give less than 100%.”
Is there a reason that makes you optimistic about the comeback?
“Inter are by nature optimistic. It is the level of the team that makes me optimistic. But from January we have to make many more points, we have everything to travel at a fast pace.”
You were the only center forward last year: what did you feel when another came in?
“This is Inter, by definition a team of great players. And everyone who comes to raise the level is welcome. We need them. I embrace them all: be it Romelu or another.”
Conte imagined you together with Romelu in 2019-20: how compatible are you and Lukaku?
“Great players can always play together. I don’t see the slightest problem of being attacked with Romelu, but also with all the other teammates. In the game you always find a way to frame yourself, there are no limits at the start. Then in my career I often played as a center forward of my own “dimensions”: at Wolfsburg I did very well with Grafite, at City there were Negredo and Balotelli. And at Roma I played with Schick. Then…”.
What relationship do you and Rom have? You have become friends?
“I have known him since we were in England: he was young, we often challenged each other, but at the end of the game we always spoke and it was a pleasure. Even when I was in Rome and he at Inter, we maintained a sincere relationship. It is normal for there to be competition: competition is fair, indeed necessary. But we all think the same thing: those who go on the pitch must always be supported by those who don’t play.”
A goal every 144 minutes, for six years you didn’t have an average like this: is there is a secret?
“No particular reason, I am physically well, I want to see many of my teammates when they are old like me … But they are all honest, they say it to my face: ‘Maybe I would be like you at 36 …’. Seriously, to extend your career you have to work a lot and I don’t save myself, even if when you take the field it is always your quality that makes the difference.”
In addition to the run-up to Napoli, do you think that you could be a surprise in Europe?
“Some say instead that we are not European enough … I simply say that we are a great team, really strong, which in the first part of the season did not express its real value. In the Champions League we did better and now with Porto, an excellent opponent, we start with a 50 percent chance, even if the value is only fixed by the field. Meanwhile, however, we immediately want a first trophy, the Super Cup against Milan.”
You train with Skriniar every day: how strong is he and how important is it for him to stay?
“Very very strong. Of course it would be important, in the future he could become the captain. We all love him, but everyone must make the best choices for his life and nobody has the right to impede on this.”
Will you renew?
“Let’s put it this way: my will is to do very well until June and the rest will come by itself … I won’t add anything else”.
