Ahead of Sunday’s game against Cagliari, Antonio Conte held a pre-match press conference:
Cagliari?
“It will be a difficult game as Cagliari are always an excellent side. They want to bounce back after losing to Brescia. We will need to play very well and perform well. We need to make sure we are ready for a difficult match.”
“We are optimistic and there is enthusiasm but we cannot get carried away. We need to keep working hard and stay committed. We had a great start vs Lecce but there are still areas to work on. We need to keep improving and doing well. Our future depends on it.”
“Playing away against Cagliari is very hard. They did well last year and now they have a very good coach. This is a big step for us. We need to take this on with the right approach. We will have a clearer idea after this game.”
Sanchez?
“I hope that Sanchez will deliver for Inter and he will settle well here. I hope that he does what we all know he’s capable of doing. He is a great forward, a complete one. He’ll be important for us, his past two year hasn’t been great and he wants to get back to it. He will join us in Cagliari.”
Barella?
“Barella is working hard. He understands what I want from him and I’m happy that he’s here at Inter. He has competition though, I want there to be competition for places in this team and that will be a positive for everyone. We need a big squad as we will have a lot of games.”
A lot of Italians in the team?
“It is important to have a good team first of all. If they are Italian then that’s better. We all want the national team to do well. We need a care of Italian players because they know our approach and what I want. I think Italian players are important in our team.”
Biraghi?
“Biraghi is a new addition and we’ll work on his fitness first. He’s a bit behind in that way so he’ll work hard and needs to build up fitness level. He will not travel with the team.”
Nainggolan?
“I respect him a lot. He’s a very good play, I wanted him when I was with Chelsea in my first season in London. I rate him but the club made the decision about Nainggolan. I will say hi tomorrow and wish him well.”
Transfer market?
“I don’t want to talk about it. I prefer to talk to the club about it. We have a squad of players available, I want to achieve something special with these players. The transfer market is closed according to Marotta.”
Icardi and legal action against Inter?
“Everything has been done correctly. As for the rest, I don’t want to say much more. We need to focus on the season and our goals. I don’t want others to be the main focus.”
The team dinner?
“The team dinner was organised by the players and it was their initiative. I’m happy they did that and it is nice to see. It shows there’s a good team spirit and they enjoy spending time together. The key is that they came home early [laughs].”
Icardi issue causing problems?
“As I said before, there is no issue. Everything has been done in the correct manner. We are all focused on our job and the task at hand. I understand that others like to keep bringing this up but we must stay focused on playing.”
Politano?
“I think Marotta has been very clear. He said that Inter’s transfer market is over. So no more incomings and outgoings. And Politano has never said anything to me. There are two days before the window closes but I’m happy with Politano and he knows what I want.”
Godin & De Vrij?
“Godin is training again, I’m very pleased. He’ll be on the bench against Cagliari. We’ll see about De Vrij.”
Sensi?
“You must always target players correctly. You need to make sure that you get the players suited for your style. It’s important to be clear and we’ve done that this summer. Sanchez, Lukaku are two great chance’s we’ve taken upon. We’ve signed Godin for free.”
Lazaro?
“He had an injury in preseason and it did not help him of course. It was not easy and it was a setback. He came from the German league and so he needs time to settle and learn how we play. But he has important attributes. We’ll give him time and I think he can do well.”
Lautaro?
“He is a versatile forward. He can play as a support or main striker. He is just 22 years old, very young and can get better. I think he will go far. We need him to do well for the club.”
