In the second part of his interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Francesco Acerbi reveals Milan Skriniar didn’t speak about PSG’s offer inside Inter‘s dressing room and admits ‘it will be difficult’ to replace the Slovakia international.
Skriniar rejected a contract extension offer from the Serie A giants and will join PSG as a free agent in June.
“We knew he had an offer from PSG, but he had never spoken about it with us,” Acerbi told Gazzetta.
“We didn’t care about it because we’ve always seen his commitment. We are sorry to see him leave; replacing him won’t be easy. There aren’t many strong young defenders and they are very expensive, like [Giorgio] Scalvini.”
Acerbi is on loan at Inter from Lazio and hopes to stay at the Stadio Meazza beyond the summer. Does he think the Nerazzurri will make his move permanent at the end of the season?
“I don’t know, I’d like to stay, but for sure I don’t want to get till August without knowing where I will play. I want to know my future in July and I hope a solution for my permanent transfer is found soon. I am 35, but I feel great physically and mentally.”
Napoli have suffered their only defeat this season against Inter last month, but the Nerazzurri remain 13 points below the Partenopei in the Serie A table.
“We picked up a draw with Monza which, for a tea like Inter, should not happen,” noted Acerbi.
“Napoli are a war machine, but I insist that the title race is not over, we have a 5% chance and we must believe in it. They must slow down a little, but we must think we can win every match.
“We should have had five or six points more and with another game against Napoli yet to be played, the gap wouldn’t be so big. With the right wickedness, we can win games, but sometimes we’ve lacked it a little bit.”
What does he make of Inter’s strikers? What is it like to train with them every day?
“It’s a pleasure to play with Lautaro. The way he fights on the pitch has surprised me. Lukaku can be devastating if he feels well and Edin [Dzeko] has class. Correa is struggling, but we try t help him as we do with the others.”
Would he like to become a coach after his playing career?
“I’d like to do it, but nowadays even a plumber can get the coaching badges. Everyone can chase the same dream, but I think there is a limit and those who play should have priority. I feel I can do it because I understand players and I’ve experienced everything in my career. I hit rock bottom and got back. Empathy makes a difference with players and is much more important than any tactical system.”