Midfield: Stankovic, Thiago Motta, Marija, Cambiasso, Obi, Coutinho. In the early hours of January 27th Beijing time, the quarter-finals of the 2010/11 season Italian Cup continued as Inter Milan visited Napoli at the San Paolo Stadium. Before the game, Inter Milan coach Leonardo attended a press conference.
Inter Milan is now facing another strong opponent. Although the Nerazzurri had defeated Napoli in their home ground just 20 days ago, Napoli is not an easy rival. They currently rank second in Serie A and have always had impressive home performances. "Napoli's performance in the past few matches has been excellent. Even though we beat them, it will be different at San Paolo Stadium. It will be very passionate and the match will be extremely difficult," said Leonardo. There were rumors that the exhausted Inter Milan would selectively abandon the Italian Cup to focus on more important league and Champions League games, but Leonardo refuted this claim: "Selective abandonment? This is indeed part of our football culture, but not all of it. This habit does not exist in England, nor in Roma or Barcelona, and we will not either. We hope to win. If we win, we can enter the semi-finals, which is our motivation."
Inter Milan's performance after the New Year was very impressive, but they lost to Udinese in the league last weekend. What impact will that loss bring to Inter Milan? "The most difficult thing is to maintain consistency, which is the most difficult and also the most important. Inter Milan has done really well in previous years. Now, maybe we have lost some, but that's nothing, it's inevitable. The key is for us to find solutions," Leonardo said. "Udinese was in great form at the time, but losing that game wasn't decisive. Other teams can also be defeated during a long journey. Referees? I was a bit angry at the time, but I am accustomed to not commenting on referees, and this is not a decisive factor."
Currently, Inter Milan's squad is still incomplete, and how they will face off against Napoli is a concern. "Three players are unable to participate in the league game against Palermo due to suspension, but they can definitely play. The rest I need to consider further. Some players need rest because we cannot use the same lineup for every game," explained the coach of Inter Milan. "Injuries? Coutinho is now training with the whole team. He has considerable potential and can provide help for us. Diego Milito encountered muscle problems again, but he will return and regain his feeling. I feel optimistic about his condition. Sneijder will be back soon, and Seedorf has already recovered."
Attached is the full list of Inter Milan players:
Leonardo also talked about two players who are currently in tough situations. "Pandev? For a long time, he has been trying to perform different roles. Now the team has changed, and he needs to readapt to a new position, which is difficult. He needs time to adapt. Ranocchia? When a player joins a completely new team in the middle of the season, he needs time to adapt, especially since Inter Milan already has many experienced players. Unfortunately, when he could play, there were issues with his eligibility... Anyway, Ranocchia is very important for Inter Milan. He is the future of the Nerazzurri," Leonardo said.
Defenders: Cordoba, Zanetti, Lucio, Maicon, Ranocchia, Materazzi, Chiellini, Santon.
The transfer market is what people are more concerned about. "AC Milan is active everywhere in the transfer market? Each team has its own choices. They will evaluate and then make decisions. Each team's judgment is different, so the team that brings in more players is not necessarily invincible. Once our injured players return, we can defeat any opponent," Inter Milan's coach firmly stated.
Forwards: Eto'o, Pandev, Biabiany
Goalkeepers: Castellazzi, Orlando, Gallineta