Conte: "Every win is important, we've created a wonderful group"

BOLOGNA – The Nerazzurri picked up where they’d left off this evening: following the postponement of Inter vs. Sassuolo and the subsequent international break, Antonio Conte’s men beat Bologna at the Dall Ara on matchday 29 in Serie A. Lukaku scored the decisive goal in the 31st minute as Inter recorded their ninth consecutive league victory.

This is what the Nerazzurri Coach had to say to Sky after the game:

Did your hug with Oriali have a special significance?

“I have a really good relationship with Lele. We began to work together when I was the Italy Head Coach and something special was created. Every win is important and getting the better of Bologna today at a tough place to play and against a team that presses you hard is a big step forward. It was a very long day for us, playing after everyone else wasn’t easy. I need to compliment the lads, they did well to show the right focus and spirit. It wasn’t simple and not to be taken for granted. This is an important win, but now we need to build on this against Sassuolo on Wednesday.”

Was it a Scudetto-winning hug? 

"No, because the Scudetto needs to be earned on the pitch and must be mathematically certain. We’ve still got ten games to play and know that the road ahead is still long. Serie A is difficult, and you need to try to achieve the maximum from every game. It’s inevitable that the closer you get to the finish line, the clearer the prize at the end becomes, but it’s up to us to continue to go down this path and deservedly finish first. I think we deserve to be where we are, but we’ve achieved nothing yet.”

What would the Scudetto title mean?

"I came to Inter to change the narrative of the last few years. The objective was to be successful and build something credible, making the Inter fans proud in the process. We need to remain focused on our work and concentrate on what we have the power to change.”

You’ve got nearly all of the team playing at an excellent level, is this the best kind of satisfaction for you?“Yes, absolutely. I’ll use Ranocchia as an example. He’s not played a lot, but he’s always ready when he takes to the pitch. Credit to him and the relentless hard work he’s put in, and credit to the staff, who prepare every player as if they’re about to play. Everyone knows what they have to do, and they are helped by being in a good physical condition. Andrea is behind de Vrij, who is a pillar of our side, but he is aware of the confidence we have in him. Today, I selected him for exactly that reason, and all of the lads know that I have great faith in their abilities. The same goes for Young, who stepped in for Perisic. Something really good has been created here. I’m consistent with my players and they know this. I always think about what’s best for the team, and there’s a great level of mutual respect between us. We have great chemistry and want to finish off the job. It’d be great, in what’s been a difficult year, to be able to bring some joy to our fans. Last year, we came close when we made the Europa League final, but we’ll try to do even better this time around.”