Inter CEO Beppe Marotta hails Lautaro Martinez as a ‘real captain’ and suggests the new contract will be signed ‘within a month,’ as they seek Champions League top spot with Real Sociedad.
It kicks off at San Siro at 20.00 GMT.
Because these teams drew 1-1 in Spain back in September and are currently locked together on 11 points each, a draw would give them an identical head-to-head record.
In that case, Real Sociedad would be top with a superior overall goal difference in the group, so Inter simply have to win in order to be first seeds in the Round of 16 draw.
“It is a very important test of our maturity to see if we are continuing to grow in terms of confidence, self-belief and the ability to challenge opponents of the highest level in Europe,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
“Winning would mean on paper avoiding some dangerous rivals and that is what we are looking for.”
Lautaro Martinez said he would gladly sign the new contract ‘tomorrow’ and is very close to finalising the details.
“It was a lovely declaration of love towards Inter. He is a real captain, someone who wants to continue his professional experience with us, which is an important element when it comes to discussing a new contract. The negotiations were easy.
“The renewal will be an improvement, it will continue to respect financial parameters. We expect it to be signed within a month.”
Marotta was asked how Inter have managed to get so many of their players to commit to new contracts when they cannot pay the same wages as some of the clubs pursuing these stars.
“The brand of Inter has grown and that brought an increase in revenue, which gives us a certain amount of firepower when it comes to covering costs. However, we must always focus on sustainability and the Financial Fair Play rules, so there are many rules to respect.
“I believe the financial aspect is secondary to the technical project we have created here over the years, focused on quality, hard work and many other values that represent something important in the world of football.
“That includes a coach who is young and can truly help us achieve some important success in future. Players, coaches and directors pass, the club remains, so we work for the present, but above all the future. That is everyone’s duty and we are doing it with great determination and conviction.”
Inter hope to further improve their revenue streams by finally building a new stadium, although the process is still a long way from completion even moving it outside the city.
“That represents something important and another target we are pursuing, but it is not easy, because the red tape in Italy prevents the fluidity of progress and we struggle to get firm answers on these things.”