Legendary Inter defender Beppe Bergomi believes the Nerazzurri hold the advantage in next seasons Serie A title race. Writing for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Bergomi analysed the Nerazzurri’s squad and the potential rivals to Inter’s Scudetto bid:
“With the addition of Zielinski and Taremi we can consider Inter’s squad superior to that of last year, also because it has essentially been reconfirmed in full without making sacrifices. The two free agent arrivals are excellent players, I also like Josep Martinez and behind Sommer he can grow without immediate pressure, getting used to the context. The Pole, moreover, is the most suitable profile to allow Mkhitaryan to catch his breath. After all, he can’t play them all. If you want to find a small flaw with Inter, you can observe that the midfield lacks some centimeters, but the quality that the Nerazzurri are able to guarantee with the reinforcements acquired on the market is impressive and unparalleled at the moment in Serie A”.
There’s Inzaghi, guarantee of continuity
“Continuing in the path traced by Simone Inzaghi is very positive, it means reproposing a model that so far has proven to be winning. Having kept the coach and great champions like Lautaro Martinez, secured with a long-term renewal, is certainly a fundamental aspect and will be an advantage especially in the early stages of the season. Inter doesn’t need any breaking-in period, it can count on consolidated certainties in every area of the field and also outside. Oaktree, facilitated by the results obtained so far, has not modified anything of the management structure and has not even touched the technical staff. Everyone has remained in their place, even more firmly than before. The project is valid and can still give many satisfactions to the Nerazzurri fans”.
The rivals are unknowns
“Milan, Juventus and Napoli have changed coaches. They have entrusted themselves to very prepared coaches like Fonseca, Thiago Motta and Conte, but they still represent unknowns, although they are strengthening themselves on the market. The Azzurri have Conte but are coming off a tenth place finish, because they went through considerable difficulties, like Milan the year before. Inter seems to be able to bear the weight of the tricolor on their chest, instead, taking advantage of the moments of physiological transition that the other Scudetto candidates might encounter”.
The motivations to be found again and the Champions League
“It will not be easy at all to reconfirm because it takes the same ferocity, if not even something more. Winning is always difficult, repeating is even more so. So it will be fundamental to work a lot on the mental aspect, so that stimuli are never lacking. In football they really count a lot, they make the difference. It seems like a paradox, but those who have already achieved certain goals are as if they had to put themselves on par from this point of view. Moreover, Inter will aim to go all the way in any competition of this long season. The elimination suffered by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 is an open wound, even if it occurred against a high-caliber opponent. There will certainly be a desire for redemption”.
Ok reinforcements and it will be necessary to rotate more
“Taremi, Zielinski and Martinez are valid additions, which give Inzaghi a wider number of alternatives in their respective departments. However, they are not stars that change the balance of the starting eleven, whose level has remained rather unchanged. We will start again, especially in the initial phase, from the same certainties. It’s understandable, also because this cycle has already reached an important maturity. Overall, Inzaghi will have to adapt to the need to rotate the elements. The impression is that this year Inter cannot make too many calculations in terms of objectives, it has the duty to go all the way in any competition. For this reason, dosing the available resources will be decisive and with such a large squad it will certainly be easier”.
Age rises, matches increase
“A certain caution is needed in early season evaluations because a year has passed for all players and at the same time the average age of the squad has not been lowered, especially in the starting eleven. So, it is difficult to establish in what conditions the players will approach a new championship, considering in particular the enormous number of matches to be played. Moreover, in recent years, the Italian champions have always gone through complicated seasons with the tricolor on their chest. I’m thinking of Milan finishing fifth or Napoli who just finished tenth”
