Inter director Beppe Marotta gives credit to coach Simone Inzaghi for reaching the Champions League Final, warns Manchester City that ‘whoever spends the most money doesn’t always win’ and is open to ‘new negotiations’ with Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku.
The trophy will be handed out at the Ataturk Stadium on Saturday, kicking off at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).
While Pep Guardiola’s men are looking to complete the Treble, Simone Inzaghi has won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana for two seasons in a row and reached the Champions League Final against expectations.
“The main credit for this achievement goes to the coach who, despite the criticism and pressure that I for one put on him, he managed to make this a truly extraordinary season,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia and Sport Mediaset.
Manchester City are the over-riding favourites, but have never won the Champions League, whereas it would be the fourth for Inter.
“In football, the equation of whoever spends the most money therefore must win doesn’t always work out. Manchester City deserved to reach this Final and are an economic powerhouse of the sport, but we want to defend our own corner in this sense and so I say that when their horns sound, we will ring our bells.
“That is the great thing about sport, that predictions can be overturned. We know who the big favourites are, but we want to make a good impression and know that dreams can turn into reality.”
The big decision Inzaghi still needs to make is whether Lukaku or Edin Dzeko starts upfront in Istanbul, but their futures are also up in the air.
“Dzeko’s contract is running down and Lukaku is only on loan, he is not our player. We are happy to begin new negotiations with Chelsea, but that is a difficult thing to predict right now, as we will sit down with the club hierarchy and plan next season. They are both great professionals and excellent players.”
Inter would not be able to afford to purchase Lukaku outright, so are eager to negotiate another one-season loan, potentially with an option to buy.
Money doesn’t always win, whilst Inter‘s current deb7 amounts to 43% of their entire current market value 😂😂😂 Pot….kettle.