In the aftermath of Inter’s hard-fought 1-0 victory against Fiorentina at the Franchi, Simone Inzaghi shared his thoughts in an interview with DAZN. The Nerazzurri took the lead through Lautaro Martinez, while Yann Sommer saved a late penalty to help propel Inter back into first place in the Serie A table, a week ahead of the visit of second-place Juventus. Opening with a comment on the team’s performance, Inzaghi stated:
“In the first half after the 1-0, we had many chances where we could have done better; in one, Terracciano was excellent. In the second half, many counterattacks, where we usually show more quality, but I can’t say anything to these guys. We’ve won 17 out of 21 matches, scored 50 goals, conceded 10, so I can give them a big applause. We need to continue like this. We know that every game is difficult, especially in Florence against a team like Fiorentina.”
Speaking about the upcoming schedule and the imminent clash with Juventus, Inzaghi said, “I have only thought about the Fiorentina match because we reason in this way. We look at the closest game, don’t make fictitious rankings, recoveries. We need to look day by day; it’s an important and intense period. We came from two finals because we played one final, but it’s as if we played two. The boys have given a lot; now I’ve given them two days off. They deserve it because they’ve been pushing since July 13. We need to continue, but we knew Florence was a crucial step for us.”
Inzaghi then focused on Asllani’s performance: “Kristjan was excellent, but I had no doubts. I had some doubts if he was willing to stay another year because he has enormous qualities. Last year he was behind Calhanoglu and Brozovic, but he is 100% inside the group, always trains well. So, it’s the luck of a coach to have such a guy. I knew he would have a great game. I’m happy he provided the assist for Lautaro’s goal, and well, he lasted 95 minutes. It’s been a long time since he played so many, and this is a testament to what kind of guy he is and how he trains.”
Moving on to comment on the penalty awarded to Fiorentina in the second half, Inzaghi said, “I haven’t seen it again; the episodes are there, facts to judge and see. They took a long time because it was clearly something to review. Regardless of whether the penalty was given or not, it’s right to accept what they decide. There are two people at VAR, one person on the field, who, by the way, refereed very well. So, these are evaluations. It’s difficult; they have to decide in an instant, and it’s difficult.”
Finally, looking ahead to the next Sunday’s match against Juventus, Inzaghi said, “It’s a match between two teams having an impressive journey, between two excellent teams, and we will try to do our best, prepare it in the best possible way. We face a team that is practically following our path, so we’ll have to prepare as we did in Turin in the first leg. It wasn’t a spectacular game; there were two goals of excellent workmanship. Now we play at home, in front of our audience, in front of our fans, who are very important to us. Tonight in Florence, not doubling in the second half, we suffered with them. Many had come tonight too; they had been in Riyadh with us; we had just raised a trophy, and despite that, they pushed us until the end.”
Responding to Allegri’s taunts, Inzaghi said, “I speak personally, no annoyance. On the contrary, I don’t think there was any rudeness, so very calm. Now my only thought was Fiorentina; clearly, from Tuesday, I will think about Juventus, which is a team that we will have to face in the best possible way.”
