Inter director Beppe Marotta tries to back Simone Inzaghi, but also admits if they do not qualify for the Champions League, they will have to ‘completely revise the entire strategy’ for next season.
The Coppa Italia semi-final with Juventus kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
This is the first leg and the decider will be at San Siro on April 26, but the away goals rule no longer applies from this season.
The Nerazzurri go into this match on the back of three consecutive Serie A defeats and strong reports Inzaghi risks the sack, potentially even before the end of the season.
“We get through this moment with unity, solidity, an even stronger sense of responsibility and work ethic. The coach sees the squad, he intervenes and decides who is best to pick. He is the leader,” Marotta told Sport Mediaset.
“We have faith in the coach and we have already said that, the fact he has a multi-year contract with us signifies we have faith in him. We are still in the running for three objectives. There have certainly been some inconsistent performances in Serie A, even if there are nine rounds to go and we can still recover.
“The fact that we are in the Coppa Italia semi-final and the Champions League quarter-final shows that this team and coach have had a relatively good campaign.”
Inter have above all dropped points against the so-called weaker teams in the league and the CEO suggests it is “a psychological issue” compared to the easy motivation of a top fixture.
However, when it comes to a top four finish in Serie A, Marotta does not beat around the bush about how apocalyptic that would be for their finances.
“The priority for the club is that being out of the Champions League would mean completely revising the entire strategy and business plan for next season.”
Pressed on the need to sack Inzaghi should they fail to qualify for the Champions League, Marotta tried to walk the tightrope.
“We are united, the directors talk to the players frequently and did so yesterday at lunch. However, we must not interfere with the dynamics of Inzaghi, who is the leader and needs to find the right measures.
“Look, we are all under the spotlight, if the results don’t arrive at the end of the season, we are all to blame, not just the coach. But we must consider that only one team can win and the others all lose.”
Max Allegri continues to argue that Juventus have amassed nine more points in Serie A than Inter, and would be second if not for the 15-point penalty, yet at the same time insists that the Bianconeri are the underdogs. Which is true?
“Allegri is a smart communicator,” replied Marotta. “We know that Inter, Milan and Juve are always under pressure to get results, but you need great performances to achieve those. Allegri was clever to find the counter-measures in a difficult moment for his team.”