Inter v Verona Preview: Mazzarri fighting the sack at San Siro

With the Milan side 10 points behind Serie A leaders Juventus, the former Napoli coach is under immense pressure, but Juan Jesus says the club should stand by their man

Inter boss Walter Mazzarri is fighting for his job as the club look to spark their season into life after a sluggish start at home to Verona on Sunday.

The Nerazzurri are ninth in Serie A, 10 points adrift of leaders Juventus after 10 games, and the coach’s position at San Siro has become the centre of frenzied speculation. 

Former owner Massimo Moratti quit his role as honorary president last month after reports that he was unsuccessful in his desire to see Mazzarri sacked.

And just when it looked like the team had turned the corner, after scrappy wins over Cesena and Sampdoria, Inter lost 2-0 at then-bottom Parma last weekend.

A 1-1 Europa League draw at Saint-Etienne followed on Thursday – an impressive result that kept Inter four points clear at the top of Group F.

Inter, though, will be under pressure to return to winning ways when the 11th-placed Verona head to Milan on Sunday but defender Juan Jesus insists the team are behind their boss.

“We played with great desire [against Saint-Etienne],” the Brazilian said.

“It’s important that we play well against Hellas Verona, with this determination and desire.

“We’re with Mazzarri. He’s our coach.”

Mazzarri took over at Inter last year after a successful four-year stint in charge of Napoli and he has called on the support of the San Siro faithful for Sunday’s clash.

“We want to do well,” he said. “[We] would like the fans to spur us on because my lads deserve it.”

Verona lost 3-1 at home to Inter’s city rivals AC Milan before being thumped 6-2 at Napoli last month.

Since then, they have drawn 1-1 with Lazio and Cesena and are going in search of their first win in more than a month on Sunday.

No Verona player has scored more than two league goals this term, while for Inter, Mauro Icardi and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo have weighed in with five and four, respectively.

Osvaldo returned from a thigh injury to feature off the bench at Saint-Etienne, but Yuto Nagatomo, Jonathan and Fredy Guarin are still battling problems.

Inter boast a good record against Verona, though, having won the last six matches between the teams in all competitions.

That included a 4-2 triumph in the corresponding fixture last term, in which both sides had a man sent off.

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