I Love Inter Milan

Former Spartak Moscow boss Massimo Carrera has backed Antonio Conte to take over the reigns at Inter Milan and believes he would bring success for the Nerazzurri despite his Juventus background. The Italian has been out of duty since his dismissal at Chelsea last summer but he has been heavily touted to take up the managerial role at the San Siro giants.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Carrera, who was a former teammate of Conte at Juventus, said that Conte would stay 100 percent committed to the job at hand with the Nerazzurri despite his close association with the Serie A holders, he quipped: “This is a world made up of professionals. He would be Inter’s number 1 supporter, but it is normal that it would be like this. He is one of the best coaches in the world, he could give an important impression to the team.”

Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar has said that the forthcoming game against Juventus can be considered as a derby as the club seek to maintain their push for the Champions League places. Inter are currently in the third position after 33 games played but they can’t rest on their laurels with just five points separating them from fifth-placed AS Roma.

Speaking to reporters, Skriniar indicated that the upcoming clash against Juventus will have the feeling of a derby, considering the club will be aiming to secure the maximum points, he said: “It is always an important game since we are fighting for the Champions League and above all this is a game against Juventus. It’s like a derby, a game with a lot of emotions and we have to enter the pitch with the objective to win.”

Tuttomercato journalist Luca Marchetti has said that Antonio Conte has been earmarked as the prime managerial candidate for Inter Milan ahead of the forthcoming campaign. The Nerazzurri have endured a stop-start season under Luciano Spalletti this term, but they are still on course to finish in the top four with seven games remaining.

In a report covered by Tuttosport, Marchetti revealed that the Nerazzurri are the leading candidates to pursue the former Chelsea man, who is currently out of work. He added that the Italian’s former association with CEO Beppe Marotta at Juventus could prove advantageous in the attempt to pursue his signature, he said: “Inter is talked about a lot and surely the fact that Conte is free to decide what kind of project to embrace is an advantage for them. They have a double advantage over others if you consider that Marotta and him have already worked and won together.”

Belgium international Yannick Ferreira Carrasco has acknowledged that he could make a comeback to European football in the summer, should the right offer come by. The attacker was linked with the likes of Arsenal, AC Milan, and Inter Milan during the winter transfer window but a deal failed to materialise with Dalian Yifang insistent on keeping hold of his services.

Speaking to reporters, Carrasco acknowledged that he was keen on making a European comeback at the turn of the year but that was not meant to be after Yifang snubbed the opportunity to sanction his sale. Nonetheless, he has not given up hope regarding the same and he is hoping of returning to his home continent in the summer, he said: “I would love to return to Europe. A lot of clubs were interested in me. We tried to find a solution in January that would enable me to leave Dalian Yifang. But I can understand the club's thinking. They wanted me to stay.”

Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti has said that he was please to watch Mauro Icardi in the stands during the team’s 2-1 triumph over Sampdoria in the Serie A. The Nerazzurri recently stripped the striker from the captaincy amid the tension between him and the club’s hierarchy and he has since missed back-to-back matches, although the latter has been attributed to a minor knee problem sustained during the week.

Speaking after the game, Spalletti was pleased with the appearance of Icardi on the stands following what has happened with him and the club over the past week. However, the Italian was a little bit disappointed with the marksman following the triumph as he had expected him to join with his teammates for the celebration in the dressing room.

Inter Milan boss Luciano Spalletti has said that Mauro Icardi should not be blamed for Inter Milan’s slump in form since the winter break. The Argentina international has failed to score in any of the previous six matches and this has partly contributed to the Nerazzurri going through a four-match winless run across all competitions.

Speaking in a press conference, Spalletti said that the Nerazzurri have lacked the cutting edge to their gameplay which has cost them in the past month. He added that Icardi cannot be solely blamed for the run of results, given every one within the squad has to contribute towards the club’s success through the campaign.

Former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti believes skipper Mauro Icardi should be on a higher wage package with the Nerazzurri after being one of their most consistent performers over the past few seasons. The Argentina international currently has a contract until the summer of 2021 but the club have recently sought to extend his deal with the means of increasing or potentially cancelling £96m release clause.

However, their efforts have gone to vain up to date with his representative rejecting the advances and Moratti feels the striker has the right to demand a better wage amid his exploits over the past five-and-a-half seasons, he said: “I think Icardi has the right to think about receiving a higher salary, but I also think the club have a strategy to make sure he stays at Inter. We have this story about Icardi’s contract extension every year. Would I have given him the €8-9 million Wanda is asking for if I were still president? I wouldn’t know how to compare the sums of money from the past and those of today.”

Netherlands international Stefan de Vrij has expressed his honour to wear the Inter Milan shirt during the current campaign. The Dutchman made the Bosman move from Lazio at the conclusion of the previous season and he has since cemented a regular role at the heart of the club’s defence alongside Milan Skriniar.

Speaking in an interview on the club’s official website, De Vrij revealed his former experience while visiting the San Siro as the opposition while saying that he is proud to wear the club’s colours, he quipped: “When you came to San Siro as an opponent it was almost like an episode of Westworld, really.

Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic believes the club’s recent Champions League draw against Barcelona will help them improve further. The Nerazzurri managed a hard-fought 1-1 stalemate against the Blaugrana in midweek and this puts them in a strong position to reach the round of 16 with two games left to play.

Speaking after the encounter, Handanovic acknowledged that he had make an error of judgement in the lead up to the Blaugrana’s equaliser but such moments should only help the team to improve as they seek to reach the heights of their olden days, he said: “I made a mistake on their goal, I wasn't in the right position even if the ball went by three players. Barcelona played better than we did, in the first half above all but we could have shown something extra. Such matches will make us improve so that's a good thing. After our equaliser, the support from San Siro made me think that we could go on and win it like against Tottenham.”

The representative of Milan Skriniar has revealed that discussions are underway to commit his client to a new long-term contract with Inter Milan. The Slovakia international only joined the Nerazzurri from Sampdoria last year but he has since been hugely influential at the heart of the club’s defence, making over 50 appearances across all competitions.

In an interview covered by The Star, agent KarolCsonto said that the versatile defender is content with the proceedings at San Siro and talks are likely to proceed in the forthcoming months regarding a contract extension with the club, he said:“We're talking about it. We're working on it. It's a subject we'll be facing more intensively over the next few months.