Marotta: ‘Chivu proved himself worthy of Inter, we can see the finish line’
Inter President Beppe Marotta insists Cristian Chivu is ‘one of the best young coaches in Europe’ and they ‘can see the finish line’ for the Scudetto.
The match with Cagliari kicks off at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza at 19.45 UK time (18.45 CEST).
Both those Serie A Week 33 fixtures are being played today because Inter and Como will meet in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday, with the first leg ending 0-0 last month.
Those sides met only last week with the 4-3 thriller sending the Nerazzurri nine points clear at the top of the Serie A table, with Napoli and Milan also stumbling.
Inter can see the Scudetto
“I am very prudent, albeit very optimistic,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
“It feels as if we are in the final kilometre of the Giro d’Italia, we are wearing the pink shirt and can see the finish line, but let’s not make any calculations ahead of time.
“There are still 18 points up for grabs, we must repeat the performance in Como, where we achieved a victory with character after going behind.
“We must remember every team raise their game when facing the leaders, it is added motivation, so we must respect our opponents and be aware of their quality.”
Alessandro Bastoni has been struggling with an ankle issue for several weeks and is therefore in the stands today, with Lautaro Martinez and Yann Bisseck also injured.
Squad rotation is nonetheless kept to a minimum, as Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco maintain their usual positions on the wings, but Josep Martinez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan step in.
On the Cagliari side, Marco Palestra starts, and he has been linked with a possible Inter swoop from parent club Atalanta.
“There is this talk of a crisis of talent in Italy, but this lad made his mark and in my view has a great future ahead of him,” noted Marotta.
“He is having some excellent performances and needs to keep going like this. It’s not easy, I am proud as a fan of the Nazionale to see him develop, but it is only right and fair that Atalanta hold on tight.”
It is a special evening for the Esposito family, as brothers Francesco Pio and Sebastiano face off on opposite teams, both having come up through the Inter youth academy.
A third brother, Salvatore Esposito, is currently playing for Sampdoria in Serie B.
“You don’t win trophies with young talents alone, you have to mix them with experience and also the winning culture that is often found within players who have more history behind them,” argued the Inter President.
“As a club, we should continue focusing on the importance of financial sustainability and also the objective of winning, with a mixture of youth and experience. And naturally also a core of Italian players.”
If Chivu is on track to win the Scudetto in his first season at Inter, will his contract be automatically renewed?
“The contract is just a formal aspect, but with his way of working, he has proved himself worthy of Inter, and he is one of the best young coaches in Europe,” concluded Marotta.
Inter will step out wearing special jackets as part of a collaboration marking the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd album ‘Wish You Were Here.’