Simone Inzaghi explains how he improved Antonio Conte’s Inter, giving the players ‘freedom to decide’ on the pitch and earning praise from fans for his more entertaining style of football.
The coach sat down for a lengthy interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport after securing the Winter Champions title, sitting four points clear at the midway stage of the season.
“I read Inzaghi here, Inzaghi there, but the Winter Champion title isn’t a trophy. We’re doing well, but this is just a starting point,” said the tactician.
“I was content even in October when we were a long way off the top. That’s because I’d meet the fans around the city and they’d tell me that they liked the way we played, happily coming to the stadium. That is the most important compliment for a coach.
“I’ll even say that my staff and I believed we could do great things from the first training session in July.”
It has been said that Inzaghi took the team built by Conte and made them more exciting to watch, as well as more unpredictable.
Above all, the players themselves have praised him for giving them more freedom on the pitch, whereas Conte was often accused of ‘remote-controlling’ them from the touchline.
“Modern football is above all about occupying space. So I give the players the freedom to decide the right moment to act. Now the crowds are back in the stadiums, a coach can only get so much across to his players.
“We can organise defensive and attacking movements, which we do with ad-hoc video tactical sessions, but the decisions are ultimately with the players. A football match is a collection of choices, the best ones are made by those who win trophies.”
Unlike Conte, Inzaghi rotates the squad more often and is getting more out of the players at his disposal, including qualification for the Champions League Round of 16.
“The one who surprised me the most was Andrea Ranocchia. We had to win games against Napoli and Shakhtar Donetsk, we didn’t have Stefan de Vrij, but Ranocchia played like a real Interista. The same goes for Roberto Gagliardini, so when I turn to the bench, I know I can rely on everyone.
“I try to talk to the players, really have a rapport with them. In today’s football, motivation can make the difference.”
Inzaghi is also managing something several coaches at Milan could not, namely getting the best out of Hakan Calhanoglu.
“I think his natural role is in a three-man midfield. He has quality and quantity, sharing many elements with Luis Alberto at Lazio. I am convinced Eriksen would’ve fit in well with my style of football, too.”
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He is a great human being regardless what he can achieve, I always liked him, now he is exceeding my expectations too.