The conference towards the trip to Leverkusen: “I’m happy with Taremi”. Ex Calhanoglu: “I can’t wait to meet everyone again”
Inter, who are knocking loudly with their knuckles on the doors of the Champions League G8, are traveling around Europe with a calculator in their suitcase. Right before challenging Xabi Alonso’s miracle Leverkusen in their lair, he made additional calculations, explained well by Simone Inzaghi from the height of his 13 points in the single super-group: “We know that at 17 we could be in the top eight and at 18 we certainly would be – said the Inter coach -: we have to take the final steps in the next three matches, but in the meantime we face one of the biggest teams in Europe, the German champions. We have seen Leverkusen over and over again: they play as a three or four, but they always remain recognizable thanks to Alonso’s principles, the way they attack when they lose the ball and the way they build from deep.”
the technician
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Inzaghi earned this continental standing little by little and, for this reason, he made a point of recalling in the conference on the eve of the long journey he took to gain respect on the continent: “The boys that I have trained and continue to train here have simply given me everything: I know where we started and I know where we are now. Of course, the difference in defensive attention of his troops between Italy and Europe remains curious: in Serie A the opponent often breaks through the front line, in the Champions League he has always been rejected (zero goals conceded). “We have to raise the defensive level even in such a balanced championship – added Inzaghi -. Against this Leverkusen team we all have to work as a team behind.” And on the striker baptized as the Champions League starter, further words from Simone: “I am very happy with Taremi, with how he works and with how much he grows. Then he first knows that there are four other strikers who want to play like him: Thuram and Lautaro do it more, Arnautovic never saves himself even in training, Correa is back to doing very well. I hope that there will always be great competition in every department at Inter.” To tell the truth, in the German away game the defensive competition is now reduced to the bare minimum, given the additional absences of Acerbi and Dumfries affected. “At the moment we have some problems behind us, I admit it”, concluded the Nerazzurri coach.
CALHA
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Sitting next to Inzaghi, Hakan Calhanoglu also spoke on the eve, always with the air of the prodigal son. In this stadium the Turk played for three straight seasons, before seeking his fortune in Milan, much of the local attention is focused on him: “After seven years it’s the first time I’ve come back here – said a beaming Calha -, not I can’t wait to see all the club’s workers, I experienced many emotions here, then my journey in Italy began. It wasn’t easy because I learned a new language and a new football tradition, but I’m happy with what I’ve done.” . Today everyone looks at Hakan as one of the best playmakers on the pitch, but the Inter number 20 knows how to make the difference in every specialty, even in coverage: he is the player with the most recovered balls in the entire Champions League, 9 on average per game. “If I succeed I only have to thank the coach and his staff, they saw me in that role and I found myself in it: I’m still growing also thanks to very high level teammates. With midfielders like ours it’s easier to play, whoever starts or who comes in makes no difference.” Here he is remembered as an attacking midfielder, while his years at Inter changed his geography on the pitch: “My position fell back a bit, and so I became an even more important player. Compared to when I left Germany, I I feel different, matured, with more experience. Even becoming a father three times led me to work more, I improved a lot and then with my intelligence it was easier to understand the game…”.
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