Inter coach Antonio Conte said the Europa League is an important competition for the Nerazzurri and that the ‘most important thing will be to have no regrets’ after the match against Getafe on Wednesday.
The Beneamata are back in European action tomorrow, four days after having concluded the domestic season at second in Serie A.
Conte urged Inter to give their all against Getafe, but can’t guarantee that it will give them a place in the Final Eight.
Inter coach Antonio Conte said the Europa League is an important competition for the Nerazzurri and that the ‘most important thing will be to have no regrets’ after the match against Getafe on Wednesday.
The Beneamata are back in European action tomorrow, four days after having concluded the domestic season at second in Serie A.
Conte urged Inter to give their all against Getafe, but can’t guarantee that it will give them a place in the Final Eight.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s important to me. It’s an important tournament for all of us, especially for Inter. We speak of us and not I,” Conte said at a press conference. “We must give our best and have no regrets.
“We don’t know where our best will take us, but the most important thing will be to have no regrets.”
The former Italy CT has claimed the pressure that comes with the Nerazzurri job is the ‘right kind’.
“It’s the right kind of pressure, the one we had in the run-in of the championship, to maintain an important position even though someone else won the League.
“We faced the pressure of having to recover positions in the table, the last three games have shown improvements and I hope that we will take another step tomorrow.
“I want a response that gives continuity to what has been done.”
Conte expects to build on the good end to the season in Italy and said Inter are ‘ready’ if they have to ‘get dirty’ against their Spanish opponents.
“I think the team collected the points we deserved, although I have said that in the League you can sow little and reap a lot, or vice versa.
“We have collected less, but it’s fair that we finished with 82 points. It was a good championship, with important progress from all aspects and now we get to play in this competition.
“We are here, we are ready, we know it will be a tough game against a tough opponent. It could be a dirty game and we will have to get dirty, but the team have reached the maturity level to enter these kinds of games.”
Getafe ended eight in La Liga and have struggled in recent months but Conte expects a resilient opponent in Gelsenkirchen.
“We have studied them. Against the big teams in Spain, they have played unspectacular games, but the opponents have always suffered to bring home the results.
“This speaks volumes about the strength and resilience of this team. They play long balls, play on the second balls, the attackers are strong and structured and help the defensive phase by turning over the action.
“We must prove that we deserve to go through. If we are better, we will advance, otherwise we go out.
“Winning helps to win, there’s not much to say. The wins bring conviction and self-esteem, as well as reliability. I don’t discover something different with this.
“I say winning is never easy and if you get to do it, it means you have achieved a level that can be an important basis.
“It’s an important competition for us, winning helps the process of development and to create confidence. It’s inevitable that we need to win.”