Pioli: "Lots of room for improvement, big January ahead"

APPIANO GENTILE – 2016 finished brightly for Stefano Pioli as Inter recorded four back-to-back wins (three in Serie A and one in the Europa League) in the tail end of the year,  conceding just one goal in the process.

Two months into his reign in the Nerazzurri dugout, the coach sat down with Inter Channel to take stock.

"I was an Inter fan for many years, then I played against this club as an opponent and now I'm having a very intense experience here as coach,” Pioli began.

“You're never going to find a settled environment when you take over mid-season because if you've been brought in it means the results weren't good enough. You have to work twice as fast because the team need concrete, effective ideas – and that's what we're trying to do.

“I was in New York when the club contacted me and I got the fantastic news. Sometimes things happen at just the right time in life and I believe I'm at the perfect stage of my career for this opportunity. I feel ready with the experience I've built up so I'm delighted, but at the same time I have a huge sense of responsibility because lots of people are very passionate about Inter. My staff and I are setting about the task with utmost professionalism and great pride too.”

Pioli then spoke about his coaching team in more detail.

"I started out in the Bologna youth academy in 1999 and Matteo Osti was the fitness coach there at the time. From then on I slowly built up my backroom team as and when the opportunity arose. Giacomo Murelli is a friend of mine as well as being a highly skilled professional – the same goes for Davide Lucarelli, Francesco Perondi and the 'newcomer' Walter Samuel, who has settled in superbly and is lending us a huge hand. Working alongside people you trust is crucial. All the right conditions are in place for our players to be able to work the best way possible.”

Looking ahead to 2017, the Nerazzurri boss added: "I'm in no doubt whatsoever that this team has plenty of room for improvement and I also think the transfer window can help us sort out a couple of situations. If we keep putting in the hard work day in day out as we have been doing, maintaining a focused, professional attitude, we'll be able to compete with the best.

“Wins breed confidence and January will be a big month for us. We'll go to Marbella to spend some time together oiling the wheels. We've got some catching up to do and we need to get a move on if we want to climb the table. Only if we really believe can we put absolutely everything into it on the pitch.

“Every match is an opportunity for us. We can beat anyone on our day and if we show the right mentality we can go a long way.”

The coach signed off with a message for the fans: “I wish them all the best for 2017 and hope it's a year of happiness and success.”