Andrea Stramaccioni welcomes back Wesley Sneijder against Fiorentina and assures “a player like him can never be a problem” for Inter.
Andrea Stramaccioni welcomes back Wesley Sneijder against Fiorentina and assures “a player like him can never be a problem” for Inter.
The Nerazzurri Coach has not been able to call upon Sneijder since taking over, but the Dutchman’s position had troubled both Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri.
“I think Fiorentina are going through a good period of form despite their position in the table, as they did well against Milan and Palermo,” said ‘the Italian Andre Villas-Boas.’
“Certainly Delio Rossi’s talents and their desire to get out of an ugly situation will be strong motivating forces for them tomorrow. It’s difficult for anyone at the Stadio Franchi.
“As for Sneijder, I don’t want to make comparisons with those who preceded me, but a player like Sneijder can never be a problem. He has unique characteristics in our squad and is a very important figure in tactical terms. The only issue might be with his fitness.
“Douglas Maicon is also back and we discussed his situation carefully with the medical staff. We must find the right balance between physical fitness and tactical requirements.
“If Fiorentina play with three at the back, then it will be an intriguing challenge, because these are two very different ideas of football that must adapt to the talents of their opponents,” continued Stramaccioni.
“We must try to win by putting our players in the position to do their best. In my brief experience, I’ve already seen players change the way they interpret a match based on my ideas. An example is Diego Forlan on the right against Cagliari or Cristian Chivu accepting a return to left-back. If they are needed, everyone is ready to step up.
“As Fiorentina do not have a centre-forward because Amauri is suspended, I prefer to use Chivu in the centre. Andrea Ranocchia fits better in a partnership with Walter Samuel rather than Lucio.”
Inter are still in the running for third place, although it is a very difficult task considering the number of clubs fighting for that position.
“We will try to the end to achieve our objective of Champions League qualification, doing so with my idea of football used by players who until a few weeks ago I had only seen on television. The important thing is to get the result.
“I think the trip to Florence is difficult, but not decisive, because it’s a very balanced campaign in which anything can happen to the final second. When I arrived third place was just a mirage, whereas now we believe. We’ve got to keep that low profile and work hard, though.”