Milan: Luciano Spalletti said on Wednesday that bringing the dressing room together will be one of his priorities in leading embattled Inter Milan “back to where they belong”.
“First and foremost we have to be united,” said Spalletti at his official unveiling in Milan following his appointment last week as the successor to sacked Stefano Pioli.
“We have to become a strong squad, as much in our mental approach as in how we play. I want to bring Inter back to the top, back to where they belong.”
After another underwhelming season that saw Inter dismiss Roberto Mancini, Frank De Boer and then Pioli on their way to missing out on a place in Europe, Spalletti has the task of leading the once-mighty Nerazzurri — treble winners in 2010 under Jose Mourinho — back to the hallowed terrain of the Champions League for the first time since 2012.
Their task should be helped by the fact four teams, as opposed to three, can now qualify for Europe’s premier club competition from 2018.
But the fallout from Inter’s poor campaign has yet to settle, and one of Spalletti’s priorities will be to unify a dressing room that fell steadily apart each time a new coach was appointed last term.
Having led Roma to the runners-up spot last season on his second spell at the club, the 51-year-old Spalletti expects to achieve Inter’s objectives.
But he warned the players to be prepared for gruelling training sessions, and hinted that inspirational Croatian winger Ivan Perisic — recently linked with a move to Chelsea — could be allowed to walk away.
‘Training not easy’
“My coaching methods are designed for us to have the best team possible,” added Spalletti.
“And my training sessions are not easy.”
When asked about the chances of Perisic leaving, he said: “Inter haven’t won a lot in recent times, so there are changes to be made. One single player doesn’t decide the outcome of a title, teams do.”
While unifying those around him will be the task at hand for Spalletti, he admits that it was a harder job at Roma where he faced stiff criticism for leaving club legend Francesco Totti on the bench for most of his 25th and final season.
That angered fans and pundits alike who backed the 40-year-old legend’s bid for more playing time.
“At Roma, I had become someone who divides, not someone who unites, and I’m referring to the Totti question,” said Spalletti.
“I heard the fans whistling me during the games. In Rome, you hear them everywhere, at the bar, the traffic lights.”
The problem will be different at Inter where last season the players were often lambasted by the club’s long-suffering fans, many of whom walked out of the San Siro in protest after just 25 minutes of their final home game of the season.
Even so, Spalletti is looking forward to tackling the challenge of bringing success to the club and its Chinese owners Suning.
“This is an amazing opportunity for me, one of the best. From the outside, I wondered, ‘how come a squad like Inter’s don’t play European football for so long?’
“I’m not better than my predecessors, but I’m different. I know myself and know what I’m capable of. If the players are committed we have every chance of seeing Inter create their own history.”
— AFP
