Pioli: Legs, head and heart

Stefano Pioli is demanding “legs, head and heart, thinking that every ball is decisive” from Inter when they take on Milan this Saturday.

Speaking at his first pre-match Press conference as Inter boss ahead of the Derby della Madonnina, Pioli spoke of his “pride” at how his new troops had trained over the past week and noted a “great desire to get back to where we belong”.

“It’ll be important for the atmosphere, looking into each other’s eyes and bringing everything that we have and more,“ he began.

“There’s great awareness and desire from the team to show who we are, that we’re Inter.

“We have to get back to where we belong, and the derby’s a great opportunity.

“Two training sessions were enough, I’m proud of how the guys are approaching the game.

“I didn’t have any technical doubts, but I found a helpful and professional group, aware of the game’s importance.

“How will we play? From the team, our interpretation is the most important thing, playing with our legs, head and heart, thinking that every ball is decisive. I’ve asked that of all the lads.

“The atmosphere is the right one because I’ve found a great approach from the lads. Last night, I fell asleep calmly and peacefully thanks to the work I’ve done here.

“The international break? I’ve found the players well, especially mentally.

“Milan? They’re a team that have found their strength, defend as a unit and possess attacking solutions thanks to good players in one-on-ones.

“Montella’s done well to embed his philosophy in the team, but we have the quality to cause them problems.”