Dumfries: “We know how to improve: we’re here to win.”

On the eve of Inter's Champions League 2025/26 debut against Ajax, the Romanian coach was joined by Denzel Dumfries at the press conference held at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, where the match will be held on Wednesday September 17th.

The Dutch wing-back spoke ahead of the clash with Ajax:

What does it mean to you to return to Amsterdam? "It's nice to be back, and I also saw Chivu among the celebrated legends in the stadium. Ajax has always been a strong side, they play dynamically and have lots of individual talent. I follow the Dutch league, I've seen their games - they know how to play"

Is there anything that isn't working at Inter? "I wouldn't say so. Against Juventus we conceded too easily. But we have worked on this together, we know we have to do better. Even so, we dominated, despite losing by a fine margin. We have lots of experience, and we know how to bounce back"

Looking back as a team, would you say you know why you conceded those late goals? "We spoke a lot about this. We let in too many goals, at the worst moments. We need to understand and learn from our mistakes. It also depends on the game. Against Juventus, we put up a good fight but we still conceded goals far too easily. We should learn from this, and try to switch things up. We need to change our mindset a bit.

What aims do you have in the Champions League? "In the Champions League you play to win. That's always the aim. We're a big Club and we are ready to fight for it. But tomorrow is just the beginning. The goal in every game of this competition is to win, for sure."

Beyond tactics, do you need to work on character? "The season hasn't started as we wanted; we've lost two important games. We're a team that has played together for a long time, and we know what to do to get back to performing well. We want to start well in the Champions League. Now, it's up to us to find fresh motivation and do better. We have experience and character, and we've openly reflected as a team to improve. I have full confidence that we will."

Why should Ajax be afraid of Inter? "I don't know, but we have plenty of experience and a squad that knows what is needed in certain games. Not starting well motivates us for the future, and we want to win tomorrow."