Inzaghi: Inter ‘Well-paid’ for busy fixture list, but not seeking ‘revenge’ against Man City | OneFootball

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi is not concerned about a busy fixture list, even if the Nerazzurri prepared for a Champions League game against Manchester City in ‘one day’ and insists he’s not seeking revenge after the 2023 Final.

Defending Serie A champions Inter meet Manchester City in the opening 2024-25 Champions League game at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow.

“We face a highly organised team,” Inzaghi said at a press conference.

“They haven’t lost at home for years. We know what we have to do. We have prepared for the game in one day, but we know what we have to do. We know we’ll need an enormous performance. The lads are aware of it.”

The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in four Serie A matches but were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Monza over the weekend.

“We played with low intensity against Monza, but in the game before the break, we had had high intensity,” noted Inzaghi.

“We had a lot of players around Europe and the world [during the break]. We know we’ll need a different intensity tomorrow because the level is higher in Europe. This is the fixture list. Manchester City, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal were among the worst teams to pick; now we start with Manchester City and hope to do well.”

It’s the first time Inter and Manchester City meet in a competitive match since the 2023 Final, won by the Premier League giants in Istanbul.

“I watched it the following week and then last month during the pre-season,” said Inzaghi.

“I don’t think it’s revenge because tomorrow is a league-phase game. I have no regrets because my team gave their all in Istanbul. It’s a new competition, we have to prepare for eight different games. It will be more demanding, but it’s a format that will surely work well. We want to have a great journey.”

This season’s busy fixture list has been a huge matter of debate in the UK, but Inzaghi didn’t seem concerned.

“We know we play many games, but preparing for these matches is thrilling for a coach,” said the Nerazzurri boss.

“We also know these games are the reason we are well-paid. There will be a new Club World Cup this season and a new Champions League format. There are issues, but we must know what we’ll face. I must try to rotate as much as I can. We focus on one game at a time.”

Lautaro Martinez hasn’t yet scored this season, but Inzaghi insisted that the Argentinean star would never be a problem for the team.

“He’s our captain and he will score many goals this season as well. He arrived almost one month after his teammates following the Copa America. He will get in shape with more training sessions and he will score goals as he’s always done. He will always be a solution, never a problem.”

Inter have travelled to Manchester without the injured Federico Dimarco and Marko Arnautovic who had a fever.