We don't want to stop now – Simone Inzaghi wants final push from Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi will be hoping it is second time lucky when he sends his Inter Milan side into Champions League final battle against Paris St Germain, saying: 'we've made it this far and don't want to stop now.'
The Serie A runners-up will go head-to-head with the Ligue 1 champions at Munich's Allianz Arena on Saturday evening in search of a fourth European crown as they attempt to prolong the big-spending French club's quest to land a first.
Former Lazio striker Inzaghi only made it as far as the quarter-finals as a player, but sampled the bitter taste of defeat as Inter's head coach against Manchester City in Istanbul two seasons ago.
He said at his pre-match press conference: 'We have to step onto the pitch with the determination and desire to win this match. We'll play it our way, with the qualities that brought us here. The journey we've been on, full of challenges, gives us great belief. We've made it this far and don't want to stop now.
'This squad has given me a great deal over four years. We've won a great deal.
'We've lost on the odd occasion, as occasionally happens in football, but I think we've always given everything out there on the pitch, we, the players, the staff, the fans, so we're absolutely proud to represent Inter, and we will do so again tomorrow in the final act of this season's Champions League.
'This is a competition that I dreamt of playing in as a kid. I didn't make it as a footballer, I only got as far as the Champions League quarter-finals, but thanks to this group of players, I will be involved in two Champions League finals as a head coach.'
Inzaghi, who batted away speculation about his future, revealed he has a fully-fit squad from which to choose for the first meeting between the teams in a game which for many is too tight to call, unlike in Inter's last final when City were firm favourites.
He said: 'We were huge underdogs two years ago, but then our performance on the pitch showed that we went toe-to-toe with them and maybe we might have deserved a bit more despite the fact that we were up against Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, the best team in the world at that moment in time.'
Skipper Lautaro Martinez is convinced Inter are a better team now than they were that night, but knows they may have to produce the 'perfect' game to take the silverware back to Italy.
Martinez said: 'We've definitely improved a great deal as a team. We've developed, we've grown.
'We've come up against some top-class opponents in some very challenging arenas – we were up against teams that had long unbeaten home records, yet we turned up there, we played our football, we showed what we're all about and we've earned respect in this competition.
We'll try to produce the perfect performance to reach this target
'We've got our heads down, we've worked hard, we've focused on ourselves. We've got Inter to where we are.
'We've got the opportunity to now secure this goal after a number of years. Let's hope this is the right time once again to win the Champions League. We'll try to produce the perfect performance to reach this target.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Barcelona in talks over free transfer swoop for Arsenal's Thomas Partey who ‘wants a deal that reflects his standing'
BARCELONA are lining up a sensational swoop for Arsenal midfield warrior Thomas Partey and he won't cost them a penny. The La Liga giants' representatives have opened talks with the Ghanaian hardman's camp over a free transfer this summer with Partey's 3 Thomas Partey and Mikel Arteta share a strong bond and that could tilt the balance Credit: Getty 3 The Ghanaian is coming off one of his best campaigns for the Gunners Credit: Getty 3 The 31-year-old is settled in London but wants a good deal to stay Credit: Getty Partey, 31, is out of contract at the end of June but has yet to agree a new deal with Mikel Arteta publicly confirming he would like to keep him. The complex and slow-moving nature of negotiations has encouraged clubs like Sources close to the player have told SunSport that Partey is seen as a cut-price fix for Barcelona's engine room with boss The READ MORE FOOTBALL He enjoyed a strong campaign, playing in 35 league games as Arsenal pushed Liverpool for the title. Sunsport understands that the Ghanaian would ideally like to stay in north London having built a strong relationship with Arteta. Partey also recently welcomed a new baby and with his family settled in London, he would love the continuity. However, he is looking for a deal that doesn't require him to take a significant pay cut- aware that this could be his final major contract. Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS He turns 32 this month and is seeking a deal that reflects his status as one of the club's most important players. Barcelona are still grappling with Financial Fair Play restrictions but they love the idea of securing a top-tier player on a free transfer. Chloe Kelly stuns Arsenal fans as she heads straight to local PUB after Champions League trophy parade Beyond Barcelona, Partey has also attracted interest from Saudi clubs- but it's the Catalan giants who have made the first serious move and are keeping the pressure on. One source close to the player told SunSport: 'Thomas respects Arsenal massively and loves living in London, but he also knows his worth and wants a deal that reflects his standing at the club.' Partey's potential exit from Arsenal would free up a space in the midfield for next season. And the Gunners are keen to bring Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi this summer and are set to trigger his £51million release clause. According to reports in Spanish outlet Cope, senior Arsenal figures expect the deal to be completed swiftly. Personal terms and the relevant documents have already been signed and agreed, as well as the payment structure around the Spaniard's release clause. Zubimendi is highly rated by Arteta, who convinced the Euro 2024 winner of the North London project after he turned down a switch to Arne Slot's Liverpool last summer. It is the start of a huge summer of incomings for Arsenal as they prepare to splash around £200m on new talent to fire them to Premier League glory next term.
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
‘I'm under pressure' admits John Russell but Sligo Rovers manager insists they can turn it around after latest defeat
JOHN RUSSELL will not be taking days off during the summer break as he bids to keep Sligo Rovers in the Premier Division. 2 John Russell admitted he is under pressure Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile 2 Sligo Rovers lost their 12th game of the season against St Patrick's Athletic Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Basement boys Sligo look in real danger of ending their 20-year stay in the Premier Division, even at the season's halfway point. Restricted by the top flight's smallest budget, boss Russell has had to rely on a mix of academy players and unproven signings from both here and the UK to make up his squad. Investment is required but the gaffer also believes that some of his players are not performing to the levels he requires. He groaned: 'It's been tough. Read More on League of Ireland 'We haven't won enough games and we've lost too many and the players know why. 'Maybe it's time now for some lads to get away and have a look at themselves. 'They need to reflect on how they think they've done in the first half of the season. 'We have a few lads who haven't done enough. I've told them that. Most read in Sport 'Are we lacking quality? Have we got young players who are making mistakes? 'Yes, they have but it's my job to help them learn and I'll continue. PSG crowned Champions League winners after smashing Inter Milan 5-0 'If we have 11 players at it, we'll get points. If we don't, then we won't.' And although his players will be making the most of their few days off, a tireless Russell revealed that he will work all the way through the break in an effort to rescue Rovers' season. Sligo are a point off Cork City in ninth with the Rebels a whopping ten points back from Munster rivals Waterford. Yet Russell is adamant his men can haul it back. He added: 'How can I take time off now when we're bottom of the league? 'I'm a hard-working manager so I'll continue to work hard to get results. 'If you're managing a team in the position we're in, of course I'm under pressure. 'But I look at everything I'm doing all the time and you have to do the right thing. 'Can we turn it around? Absolutely.'
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
‘La débâcle': Italian press turn on Inzaghi after Inter's night of misery
On the front pages of Italy's newspapers, the Champions League final was told as a 'nightmare', a 'humiliation', and a 'rout'. Tuttosport at least found room for humour with a 'DisIntergrated' pun. La Stampa, in deference to the victors Paris Saint-Germain, went instead with a French phrase: 'La débâcle'. Any team can lose a Champions League final but Internazionale were the first to do so by a five-goal margin. The final indignity of a season in which they aspired to repeat the treble they won under José Mourinho, only to come unstuck at the last: losing the Coppa Italia semi-final to neighbours Milan and then missing out on the Serie A title by one point. 'It could have been all or nothing,' acknowledged Franco Vanni in La Repubblica. 'It was nothing, in the most painful way possible. A sort of reverse perfection … a climax of suffering which is the photographic negative of the joys of 2010, year of the Inter treble and the last Italian joy [in this competition].' Everywhere, there was acknowledgment of Paris Saint-Germain's quality and the astonishing job Luis Enrique has done in remaking this team according to his vision: young, dynamic, furiously competitive. But the focus, understandably, for Italian audiences was on how their own league's representatives could bow out so meekly. What had happened to the relentless mindset that allowed this team to score 11 times in four games against Barcelona and Bayern Munich? 'I'm sure no Inter lineup would have had a chance against this PSG,' said the veteran pundit Paolo Condò in a video blog for Il Corriere dello Sport. 'But even if you are slipping into the abyss, in a final you have a duty to try.' Simone Inzaghi was criticised for being outschemed by Luis Enrique and for failing to adapt after the game had begun. La Gazzetta Sportiva rated his performance as a 3/10 – even lower than the score they gave to the worst player, Federico Dimarco. '[Inzaghi] does not understand a thing of PSG's rotations and press,' ran the accompanying text. 'Almost embarrassing choices on the substitutions. Maybe he will remake himself in the Asian Champions League. Maybe.' Inzaghi is reported to have received a substantial contract offer to take over as manager of Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, though he declined to talk about his future after the final. He had said repeatedly in the buildup to the game that he plans to meet with Inter's directors on Tuesday. This result, unquestionably, had changed the context of their discussions. 'And now, the cruelty of the question and of doubt,' wrote Maurizio Crosetti for La Repubblica. 'Is Simone Inzaghi the manager who took Inter within a step of winning it all, or is he the manager who in four years lost two scudetti badly and as many Champions League finals? 'If he had won this cup, maybe Inzaghi could have left more easily, like Mourinho after Madrid. And yet, after this, how can he stay?' Comparisons with the Special One were impossible to escape. As Leo Turrini put it in Quotidiano Sportivo, 'This season that made fans dream of a repeat of Mourinho's treble ended with the equally Mourinho-ian 'Zeru tituli'. There were some defences of Inzaghi, too, Alberto dalla Palma noting in Il Messaggero that Inter ought still to thank their manager for four years of highly competitive performances in the Champions League, relying on many players who joined on free transfers. Gazzetta reported Inter will close this season with their highest-ever revenues and expect to report a profit – some turnaround from the €246m losses they posted in the last season before Inzaghi took charge. But fans live for glory on the pitch, not the balance sheet. 'From yesterday, for Inter supporters, Munich in Bavaria is no longer the kingdom of the beloved Kalle Rummenigge nor the moor ridden by Nicolino Berti but a land of shame,' wrote Luigi Garlando in the pink paper. 'You should never use this word for sporting things, but when the fans experience embarrassment at such a bewildering, humiliating display, so much that they suffer just for their sense of belonging, there is no more appropriate term. A disgrace for Italian football, too.' 'A sporting massacre, a Korea, a Mineirazo,' he continued, referencing the most infamous World Cup defeats suffered by Italy and Germany. 'Thank goodness Inter played in yellow. The black-and-blue colours weren't soiled, but the club's glorious European history was.'
