Inter Coach Stefano Pioli acknowledges “it will be important to return from Fiorentina with three points”.
The Nerazzurri are two points behind Milan in the sixth and final Europa League spot – assuming Lazio finish in the top five or win the Coppa Italia – with just six games of the Serie A season to play.
“We’re five points off fourth and we’ll have a head-to-head game [with Lazio in Week 37],” Pioli pointed out in his pre-match Press conference.
Inter Coach Stefano Pioli acknowledges “it will be important to return from Fiorentina with three points”.
The Nerazzurri are two points behind Milan in the sixth and final Europa League spot – assuming Lazio finish in the top five or win the Coppa Italia – with just six games of the Serie A season to play.
“We’re five points off fourth and we’ll have a head-to-head game [with Lazio in Week 37],” Pioli pointed out in his pre-match Press conference.
“Saturday will be a difficult, complicated game against a team which plays well and is well coached. It will be important to return from Florence with three points.
“I had six years in Florence, with important satisfaction but also disappointments, I remember the relegation.
“Playing in Florence is always hard, they’ve stopped all the big teams but all of our games since November have been hard because we’ve always been chasing.
“For four games we haven’t been used to winning and so getting back to winning would be important.
“We’ve always said that we’ll make our assessments at the end of the season, and we must do our best to be happy with our work.
“We’ve made mistakes, but we have the chance to finish well.”
Pioli’s future isn’t clear, and won’t be discussed until the end of the season, could that be a distraction for his squad?
“I appreciate the work of the directors in difficult moments of the season, it’s too easy to talk when things are going well.
“I judge directors by what they do when things aren’t going well and I’m lucky because I’ve had great support from the club.
“Of course it’s normal that everything is linked to results.”
Gabriel Barbosa hasn’t made a single Serie A start since his €30m move from Santos in the summer, but the Coach defended his choices.
“I’m fortunate that I have a lot of options, I’ve always made the choices I felt were right,” Pioli shrugged.
“In some games my hand has been forced by injuries, everyone has to work positively and make sure they’re ready.”