Inzaghi: "Lazio a well - organised side, it’ll be a difficult match"

APPIANO GENTILE - Inter are preparing ahead of another match: the nerazzurri will be heading to the capital to face Lazio, scheduled at Stadio Olimpico, Rome on Monday 16 December at 20:45 CET. On the eve of the clash, the Inter Head Coach Simone Inzaghi spoke to Inter TV:  You’re facing one of the most in-form sides in Europe who can read games well: what sort of match do you expect and what balances will need to be managed? “It will certainly be a difficult match: we’re facing a side that have won 16 out of 22 official matches and have played excellently in eight games despite not winning them. It will be a difficult match but we will have to approach it in the best way possible”.

Lazio have dangerous players that can make a difference: what do you think the reason is for their brilliant displays? “It’s worth crediting everyone involved, I’m thinking of the club and the coach. Baroni is doing brilliant work, the team is organised and the players are playing a great brand of football with a strong sense of identity: this deserves to be highlighted by all of us”. 

After a Champions League match, it is never easy to recover your physical and mental energy fully: what is the aspect you and your staff need to work on most? "We know that international matches take energy away: just look at the results last weekend. It's the same for Inter, for Lazio and for all the teams that play in the Cups: certainly, participating in the European Cups is a source of pride and prestige. Tomorrow, however, both teams will do their utmost to play an excellent match."

This match is between high ranking teams: this year the championship is more open, with more teams fighting for the title. Do you think Lazio will be able to fit in? "I said before the season that it would be a balanced championship, with many challengers who have strengthened their ranks. In my opinion it's fair to consider Lazio because, apart from the league table, they have a well-organised system that allows them to challenge for the title." Returning to the Olimpico, the place where you began your managerial career, always has a particular significance: what sort of emotions does this match provoke from a personal point of view?   “Matches against Lazio are never just another match, even though I think tomorrow’s match will be the eighth time that I’ve faced them, the fourth at the Olimpico. I haven’t forgotten the journey and the trophies won, firstly on the pitch as a player then as a manager. For this, I thank my teammates and players: a thought goes to everyone at Lazio, to Lotito, to Tare and all of the players that I worked with. I am fortunate enough to have worked at Lazio, but now my focus is on Inter: a club where I am very happy at the moment and where I feel appreciated by everyone. For this, I am proud of what I’m doing here at Inter”.