Roberto Mancini believes Inter should “be in the Champions League all the time” and “deserved the Coppa Italia Final.”
The Coach sat down with Inter Channel for an extensive interview looking back over the course of the campaign.
“This side has excellent foundations and it’s not as negative as people want to make you think.
Roberto Mancini believes Inter should “be in the Champions League all the time” and “deserved the Coppa Italia Final.”
The Coach sat down with Inter Channel for an extensive interview looking back over the course of the campaign.
“This side has excellent foundations and it’s not as negative as people want to make you think. We are on the right path to get back to a high level, including a Scudetto challenge.
“There are regrets we didn’t qualify for the Champions League. A club like Inter, who can boast such prestige, deserve to be in the Champions League all the time.
“Inter’s history goes back over 100 years and the Nerazzurri jersey has been worn by world class players.”
Mancini’s side finished in fourth place, despite being top of the table until January 6 with a series of 1-0 wins.
“We started well and that is important in a Serie A season. It’s tough to have a sparkling style of football at that time, as the players must get to know each other.
“We didn’t concede many goals, but didn’t score many either, though the victories were giving us more confidence. We kept winning and were still criticised for 20 rounds.
“Unfortunately the issue of not scoring many goals did in the long run prove to be our biggest limitation.
“In Italy criticising Coaches is a national sport. I was criticised for changing my line-ups, Maurizio Sarri was criticised at Napoli for picking the same one too many times.
“Inter weren’t as bad as some like to say, as with the points we put together in previous seasons we’d have finished second or third. At the end of the day, we are in the right place with a few regrets.”
Mancini confessed the biggest regret is the Coppa Italia semi-final, lost to Juventus on penalties after a 3-0 defeat in Turin and 3-0 victory at San Siro.
“Beating Juve 3-0 and with the chances to score a fourth goal, then losing on penalties, that really was a big regret.
“We would’ve deserved to play in the Final and that would’ve been a great thing for the lads and our season.
“There are regrets this season because in the head-to-head games we always did well. Inter deserve to play in the Champions League and we’ve got the right foundations, so need to use our brains on the transfer market and make as few mistakes as possible.
“If you change many players, then a few mistakes are possible, but you only realise it once you see them in training every day.”
Mancini was also asked about the reports he could walk away from San Siro – again.
“When I came to Inter in 2004 we had very talented players. Despite having a squad that was better prepared than we are now, we were still able to open a new era.
“I’ve been here a year and a half now, not five years. We tried to make as few mistakes as possible, but we are not perfect.
“As I said, a Coach can tell when the team is on the way. I think we’re getting there and now we have to get those two or three elements right who can make us step up in quality.
“In football, as shown by Leicester City with Claudio Ranieri being the same Coach as he was before, anything can happen.”