Former Inter President Massimo Moratti believes Hakan Calhanoglu has been the most surprising Nerazzurri player this season but warns the team has had too many highs and lows under Simone Inzaghi.
The Benamata host Porto at San Siro in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday. Moratti was the last Inter President to win The Cup With the Big Ears in 2010 with José Mourinho in charge.
“I am proud of it,” he said in an interview with Gazzetta.
“But life goes on and I hope the tendency in our football will reverse. This has been a strange season. Napoli are no longer surprising, not even in Europe.
“Porto are a tough and organised team, it’s tricky to face them. Sergio Conceiçao was a good player and a smart guy, which is crucial to becoming a great coach. It may not sound like a feat to eliminate them, but it would be,” continued the former Nerazzurri President.
“Inter are a solid and expert team, but I don’t see unbeatable teams and going to the quarter-finals could boost Inter’s confidence as it happened in 2010 when we eliminated Chelsea in the Round of 16.
“Mourinho was in charge then, but Inzaghi is also good in knock-out games. Inter had played on par with Liverpool last season and eliminated Barcelona in the group phase this season.
“They said Antonio Conte was obsessed, but he won the Scudetto. With Inzaghi, the team feels freer but has too many highs and lows. They are the favourite tonight if they have the same commitment as against Milan and Napoli.”
Moratti believes Inter could have been title contenders under different circumstances this season.
“With the Lukaku of two years ago, they would have put different pressure on Napoli. He was crucial and was re-signed because they thought he could offer the same. Injuries have affected him and with his body, it’s even more important to be fit.”
Lukaku has only scored three goals in 13 appearances this season and, according to multiple sources in Italy, his stay at the Stadio Meazza beyond the summer is in doubt. The Nerazzurri loaned him back from Chelsea last summer for €9m and have no options to sign him permanently at the end of the current campaign.
“Luckily Edin Dzeko is a great professional with superior intelligence,” the former Inter President added.
Is he Inter’s most surprising player this season? Not according to Moratti.
“Calhanoglu is the one who surprised me the most. His style and class were well-known, but he’s had grit and determination that I didn’t expect, especially playing as a deep-lying playmaker.”