Andrea Stramaccioni laughed off comparisons with Jose Mourinho ahead of the Derby della Madonnina. “The pitch will prove who is stronger.”
The young Inter Coach won his only encounter with Milan so far, a 4-2 result handing the Scudetto to Juventus at the end of last season.
“Milan have changed a great deal too, albeit in a different way to us. I think this game will be wide open and you could bet on absolutely any result. It’s a fascinating fixture,” he said in his Press conference.
“We’ve got to prepare for matches with concentration and attention to detail, though of course that is never going to be enough to win.
“The pitch will prove who is stronger between Inter and Milan. My players might be more experienced than Milan’s, but Massimiliano Allegri has more experience than me, so it all balances itself out.
“I am fortunate to have a mixture of very experienced players and some very young figures who can become the future of the team. We are at the start of this journey, so it is best not to crumble when things don’t go well. We’re in decent shape and have an important test to prove our consistency.
“Our project is very clearly defined. We wanted to turn the page and start a new era. We have no remorse for those who are no longer here.”
Wesley Sneijder is out with a thigh strain and is in Los Angeles for a week of physiotherapy, so Philippe Coutinho is expected to start.
“I strongly wanted him here and never had doubts on his performances. Marriage has also given him a sense of stability in his life.
“Stephan El Shaarawy is doing very well for Milan, but they have several dangerous players, so my team must not change its shape just to fit the opposition. I don’t think tomorrow’s result can fundamentally change the direction we are going in.”
Diego Milito said that Stramaccioni reminded him of the great Mourinho, but the Coach laughed off the comparison.
“I do not compare myself to any other Coaches. I am young and trying to learn quickly. Mourinho wrote pages in the history books of various Leagues, so it would be ridiculous to be compared to him.
“I speak regularly to President Massimo Moratti, inform him of what’s happening within the team and I like explaining my views. The President is constantly updated on the squad.”
Giampaolo Pazzini has made it clear he was pushed out of Inter by Stramaccioni, moving to Milan in exchange for Antonio Cassano.
“If I were Pazzini, I’d obviously want to prove to Inter that they were wrong to sell, but that is normal in sport. The same is true for Cassano. We know how good Giampaolo is, we simply had to make a technical decision based on his characteristics.”
