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Inter Milan set to renovate San Siro

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Serie A giant Inter Milan have confirmed plans to renovate their stadium – the San Siro.


The club’s president Erick Thohir and a member of the board Steven Zhang confirmed the reports which were making the rounds in Italy. Since the Chinese takeover of the club by Suning Commerce Group, the news has filtered around. It is sure to happen with the confirmation by top club officials.

“A new San Siro is vitally important to Inter. I’ve been president of this club for almost three years and have always firmly believed that renovating San Siro – our home – is a crucial step that Inter must take it we’re to become one of the world’s top 10 clubs,” Thohir said to the club’s official website.

The club’s president added that the dream to renovate the stadium is backed by the club’s new majority shareholder.
“Our interest in San Siro now has the strong, determined backing to the mayor, Giuseppe Sala, at the meeting held while chairman Zhang and his son Steven were last in Milan. Inter want to remain at San Siro and invest significantly in it. We’re happy that we’re on exactly the same wavelength as the mayor,” he said.

INTER WIN AGAIN

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Inter Milan managed to win their second consecutive match in the league after a narrow 1-0 win over Sampdoria. This victory helped keep the club in the contention for a Champions League spot at the end of the season. Inter have taken just 15 points from the opening nine matches and they already trail leaders Juventus by a mammoth seven points. More importantly, just one point separates them from the third place in the league. Finishing in third place will be enough to get a club into the qualification stages of the Champions League.

After this win, manager Walter Mazzarri appeared to be a pleased man, but he was also aware that Inter would not be able to get victories against top teams if they had such poor finishing skills. He has stated that the club should target scoring more goals in the coming matches. Inter have averaged just over a goal per game, while also conceding a similar amount. The form of teams around them like AC Milan and Sampdoria will give them a lot of confidence going into the upcoming matches against Parma and Hellas Verona.

Inter will also have to concentrate on the Europa league in the meantime. They have made a fine start and are top of their Europa league group with seven points from the three matches. “We’ve beaten a side that had not lost once this season. The only negative is that we couldn’t take more of our chances,” the Inter coach said at a press conference. At the end of the day, we’ve won, but hopefully we’re saving up the goals for the next match. I think my team put in a great performance in terms of the football we played. We’re happy with how the lads are playing. This is a united group made up of good men. This team feels truly mine,” said Mazzarri.

PROBLEMS CONTINUE

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Inter Milan’s problems under Walter Mazzarri continued after the team failed to win for a third straight match. Despite this disappointing result, Mazzarri claimed that the players should remain positive in order to get success. It was a disappointing evening for the club after they were leading 2-0 at half-time, but they conceded two goals in the second half only get a point against Livorno. Considering that this match was against the relegation threatened team, Inter Milan have dropped more praise response as they are struggling to even qualify for the Europa league.

Mazzarri was expected to improve the fortunes of the team dramatically after they have been struggling in recent years under the managerial reins of Claudio Ranieri and Andrea Stramaccioni. However, the former Napoli manager has failed to keep up the form of the first half of the season. He says that this has been one of the years where everything seems to go against them. According to him, it is imperative that the players stayed positive during such troubles and only then they can take advantage of the good times.

Inter have slipped three points behind Fiorentina in the fourth place with seven matches remaining in the campaign. The club’s last win was against Hellas Verona in the middle of March.

“Those who saw the match realise that it’s one of those years. We just need look at it in a certain way. We need to take the positives from the game. My players showed a lot of character until, perhaps unconsciously, they thought that the game was over. Livorno were given a new lease of life after their first goal. We should have put the game to bed at 2-0 and we missed two or three big chances at 2-1,” said the manager, whose team next take on Bologna at home.

INTER RUE MISSED CHANCES

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Inter Milan missed an opportunity to close the gap on the title rivals after 0-0 draw with Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. After the match, Walter Mazzarri was disappointed man, as he felt that three phones were there for the taking against a very good Roma team. Rudi Garcia’s men are fighting for the title along with Juventus, although they are several points behind the table leaders. Despite playing against one of the top teams in the division, Inter Milan created a lot of opportunities over the course of the 90 minutes.

However, both teams were unable to take their chances as it finished a disappointing stalemate. Mazzarri said that Inter Milan had come in the best tactics and players, but they simply were unable to get the crucial three points due to the lack of killer instinct in front of goal. The dropped points mean that Inter continue to struggle in a bid to seal the final Champions League spot. It also means that they have failed to win for the last two matches after their disappointing 1-1 draw with Cagliari last weekend.

Napoli occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot with 52 points, while Inter are a long way off the pace at 41 points in the fifth place. There are only a few matches remaining in the season for Inter to overtake Napoli.

“In the second half we were tired, as we had used up a lot of energy, but still played very well. There was the risk of defeat and we did see that risk from close range. After the break they changed their attitude and we lost in intensity. We moved well on the wings and forced Roma to work hard, causing them problems and limiting their scope. The credit for making Roma play badly is down to Inter,” said Mazzarri.

RUN ENDS

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Inter Milan recently brought an end to a disastrous run of form, which saw them go without a win in the last six matches. Prior to this current, Inter had a 1-0 win over archrivals AC Milan at the San Siro. However, this poor run of form has put them out of contention for the top three positions, which will give them the chance to get back to the Champions league. The club finds itself a massive 11 points behind third placed on Napoli with only just over 10 matches remaining in the campaign.

However, manager Walter Mazzarri was more than satisfied to have just completed the winless run, which threatened to put the club out of Europa league contention. Defender Walter Samuel scored the only goal of the match, as Inter managed to get this victory. Mazzarri said after the match that every opponent and has become difficult in the Italian league right now. Hence, he is under no illusion that this was a tough match for his team, but they came out successful at the end of the 90 minutes. Mazzarri also praised Samuel, who scored the winning goal. The 35-year-old is one of the few members left from the Champions League winning squad of 2010.

“We finally broke the spell. We handed a good performance but it was tough as Sassuolo are a good side. Every rival is difficult and it took us a while to break the deadlock. The important thing was that we were able to return to victory. Samuel should be an example to everyone in the team. He is an outstanding player, who has been many trophies in his career. He showed a lot of determination and hunger,” said Mazzarri to the club’s official site.

Inter Milan’s next match will be a tough away trip to Fiorentina.

THINKING BIG

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Walter Mazzarri had a lot of success at Napoli and it was largely due to the presence of striker Edinson Cavani. The two shared a great working relationship because they achieve the fame during their time at Napoli. Both of them have gone on their separate ways with Mazzarri joining Inter Milan as the new manager, while Cavani has moved to PSG in a £ 60 million deal to become one of the most expensive players in the world. However, he has been overshadowed by the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the French club.

The big Swede continues to dominate the headlines due to his impressive form and extrovert character. This has led to rumours that Cavani may decide to leave PSG after only a few months of joining the club. Mazzarri has raised the possibility of being united with his former striker by saying that he would like to have him at the San Siro. It looks highly unlikely that Inter Milan will be able to afford him, but the recent takeover by Indonesian investors may just do the trick.

“Cavani, what can I say about Cavani? I like to point to facts: he joined from Palermo, I believe I played a part in getting the best out of him, and now he’s a global star. I’d love to have him here but I don’t think there’s any chance of that happening in the short term. These are questions you need to ask the ownership rather than me. The ownership always dictates the club’s approach,” said the 53-year-old manager about his transfer targets.

Mazzarri has transformed the fortunes of Inter Milan, who have been struggling since the departure of Jose Mourinho in 2010. The team are just a few points off the top of the table with more than 12 matches being played.

MAZZARRI ARRIVES

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Inter Milan recently appointed former Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri as their new head coach. Immediately after taking over, it was expected that Mazzarri will be making few changes to the first-team in order to make them competitive once again. Inter are coming on the back of a very disappointing campaign in which they finished close to the bottom half of the table. They will be without any form of European games this season, which Mazzarri reckons will be a blessing in disguise for the team because they can concentrate on the league.

Mazzarri has taken a look at the squad up until now and he is extremely happy with the players at his disposal. He will also be able to call upon the services of players like Diego Milito and Javier Zanetti, who are nursing long-term injuries. He has promised that Inter fans can look forward to some attacking and pulsating football this season after a couple of years of drab football. Inter Milan have strengthened their forward line up by bringing in the likes of Ishak Belfodil and Mauro Icardi.

Even though Mazzarri arriving at the club has raised expectations that Inter Milan will finally be able to get back into European football, the manager has not promised anything as of yet.

“I want a team that people enjoy watching, with a soul, that never gives up. And I can promise you that. People are free to assess the potential of the team, but it’s my job to convince the players that we can win every game. I haven’t had individual chats with all the lads yet but they’ve exceeded my expectations. They’re determined to bounce back. I prefer actions to words. And I get the impression these players are going to give me everything they’ve got,” said Mazzarri.

UNDER PRESSURE

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The Inter Milan manager Andrea Stramaccioni is currently under a lot of pressure after recent results in all competitions, which has left him facing the sack. Inter Milan have not only fallen behind the likes of AC Milan in the race for the top three positions, but they are also on the verge of being eliminated from the Europa league as well. The 3-0 defeat against Tottenham in the first leg of the Europa league encounter between the two teams has all but confirmed the exit from the competition. The return leg will be taking place at the San Siro, but not many are giving the 2010 Champions League winners hope.

The 37-year-old has always enjoyed a special relationship with the Inter Milan President Massimo Moratti. The team has managed just three wins in the last 12 league matches. This abysmal run of form has meant that they have not only been caught up by their arch rivals AC Milan, but Massimiliano Allegri’s men have also overtaken them as well. Inter are currently in the fifth position – five points behind the rivals Milan, who occupy the third position. Inter Milan were set the objective of finishing in the top three in the qualify for the Champions League season. There have been rumours that Stramaccioni might lose his job, but the 37-year-old has said that he does not worry about it.

“I think that my work will be judged at the end of the season and not now. I’ve always had the president’s (Massimo Moratti) backing, but he is in charge and can make whatever decisions he wants. My future will be decided by the results at the end of the campaign, not by one game. I never give up, I’m focused and giving everything that I have,” said the former youth team manager.

INTER AIM FOR TOP 3

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The Inter Milan manager Andrea Stramaccioni has expressed his confidence that his team will be able to finish in the top three positions the season. Inter Milan are currently fighting to get back into the Champions League after missing out on this prestigious European competition this season. The team has been undergoing several changes since winning the Champions league title in 2010. Stramaccioni has been given the task of getting the team back into the top three, but Inter Milan are a few places below from achieving their objectives for this season. They are a few places below the top three with just more than half of the season played.

Due to the fact that there are several games remaining in the season, Stramaccioni has expressed his confident that the team will be able to achieve Champions league qualification at the end of the season. Even though the team has managed just one victory in the last five matches, Inter Milan are only three points below the third placed Lazio. Stramaccioni has said that despite not having the best of starts to the season, he is pleased by the good form shown by the team both domestically and in European competitions. He has confirmed that his team will remain fighting mode till the end of the season.

“I don’t think we had a positive start to the campaign. We struggled to gel due to so many changes in personnel, but from week five onwards we laid the tactical foundations which brought us a run of good results both in Italy and in Europe. Then our results tailed off, but I strongly believe we are a good side who had a bad run, rather than an average team that had a good one. I think my Inter side will be in there fighting until the end of the season. Our results will ultimately determine that,” said Stramaccioni.

MORATTI BACKS MARIO

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Inter Milan President Massimo Moratti has said that the media are giving the Italian striker Mario Balotelli too much of it criticism. The 21-year-old striker model to Manchester City from Inter Milan for around £ 24 million. Since then, he has been constantly in the front and back pages of various British tabloids for his antics both on and off the field. Mario Balotelli has been largely responsible for helping Manchester City to two major titles in the last two seasons. Massimo Moratti has said that the press do not see the achievements of Balotelli, but instead focus on the negative side of the Italian.

Italian national team manager Prandelli warned Mario Balotelli before the start of the Euro 2012 that he will be absent from the squad if he does not solve his disciplinary problems. Balotelli has been part of the Italian team at the Euro 2012, but spotlight has followed the 21-year-old at this major tournament as well. Massimo Moratti has said that he has known Mario Balotelli since he was a young boy. However, he does not know the troublemaking individual that the media portray him to be in the last two seasons. Former Inter Milan manager José Mourinho has said that Balotelli has special talent, but he needs to improve as a person.

‘I am always ready to forgive everything. I have an idea of what he (Balotelli) is like because I know Mario since he was a boy. He has a wonderful family, who adore him and protect him and he repays that affection. But there is something in him that makes him distrustful of everyone, even those that appreciate him, as is the case of (Italy coach Cesare) Prandelli, who called him up to the national team,’ said Inter Milan president  Massimo Moratti.