Andrea Stramaccioni explains why he feels things went wrong for him at Inter and why he was happy working with Antonio Cassano.
Stramaccioni held the Inter bench between March 2012 and May 2013, during which a positive start to the 2012-13 season soon trailed off before his sacking by then President Massimo Moratti.
Nonetheless, the 38-year-old was welcomed back to San Siro with affection on Sunday evening with Udinese, and he appreciated the warmth.
Andrea Stramaccioni explains why he feels things went wrong for him at Inter and why he was happy working with Antonio Cassano.
Stramaccioni held the Inter bench between March 2012 and May 2013, during which a positive start to the 2012-13 season soon trailed off before his sacking by then President Massimo Moratti.
Nonetheless, the 38-year-old was welcomed back to San Siro with affection on Sunday evening with Udinese, and he appreciated the warmth.
“It was certainly beautiful for me to be received the way I was on that Sunday night,” Stramaccioni has told Italia1 this week.
“After all I didn't do anything at Inter, I didn't win anything and I'm not at the level of [Dejan] Stankovic who picked up trophy after trophy in Milan.
“The affection I received from the Inter fans filled me with emotion and I was very struck by it.
“I am always going to say thanks to the Inter supporter and to Inter in general.”
Asked about his previous time with Inter, Stramaccioni believes things may have been simpler than they seemed.
“I believe the analysis is much simpler than what it may seem.
“We finished the first half of the season in second or third place, then injuries took away our confidence along with our key players.
“Our certainties, on the tactical level too, fell away from us.
“Then, between March and April, we learnt of the news that Moratti was going to sell the club.
“This destabilised our environment a bit, and with great humility I say that it wasn't easy to handle that situation for a Coach as young as I was, the least experienced in Serie A.”
Among the players that Stramaccioni managed was Antonio Cassano, and the Coach remembers him in a positive light.
“At Inter, in the first half of the season he gave a great contribution to take us in the high parts of the standings.
“In the second half, partly due to a general decline, he did not repeat himself.
“We are both 'true' people, and we are very direct – I told him things in my way, he answered in the same manner. I prefer this kind of relationship.”
Udinese defeated Inter 2-1 at San Siro last Sunday and are currently joint-seventh in the standings alongside Milan.