Shakhtar have come a long way in their development
Monday, September 27, 2021
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Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi answered reporters' questions at his press conference before the match vs Shakhtar
- Simone, I remember you score for Lazio following Nedved’s assist in Donetsk 21 years ago. That was Shakhtar's first Champions League match. The opponents had the lowest club rating in the Champions League back then, while these days they are ahead of both Lazio and Inter in the UEFA rankings. What can you say recalling that evening in Donetsk and analyzing the way covered by Shakhtar over these 21 years?
- Yes, of course, I remember well that evening 21 years ago, and the match itself. I can confirm that Shakhtar have come a long way in their development. The team have become really strong, more ambitious. I know Shakhtar's results, for example two seasons ago when they stopped just a step away from the Europa League final. And last year, I think this club was very successful in the Champions League group stage. To sum up the above, Shakhtar have progressed a lot over the past years.
- You had a very good encounter with Real Madrid, but the team did not achieve the expected result. The same can be said about your recent meeting with Atalanta. Can tomorrow's match be considered decisive, given that both Inter and Shakhtar suffered defeats in the Champions League round one?
- Not decisive, but extremely important. We will face very strong opponents, a well-trained team featuring top players. We know about that and must show our best qualities in order to achieve a positive result. And I think we will play well. I liked how the players proved themselves against Atalanta.
- How much will the fact that the opponents are headed by the Italian Roberto De Zerbi affect the game?
- I watched Shakhtar's qualifier against Monaco, as well as their Super Cup decider against Dynamo Kyiv. I see how De Zerbi instils his ideas in the team. After two and a half months of working with Shakhtar, he has achieved a lot. I can see how he adapts his ideas based on the selection of players at his disposal.
- At your presentation, you said that you would demand more intense play from Inter. Did you manage to achieve that over two and a half months of work? If so, what will you demand in the future?
- I think that my team played well in the six games we had. I agree with Stefan de Vrij that we are lacking some balance because we usually make all-out attacks, with many players moving into the opposing half. Perhaps we should play in a slightly more simple way, especially while passing the ball. When making passing mistakes, we very often get dangerous counterattacks on our goal, and this should be avoided.
- You also had some unfortunate moments against Verona and Atalanta. Could you single out something in common between those matches, in particular when the opponents pressed very high?
- Yes, I agree, there were several difficult matches, and in three of them we conceded openers. But I liked how the team reacted to those situations, how the players joined in the action.
- You have repeatedly mentioned the lack of balance. Does this apply to the entire team or just individual players? Should we expect any squad changes in this regard?
- We have an attacking team. We make transitions to attack with many players involved, we create numerous chances. Of course, there are situations when we make some technical mistakes, sometimes we even have too many of them, while the strong opponents can use this and carry out some dangerous counterattacks. You need to improve your play in this aspect, but at the same time to promote our attacking football and score a lot of goals.
- Yes, of course, I remember well that evening 21 years ago, and the match itself. I can confirm that Shakhtar have come a long way in their development. The team have become really strong, more ambitious. I know Shakhtar's results, for example two seasons ago when they stopped just a step away from the Europa League final. And last year, I think this club was very successful in the Champions League group stage. To sum up the above, Shakhtar have progressed a lot over the past years.
- You had a very good encounter with Real Madrid, but the team did not achieve the expected result. The same can be said about your recent meeting with Atalanta. Can tomorrow's match be considered decisive, given that both Inter and Shakhtar suffered defeats in the Champions League round one?
- Not decisive, but extremely important. We will face very strong opponents, a well-trained team featuring top players. We know about that and must show our best qualities in order to achieve a positive result. And I think we will play well. I liked how the players proved themselves against Atalanta.
- How much will the fact that the opponents are headed by the Italian Roberto De Zerbi affect the game?
- I watched Shakhtar's qualifier against Monaco, as well as their Super Cup decider against Dynamo Kyiv. I see how De Zerbi instils his ideas in the team. After two and a half months of working with Shakhtar, he has achieved a lot. I can see how he adapts his ideas based on the selection of players at his disposal.
- At your presentation, you said that you would demand more intense play from Inter. Did you manage to achieve that over two and a half months of work? If so, what will you demand in the future?
- I think that my team played well in the six games we had. I agree with Stefan de Vrij that we are lacking some balance because we usually make all-out attacks, with many players moving into the opposing half. Perhaps we should play in a slightly more simple way, especially while passing the ball. When making passing mistakes, we very often get dangerous counterattacks on our goal, and this should be avoided.
- You also had some unfortunate moments against Verona and Atalanta. Could you single out something in common between those matches, in particular when the opponents pressed very high?
- Yes, I agree, there were several difficult matches, and in three of them we conceded openers. But I liked how the team reacted to those situations, how the players joined in the action.
- You have repeatedly mentioned the lack of balance. Does this apply to the entire team or just individual players? Should we expect any squad changes in this regard?
- We have an attacking team. We make transitions to attack with many players involved, we create numerous chances. Of course, there are situations when we make some technical mistakes, sometimes we even have too many of them, while the strong opponents can use this and carry out some dangerous counterattacks. You need to improve your play in this aspect, but at the same time to promote our attacking football and score a lot of goals.