When he appeared in the press room after the match against Lazio, wearing a gray tracksuit and looking as cool as ever, Lautaro Martinez was asked what it would mean for him to reach Sandro Mazzola’s tally of 161 goals for the Nerazzurri: “When I arrived here, I would have never thought about all this”. In front of the TV, celebrating the 2-0 win, was Sandro Mazzola, who had turned 83 the day before.
Mazzola, his Inter gave him back to the top. Did you expect him to be there?
“I celebrate it with my children and my 7 grandchildren, who are my pride: Alessandro, Paolo, Gaia, Alice, Rebecca, Andrea and Valentino. Because those names appear again, in the Mazzola family”.
Chivu inherits an injured Inter from the end of the season and is already at the top: what ideas does he have?
“I don’t know him, but I’m not surprised. He seems like a very intelligent guy. I think working with the youth team helps him in his relationships. The team needs to regain awareness of its own strengths.”
Meanwhile, Lautaro is ranked fourth in the Nerazzurri striker rankings: to be honest, there is a bit of disappointment
“I hope Lautaro reaches 300 goals. That will guarantee a lot of success for my Inter.”
If you play together, who will reach a certain number first?
“We need a more complex reason and think about how many championships have been played with 18 or 20 teams. In the second case, sometimes, there are also teams that lack good defense. In my day, a small deviation from a defender was enough to give an own goal and not a goal to the attacker.”
Mazzola then, Lautaro now: is being a flag today a plus?
“Lautaro is a true captain and I told him so at Pinetina. In that role you need to set an example and, if necessary, know how to pay attention.”
Can too much responsibility take away from your smile, as instructed?
“This is great. It’s always the field that does the talking.”
From Lukaku to Thuram and Bonny, those he played with performed well: why?
“Because he is a fighter and generous, he lets his teammates score goals. However, I see myself in Thuram, fast but also quick in the short term.”
How many teams are left between Inter and their Scudetto target?
“Inter, Napoli, Milan and Roma are at the forefront. Bologna, Como, Juve and Lazio are also playing for Europe. The Inter of Marotta and Ausilio – whom I brought to Inter – have made a further leap forward. Milan, after the unfortunate decision to send Maldini away, have filled the gap with the arrival of Tare and Allegri. Juve continue to underestimate the importance of having footballers at the club.”
Napoli have three colors, but Conte complains. Also?
“Conte is good at stimulating the environment, but this year he will understand what it means to fight in three competitions: what Inter did last year was extraordinary. We’ll see if Napoli chooses to be knocked out of the Italian Cup and Champions League early to fight for the title.”
Gasperini was first at Roma with Inter and his former team Atalanta performed poorly: a sign of how valuable the coach is?
“A great coach, who wants to express himself as best as possible must have a club that supports him and players who are not yet at the peak of their career. I don’t think Atalanta made the right choice with Gasperini’s successor: too much Sergeant Juric, too unaccustomed to fighting for the top position.”
We’ll see with Palladino. Currently the national team also needs Sandro Mazzola: can anyone be Sandro Mazzola?
“With
Gattuso we are starting to see more attention on young players, but also using more of a striker role, in addition to playing on the wings. You can’t think about winning with just one striker, because the best defense is still attack.”
