Cesare Prandelli admits ‘there’s a lot of curiosity’ about Inter and Milan ahead of the Derby della Madonnina.
The city rivals meet at San Siro on Sunday night, and the former Italy CT was asked to analyse the game by sports newspaper Tuttosport.
“There’s a lot of curiosity,” Prandelli mused.
“These are two teams who have made a lot of changes, and are still trying to sort out their playing philosophy.
Cesare Prandelli admits ‘there’s a lot of curiosity’ about Inter and Milan ahead of the Derby della Madonnina.
The city rivals meet at San Siro on Sunday night, and the former Italy CT was asked to analyse the game by sports newspaper Tuttosport.
“There’s a lot of curiosity,” Prandelli mused.
“These are two teams who have made a lot of changes, and are still trying to sort out their playing philosophy.
“I’m also interested to see how the two teams line-up, given that the two Coaches [Sinisa Mihajlovic and Roberto Mancini] have worked together, and knew each other very well.
“Mihajlovic [at Milan] has yet to transmit his personality to the squad. Sinisa, like all Coaches needs time. The team will have to understand quickly though, because as [Carlo] Mazzone said, when there’s a loss, the Coach is the first to know about it.
“The difficulties Mihajlovic is having are related to him being a Coach who has to impart his tactics and character on a team with a lot of changes.
“As for Mancini, it will take him a few weeks, but they can still get results, as happened in their two opening games, where Inter won both.
“It was an Inter which, against Atalanta and Carpi, went out to force a result, and that’s important.”
Prandelli also gave his thoughts on the various signings the two teams have made this summer.
“The most impressive? One is definitely [Milan’s Carlos] Bacca, because he’s a player who has the ability to quickly get in behind. Another is [Inter’s Stevan] Jovetic, who I think is one of the best players in our League, in a technical sense.
“Stevan is a born leader, he was the captain of Partizan at 17, and he’s always been a serious lad, with important personal qualities.
“I’m not surprised he’s settled so well at Inter, but now he can do even better because he’s found a Coach in Mancini who makes players better.
“Melo? Felipe is unique in character and personality, and in addition he’s very good physically. He had difficulties for Juventus in Turin, but that’s because they thought they were buying a regista.
“Mancini knows him better than I do, and he knows he’s got a fighter, a leader, a player who gives everything for the shirt.
“Melo is not a regista, he can give orders, he has personality and can transmit calm, but he’s certainly not a regista.
“As for Geoffrey Kondogbia, I give judgements on players, not on the transfer market, but he and Melo are a very, very interesting pair. The key tactical battleground in the derby is right there, in midfield.”
Two of the ex-Fiorentina Coach’s Azzurri favourites in Mario Balotelli and Riccardo Montolivo are on the Rossoneri bench, and he still has faith in both.
“For the first time we’ve heard Mario speaking about fatherhood, and his own father who passed away a few months ago,” Prandelli noted.
“This suggests that the time might be right for him, because Mario has finally understood what really matters.
“As for Montolivo, Riccardo is one of the best midfielders in Italy, because he can play in every role. He also has great personality, intelligence and altruism.
“There’s also the fact that he’s said himself that he wants to prove himself to the Coach, without controversy, just working even more on the pitch, and that shows the type of person he is.
“Every Coach would like to read statements like that, Riccardo is a guarantee from every point of view.”