Felipe Melo assures Inter are “giving 110 per cent to win the Scudetto” and discusses his bad-boy reputation.
The Nerazzurri are two points clear at the top of Serie A, and face second-placed Napoli on Monday evening, in what’s being billed as an early title showdown.
“I can’t afford to make predictions or promises,” Melo told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Felipe Melo assures Inter are “giving 110 per cent to win the Scudetto” and discusses his bad-boy reputation.
The Nerazzurri are two points clear at the top of Serie A, and face second-placed Napoli on Monday evening, in what’s being billed as an early title showdown.
“I can’t afford to make predictions or promises,” Melo told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We’ll give 110 per cent to win the Scudetto. I have about 15 trophies between Brazil and Turkey, it’s only in Italy I haven’t won one, although in Florence [with Fiorentina] we got into the Champions League and that was like winning something.
“After the game between Inter and Juventus, I posted something on Twitter about the Inter treble. I got insulted.
“But why not have the courage to say it? I’ve won two trebles, at Cruzeiro and Galatasaray.
“We don’t fear anyone, ever. But there’s not only [Marek] Hamsik or [Gonzalo] Higuain, there’s Napoli.
“If we win it would be very important, because not many win at Napoli. If we draw it depends, and even if we lose we’ll have to see where we are.
“One thing is certain, we’ll do our job without fear.
“We have to make sure we hurt Napoli.”
Given some of his past comments, one could be forgiven for taking Melo’s intention to hurt Napoli literally.
However, despite saying that he had to “beat up” Mario Balotelli in the Milan derby, the midfielder insists he is not the violent player he’s portrayed as.
“That phrase is like something from a novel. ‘Melo instigates violence, Melo does this, Melo does that’.
“The thing about “beating” I said with a smile. I said it because Balotelli is a player who is different from the others. Like Higuain. And we have to pay him a lot of attention.
“Have I ever tried to hurt an opponent? Never. I don’t do it on principle, because I have legs too.”
But wasn’t he given a five-match ban in 2009 for punching Cagliari’s Diego Lopez in the tunnel?
“That was different,” Melo smiled.
“It happened after Fiorentina-Cagliari, I was the last to leave and he purposefully waited for me in the tunnel.
“Did I hit him? He exaggerated. He said bad things about my wife, who was pregnant.
“I don’t have any enemies. When I was growing up and going to school, my father told me three things: first of all, if you have problems, talk to the teacher.
“Secondly, try to avoid a fight. If you can’t do that, don’t come home beaten-up, because you’ll get it from me too!”