Conte: "We always play to achieve the maximum"

MILAN - After the midweek success over Lazio, Inter are preparing themselves for matchday 6 of Serie A TIM which is scheduled for Saturday at 18:00 CEST at the “Luigi Ferraris” stadium. Nerazzurri Coach Antonio Conte spoke in the pre-match press conference ahead of the fixture against Sampdoria: “The Marassi is always a difficult place to go, it’s a tough stadium and Sampdoria are a strong side with a very skilled coach in Di Francesco. They’re an organised team, you can see the work that the Coach has put in. It starts with a system of play that has changed over the course of his time there but we have to be aware of more than just that because it will be a tough match, a classic in the sense that we have so much to lose. For us, this Game (with a capital G) against Sampdoria is the most important game of our lives so far, we’ll focus on other games in the future but for now this is the one that matters. This is the fifth game in just a short period of time and it would be smart to select a balanced line-up, one that gives security with the aim of always achieving the maximum.”

Inter face Sampdoria from their spot at the top of the table on maximum points: “Nobody sets out to lose, in our heads we have a huge desire to win every game. The fact that we’re on a winning streak is important because it’s the result of both the work that we’re doing and the commitment that the boys are putting in. But we have to continue with the same will and desire and look to always improve in order to give a continuity to these results, that’s essential if we want to be at the top. In order to become a great team, a team has to provide stability, continuity and certainty. We have a path ahead of us and we’re trying to improve, especially from this point of view.”

With regard to the team’s growth: “The strength of the defence comes from the whole team, when we defend all 11 players are involved. The most important thing is to succeed in having a balance between defensive and attacking phases. The quality of the league has risen this year. We should fight with everything we have to do our best, only then will we see what our best really is. When I talk about growth I mean everything, including leadership. We have room for improvement in all areas and my job is to make the players grow in every respect. One or two wins don’t change my way of thinking, we have to keep working hard in order to do the best we can as a team.”

Finally, the team's state of fitness after the midweek match against the Biancocelesti which was decided by D'Ambrosio's goal: "The players are doing well, those who had little knocks have recovered. D'Ambrosio is a modern footballer because he can cover so many different roles, I'm happy to have a player like him because it allows you to take advantage of his versatility at the footballing level.”