Although he is eagerly awaiting his team’s clash against Torino, Inter coach Walter Mazzarri is still wary of his opposition.
The former Napoli coach successfully guided the Nerazzurri into the group stages of the Europa League and now will turn their focus to domestic matters in their Serie A opener.
“Torino are a very good team with a top level coach, so it’s going to be a tough test for us,” he revealed in a pre-match press conference.
“It will be very interesting to see how my players adjust and navigate their way through the game.”
Mazzarri was also questioned on several of the team’s new faces, including players like Dodo, Gary Medel, and Yann M’Vila.
“I have a good feeling about Medel, he’s done well and I’ll definitely take that into consideration when deciding who to start. Dodo, [on the other hand], is a young player who still needs to improve his tactical awareness and I intend to help him with that.
“M’Vila is, tactically, very similar to Medel. That being said, they can easily work together.”
The 52-year-old also had high praise for Croatian starlet Mateo Kovacic, who netted a hat-trick in his team’s 6-0 thrashing of Stjarnan.
“He is very versatile, as he can play in two different roles, and understands exactly what I expect of him. All in all, he’s on the right track as his self-esteem continues to grow.”
Finally, with the transfer window set to close soon, he was also asked about the rumors linking PSG striker Ezequiel Lavezzi with a return to Italy.
“Lavezzi is a great guy and a great player. But it’s not up to me; you’ll have to ask the president about that.”
Follow Michelle Bonsu on Twitter: @MichelleB289
