On the eve of Slavia Prague vs. Inter, the Nerazzurri’s fifth group stage fixture of this season’s UEFA Champions League (kick-off at 21:00 CET on Wednesday 27 November), Antonio Conte held a pre-match press conference. This is what he had to say: “An important match awaits us and there’s no point in feeling sorry for ourselves because of the players that are missing. Barella, Sensi, Asamoah and obviously Sanchez are out. Meanwhile, Politano and Gagliardini are here with us. I’ve always asked a lot of the group and they’ve always responded positively. I coach players who have always found the energy even in difficult circumstances. It’ll be a difficult game, we’ll have to dig deep. The first game we played against them and Slavia’s matches against Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are testament to this."
“It’ll be an exciting game, and we need to approach it with joy and enthusiasm. We’re more of a team compared to when we faced Slavia the first time, we’ve grown and have a clearly defined identity. All the players in the squad have embraced the idea we have, and we’ll stick to this. Those who have played fewer games are also ready and they know exactly what to do when they’re out on the pitch. Borja Valero’s performance against Torino is a clear example of this. I have complete confidence in my players, I wanted them in our squad. Those out on the pitch can change but not our identity."
“A good performance makes it more likely that we’ll get a result out of the match. We want to play well, create opportunities and be organised. You need games like this to grow: you face top teams who are used to winning and playing in Europe, and this will help us in terms of the path we’re on. The journey we’ve started in Europe has just begun, if we grow in Italy we can also grow in the cups we’re involved in. We’re here and want to go for it. Our chances aren’t great, but it’s up to us to boost them. This is the only way we can put ourselves in the position to go further.”
(Photo Getty Images)
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Source: legaseriea.it