Inter Milan News

The veteran full-back was pleased with his side’s display and feels they must use the performance as a springboard for the rest of the season

Javier Zanetti believes “the real Inter” were on show on Thursday evening, after they suffered an agonising away goals exit to Tottenham in the Europa League, despite winning 4-1 on the night.

The Nerazzurri forced the tie into extra time at San Siro after levelling the aggregate scores at 3-3, following strikes from the inspired Antonio Cassano, Rodrigo Palacio and an own goal from William Gallas.

But Emmanuel Adebayor’s away goal was enough to send the visitors through, even after Ricky Alvarez’s late header, and Zanetti was thrilled with the performance of his team-mates.

“We had a great game, but unfortunately it was not enough. We left ourselves out on the pitch,” he told reporters.

“This was the real Inter which we must use as a point of reference [for the rest of the season]. This year there have been some negative spells, but this evening we saw lots of positive things. Cassano? Antonio, when fit, can decide matches like he did so tonight. He is a champion.

“Over the next few days, we will try to recharge our batteries for another important game [against Sampdoria] at the Marassi. We need to rediscover our consistency, and we hope to do well on Sunday.”

Prior to the match, defender Christian Chivu caused something of a stir when he warned Inter that they must stop looking back on their achievements of recent years if they are to move forward, and Zanetti feels his team-mate was correct in his appraisal of the current side.

“Chivu’s words? We talked about it with serenity. His was constructive criticism and he is a man of great experience. We are trying to grow for the future. He was referring only to our present difficulties, but we saw good things tonight,” he added.

“We must try to find consistency from tonight’s performance. We will spend time on the training ground and work hard to right our wrongs.”

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas has called on Uefa to act after Emmanuel Adebayor and Kyle Naughton faced ‘monkey’ chants from Inter fans in their Europa League meeting

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has urged Uefa to act after Emmanuel Adebayor and Kyle Naughton were targeted by racist chanting at San Siro during Spurs’ 4-1 defeat to Inter.

An extra-time goal from the Togo strike ensured the north London club progressed to the Europa League quarter-finals on away goals, yet their overall success has been overshadowed by the incident.

Following the full-time whistle, Adebayor refused to speak to reporters, and now his Portuguese manager has called on European football’s governing body to punish the supporters responsible.

Speaking after the game, Villas-Boas said: “Chants were very, very easy to hear.

“It’s difficult for Inter, we have seen it before. It doesn’t mar the game but it is something to be avoided.”

Lazio were fined £120,000 by Uefa after their fans racially abused Spurs players in their meeting at the Stadio Olimpico in the Europa League group stage back in November, while they were also punished for similar behaviour in the meeting at White Hart Lane earlier in the season.

The under-fire coach drew positives from the performance of his team, despite them exiting European competition in agonising circumstances

Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni believes his side produced their best football of the season, after being knocked out of the Europa League by Tottenham.

Trailing 3-0 from the first leg at White Hart Lane, goals from Antonio Cassano, Rodrigo Palacio and a William Gallas own goal took the game into extra time, only for Emmanuel Adebayor to strike and see Spurs through 4-3 on aggregate.

“This is a fundamental sign we send out today and the only positive I can see from this evening is that we won’t have midweek games to worry about. It was our best performance of the season,” he said.

“We have taken a huge step forward in terms of our play, we believed right from the first minute, we’re still there, we’ve got ability, we’re all together and we want to finish the season on a high. Tonight’s performance was our best display in terms of the football we produced.

“The lads approached the match brilliantly, shrugging off any fear. It’s just a shame about the result and the fact we conceded by switching off.”

The Nerazzurri must now look to repair their stuttering Serie A campaign, with the club now sat in fifth spot following their defeat to Bologna last weekend.

But Stramaccioni remains buoyed by the spirit displayed by his men and their refusal to be broken by the criticism that has come their way in recent weeks.

He added: “You can’t deny the fact that the Europa League takes its toll in the following game, especially after 120 breathless minutes here, but either way we’ve taken a big stride forward.

“Now we get back into league action. But at this time, with all the heavy and sometimes gratuitous criticism that we’ve come under, had we not been united, it would have torn us apart.”

The former Nerazzurri defender would love to return to the club as coach, but wants to see current boss Andrea Stramaccioni to be a success

Sinisa Mihajlovic has expressed his desire to become Inter coach in the future.

The former defender, who played for the club between 2004 and 2006, and served as an assistant under Roberto Mancini at San Siro, is now in charge of the Serbian national team.

Andrea Stramaccioni’s future with the Nerazzurri has been the subject of great speculation after a series of disappointing results.

And Mihajlovic has admitted he would be interested in a return to the club, but added his hope that the current man in charge would prove to be a success.

“If you ask me if I hope to one day coach Inter then I’ll say yes. And I would repeat that a thousand times,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I’m happy that my name is paired with the Inter bench. But I love Inter too much to hope that things go badly in order for me to become a candidate for the job.

“Therefore, as an ex-player and a fan, I hope that Stramaccioni and his side can qualify for the Champions League.

The 44-year-old then gave his views on Inter’s current struggles and suggested a loss of confidence may have crept in and affected performances on the pitch.

“The players seem nervous, they’ve lost faith, perhaps fear has taken over. It’s time to stay united, those experienced players need to support others. I hope Stramaccioni finds the right answers.”

Emmanuel Adebayor scored in extra time to secure Tottenham’s progression to the Europa League quarter-finals on away goals after Inter had overturned a three-goal aggregate deficit at San Siro.

Antonio Cassano and Rodrigo Palacio put a serious dent in Spurs’ 3-0 first-leg lead before the former’s free kick deflected in off William Gallas with a quarter of an hour to play.

After a disastrous 90 minutes, however, Spurs responded well in extra time and Adebayor tapped in from close range after Mousa Dembele’s shot was parried into his path.

Ricky Alvarez headed home to make for a tense finish but Inter could not find the fifth goal they needed to claim a place in the last eight.

With Gareth Bale suspended and Aaron Lennon restricted to a place on the bench after injury, Dembele and Gylfi Sigurdsson started on as unorthodox wingers and Spurs’ game plan was clear from the outset.

Andre Villas-Boas’ team defended high up the pitch and attempted to take the sting out of any early Inter momentum by dominating possession in midfield, which they did while asking few questions of Samir Handanovic.

Cassano and Palacio, though, were always likely to take advantage of that aggressive back line given the chance and the former had tested Brad Friedel with a weak effort before he tumbled in the box from a similar position under very little contact from Gallas.

The referee was unconvinced on that occasion but Palacio was more purposeful when played in by Jonathan on the right and crossed for Cassano to head home at the back post.

Inter attacked with renewed vigour having cut into Tottenham’s aggregate lead and the experienced Italy striker almost repaid the favour by setting Palacio through on goal but his chipped effort hit the crossbar.

Spurs briefly stymied the home side’s flow more effectively thereafter and Sigurdsson saw his curling shot tipped around the post, but Inter would threaten again before the half was out.

Palacio’s cross just evaded Esteban Cambiasso and Fredy Guarin latched on to yet another pass lobbed behind the Tottenham defence before cutting back and shooting powerfully at Friedel, who parried.

Adebayor could have put the tie to bed against the run of play with the last kick of the half, striding through on goal after industrious work from Jermain Defoe had caused confusion at the back, but his attempted chip flew over the bar.

Adebayor remained a handful after the break, with one centre after an imperious run down the left wing just diverted away from Jan Vertonghen by Christian Chivu, but the game was becoming increasingly stretched as the two sides traded forward thrusts.

And after Dembele had conceded possession to Cambiasso in midfield, the Argentine had plenty of time with which to pick out his compatriot Palacio, who slotted past Friedel.

That error aside, Dembele’s move into central midfield after the introduction of Lewis Holtby for Defoe helped Spurs to tighten their grip on midfield until Inter levelled the tie in fortuitous circumstances.

Cassano’s low free kick from the left looked to be heading wide after deflecting off the wall until Gallas ill-advisedly stuck out his leg to redirect it into the bottom corner.

Handanovic was called into action when Kyle Naughton rocketed a 25-yard shot across goal before Cambiasso wasted a chance to win it when one-on-one with Friedel after a poor sliding tackle by Gallas.

Villas-Boas introduced Lennon shortly before the end of the 90 minutes and, with the prospect of one Spurs goal leaving Inter needing to take their tally to five, the indefatigable Javier Zanetti denied the winger a shot on goal in the opening stages of extra time with an excellent sliding challenge.

From the resulting corner, Handanovic saved brilliantly from Vertonghen before Gallas sent a free header wide of the post from the next delivery.

Spurs had started the first half of the additional 30 minutes firmly on the front foot, though, and left Inter with a mountain to climb when Handanovic could only turn Dembele’s shot into the path of Adebayor, who slid in to convert a crucial away goal from close range.

Inter refused to lie down and when Cassano picked out Alvarez from the left, the substitute nodded in to give Andrea Stramaccioni’s team hope, but Spurs survived the inevitable late onslaught.