“Football always gives you the chance to start over.” Right now, this could well be FC Internazionale Milano’s mantra. Losing the final of the UEFA Champions League 5-0 against PSG was a tough blow for Inter Milan, but the FIFA Club World Cup™ now offers a shot at redemption, both for what happened in Munich and for missing the Italian title by a single point.
New head coach Cristian Chivu has brought fresh enthusiasm to the side, and this competition in the United States represents an opportunity to get back to winning ways on the pitch immediately. Those two factors have helped lift the mood in the Inter camp, as the Italian side’s players confirmed on the eve of their opener against CF Monterrey.
“We are having the best possible preparation for our match against Monterrey”, declared Inter captain Lautaro Martinez. They’re a side with some top quality players and a well-defined system of play. The aim will be to win and pick ourselves back up immediately after the disappointment of the Champions League final. Having said that, I am happy with the season we had. Though we might not have any silverware to show for it, we know we’ve made real progress.
“Learning to leave the past behind you is part of the game. This tournament is a great opportunity to do just that. To play in the Club World Cup will be exciting and just like every competition we play in, we’re going to enjoy ourselves. We will give everything to take Inter as far as possible”, he added.
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Stefan de Vrij, another of the big names in the Inter dressing room, added, “It will be a great match against Monterrey, a chance to start the tournament well. They have world class players, some of whom we know from playing in Europe. I am excited to take part in this tournament and we hope to do well.
“We had a good season, even if it didn’t end as we hoped it would. We only just missed out on the league title and had a great Champions League, apart from the final. But now we’ve got renewed belief and we can’t wait to get started.
“I don’t know that we are group favourites, but we are ready to win and we’ll give it our all, even against tricky opponents. And that all starts tomorrow”, said the Dutch defender.
Alessandro Bastoni, one of the pillars of the Inter defence echoed his teammates’ enthusiasm. “It was tough right after the Champions League final, but the beautiful thing about football is you always get another shot. There is real motivation now. We’ve got new faces, a new coach, and we are ready to attack this competition.
“Chivu has put in a lot of work on the mental side of our game, following on from what we did with Simone Inzaghi. The PSG defeat hurt, but now it is time to start over”, he added
The defender also spoke about Monterrey and, in particular, about Sergio Ramos. “Sergio Ramos has always been my idol and I am excited to play against him. We also know how passionate the Mexicans are. They love football – it’s in their blood.”
