Stramaccioni: "I have heard from Mourinho and I will follow his advice"

Stramaccioni

During his time in Rome to receive an award, Andrea Stramaccioni stopped by Corriere dello Sport headquarters to give an interview which started with an incredible revelation. “Yes I have heard from Jose Mourinho. He said that he will help me lead my Inter and with his text messages, everything is easier. They are very precious and I will follow his advice.” Not only the Special One inspires Stramaccioni: “Spaletti is my source of inspiration and Montella is a true friend. Zanetti? He is absolutely essential for me.”

The call to be the coach at Inter: “It is something incredible. The president called me to a lawyer’s office and we talked about the first team for two hours. After those two hours, he knew that I could coach. It is one thing to have a team in nine games, another is to coach from the beginning of the season. One hundred years with Primavera will not be enough to prepare for Inter and everyday I learn something new.”

Excited to start the new season: “I must have the humility to listen. Soon we will have a meeting to plan summer preparation. I am not worried because thanks to these nine games, I now know the team better. In March I was “pressured” by the president because he flew to London with his son instead of going to Turin for Juventus-Inter. I am now at Inter thanks to Roberto Samaden, Piero Ausilio and the mythical scout in Pierluigi Casiraghi.”

“Inter, in 2010, wanted me and tried to include me in negotiations for Burdisso but Roma directors did not let me go. President Sensi told me that I was the future of Roma. I got a clause in my contract with which I had a week to decide my future if I had not gotten what I wanted (coaching Roma Primavera). Roma decided to stay with Alberto De Rossi. His work was in the watchful eyes of everyone but I needed to progress. I behaved well and the new owner, after reading my contract, let me go. I have nothing against Alberto De Rossi. Rightfully so, he wanted to keep coaching Roma. I had nothing to say but I could not coach the Allievi forever. I am not ashamed to say that I was disappointed when I left Rome. In certain situations, you lose some of that magic that you had as a boy but now I have embraced the project at Inter. In Rome, I had a great relationship with Conti, Totti, Vito Scala and Dr. Mazzoleni. Montella? A great friend. He accompanied me in April 2010 to the first meeting with Inter and on that evening, we watched Inter-Barcelona. A great friend, I can always count on him.”

The impact with the dressing room: “The first time I entered the dressing room, I had a moment of confusion and I even opened the wrong door. After I saw Maicon, Sneijder, Julio Cesar, Pazzini, Milito… I thought: Mamma mia… Not even the current Italian Champions Juventus have those players, people who wrote the history of football. I admit, at that moment, I was a little bit… ‘high.’”

Relationship with Pazzini: “Pazzini? The dialogue between us is dry, constant and respectful. I thank him because he has never made a controversy and decided the derby.”

On the text messages from Mourinho: “When I saw the text messages with the signature of Jose Mourinho, I thought it was a joke. But then I asked our team manager Andrea Butti and he said that he had given my number to Jose Mourinho. It was a pleasure to talk with the best coach in the world. When he saw my Inter play, I was advised not to change and not get contaminated. I tried to give an impression to this Inter. I think I succeeded but I must always get better.”

On the future of Inter. What does this team need to win the Scudetto? “If you are called Inter, you must always focus on winning the Scudetto. I say this with little diplomacy and knowing between us and Juve, there was a 20-point gap. But I am coaching the players who are used to winning. No coincidence that a week after my arrival, I started talking about the third spot.”

Transfer market: “Moratti will think about it. He has clear ideas for future purchases. Lavezzi and Lucas? They are both super, Lavezzi and Lucas. Perhaps they will come.” The one leaving is Mauro Zarate: “I respect him a lot but the figure that Lazio are asking for makes him out of the transfer market.” Coaching Balotelli? “I do not know him personally but at Inter, people regard him as a good person. He is an asset of Italian football. He has made some mistakes that I would not judge.”

Last comment on Guarin: “A good player who is growing every day and settling down well. He has quality and strength and just came back from a major injury.”

Source: Corriere dello Sport