Conte: “Inter vs. Juventus is a step from which we can develop further"

MILAN – Antonio Conte attended his pre-match press conference today ahead of the big match on matchday seven of the Serie A TIM season between Inter and Juventus: “I’m expecting it to be a match between the two sides at the top of the table who have been better than everyone else so far but we’re still only talking about the seventh match of the season and a lot will come after this. We’ll also have to see ourselves where we can end up. Of course, it’s a wonderful and massive match that lots will want to watch and we need to show the desire, enthusiasm and bravery required to play in this kind of game.” 

On the side’s improvement: “Every game is very important for us because every match provides us with another step in our process of growth. That's in every aspect. When there’s a defeat like the Barcelona one, it helps us to understand what we’ve done well and where we need to improve. It helps us to understand that if we want to reach certain levels, we need to improve and realise that we still have a long way to go. Tomorrow is another test against a team that has been built over time and one that has become very strong. This is the start of the journey. It’s very important that the squad becomes stronger and for me, the work we do is very important because the guys need to improve in every aspect. That means tactics, conditioning and self-belief. It will take time but those who have time don’t wait around, we’re already working in an important way and the guys have all been open to it. We’re working day and night to create a machine that goes at 200 miles per hour. We are sure of this.” 

The Juventus match will be the final one in a spell of seven matches in 23 days. “It’s the last match in this cycle, it’s inevitable that after the break I hope to be able to count more on other players as some have had to do the extraordinary in this time. A lot in our season will depend on being able to use all of the players in the squad, that’s important for a side playing in the league, Champions League and then also the Coppa Italia later on. We’re still at the start, the tank is full and these games bring important energy. We’re going into the game with the right sense of enthusiasm. After playing well against Barcelona, this will be another important step.” 

On the journey so far: “Winning is an overused word but you have to understand what leads to winning. I'm looking to work with a group that has been extraordinarily open as we try to achieve this. When I speak about growth, I mean it in general rather than individual situations. For us, a lot will depend on our growth and how individuals develop because there are good players in this team who can become top players through work. My task is to help players improve for the good of the team and because we have the possibility of improving everything. My staff and I have to be ready to do this because these guys have the desire to play big parts, make the future theirs and work is the only way to do it. We’ll do that to improve as individuals and as a collective.”