Conte: "We'll put in all our energy against Verona"

APPIANO GENTILE – Inter will shortly take to the pitch for the final time in 2020, with Conte’s men set to face Verona at the Bentegodi at 18:30 CET on Wednesday. On the eve of the matchday 14 clash in Serie A, Coach Antonio Conte held a pre-match press conference. This is what he had to say:

Verona are a tough team to face and have a well-defined tactical system. What are you expecting? “They’ve been doing great things since last year, Juric is doing a fantastic job, he can only be complimented. It’ll be a difficult match, they’ve always created problems for the big sides. We’ll need to perform well and be attentive and determined, because we know what we’re up against.”

How are the team doing in terms of fatigue? “We played on Sunday, so those who took to the pitch against Spezia did recovery work yesterday. We’ll prepare for the match against Hellas today, then we’ll have a few days off. In Verona, we’ll try to put in all our energy in order to get a good result.”

Are Milan surprising you? “They’re doing very well, I’m happy for Pioli.”

Last season, Inter finished December at the top alongside Juventus, while they’re up there again this year. What point have the team reached on their journey? “We're trying to create a path that will lead Inter to the very first position in the league. Running parallel to this football path is the one that the Club is going down.”

In the last few matches, you’ve rotated things less and made fewer changes: is this the result of injury problems or a choice in order to achieve continuity? “Both of these things. We’ve had some injuries, but we’re creating stability and have a framework to work with.”

You’ve spoken about an end-of-year assessment: what did you envision and what are your expectations for the future? “My assessment isn’t important, what counts is what the Club thinks about the past four months. A meeting will be held with the Club after the game against Verona. In our August meeting, decisions were taken that were agreed upon by all parties, now the time has come to sit together again and understand what’s to come.”

Are Alexis Sanchez’s physical problems also the result of his international call-ups? “I don’t know the exact reasons, but the fact is Sanchez is injured a lot.”