Inter president Steven Zhang insists he is proud of Inter for their performance against Manchester City in the Champions League final. The match ended 1-0 but the Nerazurri had a number of chances of their own and could have taken the match to extra time, something coach Simone Inzaghi expressed regrets about when interviewed. Speaking with Sky Sport Italia, Zhang explained why he saw the season as a positive, overall, and talked about the steps he wants to take for the future of the club:
“Winning and losing is part of sport. I want to congratulate all components of Inter: they all gave 100 percent. And I congratulate City for an excellent season. We are proud to have reached the final and to play against the best, also being able to show our qualities without fear, regardless of the final result.”
No one thought Inter were so close to City…
“I think the mentality and quality of our guys is of a high level. We are not inferior to anyone and everyone saw that tonight.”
How to restart? Have you already talked to Inzaghi?
“A positive season to reflect on and we have already started some time ago to work for the future. The players who had a good season will continue with us and we will be happy to support them. A transfer campaign cannot be planned in a day….”
What can you tell us about the steps for the future?
“It’s important to stay competitive by retaining the best players. Today we showed that we deserve to be in the finals and that we are really strong. Everyone thought there wouldn’t even be a game…. We are really proud of this result, then a final must always have a winner and a loser, but we are very confident about the foundation.”
The average age is quite high: will you be able to rejuvenate while keeping the level high?
“From football I’ve learned that a winning team needs a mix of young and experienced. We got here, then in the finals you win and lose, but it’s always a question of balance and we try to aim for that every year.”
What will you do with Lukaku?
“He has shown great attachment to Inter. He is an incredible guy: he has a contract with Chelsea and we will have to talk to them to understand.”
