Spalletti at the live press conference

14.01 – Spalletti’s press conference begins: “Climate in the locker room after the news from Politano? That something like this could happen at the last minute is part of the difficulties of the season. You may have forgotten that in the first two leagues, we played with three midfielders: the injured Demme, and Zielinski too. We didn’t have Anguissa. And we only played with three players, and we went to play with those over there, and we did what had to be done anyway. What do we do, leave the doubt that this missing player status can put us in a position to play a sub-par match compared to who we are? It is an incorrect way of thinking.

What a game I’m expecting? In my opinion, it will come out like the English Premier League in terms of intensity, where both teams have to score points and strive for victory. It’s clear to them that they are playing differently tactically, and we have to go to cover those spaces that they are going to occupy in the possession phase. They are good with both, we should do the same when we have the ball. It will be a match with both passionate teams, Inter are a very strong team.

14.05 – Back as a competitor in Milan? It becomes easy with me, I talk with little. Indeed, if you want to come and stay with me in Brittany, I am always alone. “I also won the Scudetto, I hope they don’t bother me,” it reads: They can do whatever they want with me. I look at my work, not the work of others. If I have to evaluate what I have, the concept is always the same: When I leave the club, I evaluate whether I have brought value on and off the field. I have a lot of boos in many places. I ended up at Inter, with that moment being hard to manage there. There were difficulties to be created. But then I didn’t blame anyone for that fourth place, and I didn’t take advantage of anything. I didn’t say anything, and they sent me home. It is clear that, then, assessments must be made: they are based on the possibilities available, in short. If one has the possibility to spend 240 million salaries, it is not equal to 100. It is different, one goes to take players who are not staying at home. But they take players from Chelsea and Man City and they used to win.

As for tomorrow’s emotions, I’m not here to say it’s a match like any other. I live everything I do intensely, but I live them live: I’m curious what reaction I would have there in San Siro, for me, the past never passed. I live with the feeling of what I do. I do things seriously and with feeling. There I had to make decisions and took them willingly, the coach had to be right for the good of the group: an experience that gave me so much, I thank the fans no matter how they treat me. I thank the players who followed me, there is respect and we talk with different players. I’m also proud to bring strength back to what was once a formation of Pinetina, even gardeners put things in place to give me availability. To raise the plants to know the depth, for example.

Tomorrow is very important to both of us, but it’s not final until there’s math. There are strong teams, and there are temporary difficulties. It can come from all sides. It’s as Simone Inzaghi said.

14.12 – We have certainty about the leaders Napoli against Inter? I have no retaliation from Inter in claiming. Tomorrow is an essential step for another little happiness, not for me perhaps or even my own happiness. But above all for those who love us and follow us. We are already somewhat fine, if we continue to work like this. We are looking for dignity and dignity, it will only be certain when you fight for the people who love you, not just to be famous or have a role. We have a city behind it there trembling. Santoro told me that today there will be initially 1,000 people to greet us, these things are impossible here! It is incredible what they organize to give us strength, we should think about what our behavior and desire should be.

14.14 – Decisive for Inter? Also, few matches have been played and there are many difficulties that everyone will face in this tournament. Happiness is a little hidden behind the difficulties we will face. If you have to replace one or two players, it makes you look down or turn your back, and you will never be able to achieve important goals. The goals behind these difficulties are here. Don’t complain, I’ve never complained about anything in my 20 year career! He never said, “I miss this, that.” It would be like saying to the team, ‘We can’t do it alone’, instead we can do it.

Certainty and doubts from Inter against Napoli? The certainty of what he has done so far, the certainty of the quality that our players have shown, the certainty of the thousands of people who support you, if you have any doubts not to. Our employees think we are a very strong team, what are our doubts? There is no one, we go play the game. There is an opponent with the same qualities as us. With top level players like ours. And a coach who has experience in that match that makes him play, and he has found a team that has already played that match in previous years. Undoubtedly, there will be difficulties similar to what we have said before. Either you have the courage to face these difficulties, or you make way for those who cannot wait to face them. There is no other choice.

Fight at the top with an Italian president? It’s almost the same, I had a president from a different country, from a different country than ours, but the son was always present in the community. Often, only when returning home. Let’s say they are roughly the same. Stephen Zhang looked at the situation a little more externally, with De Laurentiis living it more directly. We often hear on the phone, wants to know things. Zhang was watching from afar, De Laurentiis watching closely. His presence makes you feel it. With both of them doing the best I could, I had this opportunity. But it’s always the results that make the difference.

An opinion on the difficulties faced by the national team? I’m sorry to Mancini, he has the solutions to fix this. The national team deserved to qualify. The results gave him against him, a bit of luck and bad luck in football. He may have come down to something, he knows how to do it himself. Mancini is not going to teach him anything.

How is Lozano?