As Inter Milan prepare for their Champions League debut against Manchester City, manager Simone Inzaghi addressed the media in a pre-match press conference. The Italian coach shared his thoughts on the upcoming match, the team’s ambitions, and key players.
Inzaghi expressed his respect for Manchester City and their manager Pep Guardiola, calling him “the best coach in circulation” and “an inspiration.” Despite acknowledging the financial disparities between the clubs, Inzaghi emphasized his team’s winning mentality:
“We always set out to win, even though we know there are different budgets and other factors. But I don’t like excuses.”
The Inter boss also reflected on his previous encounters with Guardiola, noting that two of their three meetings had been pleasant, with the exception of their clash in Istanbul – a reference to last season’s Champions League final.
When asked about captain Lautaro Martinez’s recent performances, Inzaghi defended the Argentine striker:
“He’s our captain and he will score many goals for us. We need to evaluate and understand his situation. He arrived almost a month after his teammates, he worked hard and then had a problem. He stopped, then went to the national team and played two games as a starter. He’s travelled a lot, but with more matches and training, he’ll find his best form and the goals he’s always scored. Lautaro will always be a solution, never a problem for me.”
Inzaghi also commented on the new Champions League format, emphasizing that the upcoming match against Manchester City should not be seen as a rematch of last season’s final:
“I don’t think this is a rematch, because it’s not the final but a group stage match in a new Champions League format. In the final, I believe the key moments are crucial, and Pep knows that too. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new Champions League that will be very different: before, you had to prepare for three home-and-away matches, now it’s eight different teams. We will try to prepare for the match in the best possible way.”
The Inter manager revealed that he had rewatched the Champions League final a week after the match and again a month ago during the team’s training camp. He stressed the importance of adapting to the new format and preparing for each match individually.
