Inter coach Roberto Mancini said
the Nerazzurri deserved to be top of the Serie A standings as
the top flight was set to swing back into action Wednesday after
its usual long festive break.
Amid a raft of pre-match press conferences Tuesday, Milan
coach Sinisa Mihajlovic shrugged off rumours he might get the
sack and there were several calls for the Christmas and New Year
interlude to be scrapped.
Inter deserve to be top at the halfway mark, Mancini said.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday's clash at Empoli, Mancini
said "the important thing is to stay up there, we have deserved
first place."
Inter, on 36 points from 17 games, are one point ahead of
Napoli and Fiorentina, three ahead of champions Juventus and
four ahead of AS Roma.
Cross-city rivals Milan are sixth, four points adrift of
Roma.
Mancini cautioned, however, that Inter will have to keep
up their form if they are to land their first scudetto since
their treble in 2010 - the last time a championship was not won
by Juventus.
"There are a lot of teams close to us and the table
changes every week," Mancini said.
"It's too soon to start speaking of the scudetto".
He said the trip to Empoli, in eighth place, one point
behind Roma, would be far from easy.
"Usually this period is not an easy one, and besides that
playing at Empoli is always complicated," he said.
"They are doing very well".
Samir Hanadanovic on Tuesday extended his contract with
Inter until 2019.
"When there are no problems it's easy to prolong," said
the Slovenia keeper, flanked by a smiling Mancini.
Mancini said there was "no way" Inter would let Croatia
midfielder Marcelo Brozovic go, "not even if there is a huge
offer".
Mihajlovic meanhile shrugged off rumours he could be
facing the sack with his side sixth in Serie A, eight points
behind leaders Inter.
"As I often say to my players, if a sheep bleats a lion
pays no attention," he told reporters ahead of Wednesday's match
against Bologna at the San Siro.
"Lions eat sheep," he said with a smile.
The Serbian coach said Milan has "three games in which we
can get into the Champions League hunt, otherwise it might be
agony".
In other remarks, Mihajlovic said Real Madrid's new coach
Zinedine Zidane was "a great player but coaching is another
matter."
Fiorentina coach Paulo Sousa said Tuesday ahead of
Wednesday's game at Palermo that he wanted to rediscover the
same team that has managed to rise to second place, a point
behind Inter.
"I hope we get off to a good start after this break and I
rediscover the same Fiorentina that ended 2015, with the same
identity, the same game, and the same will to win," Sousa said.
"The year may have changed but we don't want to change," he
said.
On striker Giuseppe Rossi, who has been linked to several
clubs in Italy and abroad, Sousa said "I'm going to talk to him
because I want him to be happy".
AS Roma coach Rudi Garcia said Tuesday he would not risk
fielding Francesco Totti at Chievo Wednesday even though the
inspirational skipper is close to being able to return after a
September knock.
"I won't call up Francesco because he's still not 100%,"
Garcia said.
"His return is getting closer but there was no need to risk
him".
Totti, 39, has played just three games this season.
Garcia also downplayed suggestions his job might be in
danger.
"I don't feel like a temp," he said.
Juventus will have to "plug back in" after the break and
get their game faces on against Verona Wednesday in their quest
to win their fifth straight Serie A title, coach Massimiliano
Allegri said Tuesday.
"The championship is a time trial and in the end the team
that wins will be the one that makes the fewest mistakes," he
said.
"I reckon 82 points will be enough for the scudetto and the
last six games will be decisive," said the manager.
Juve have risen from 14th to fourth in two months to come
roaring back into the title race, three points behind leaders
Inter.
Italy striker Simone Zaza is not leaving Juventus in the
January transfer window, coach Massimiliano Allegri said
Tuesday.
"The player has grown a lot, I don't see why he should be
going anywhere," said Allegri.
"Zaza is an important player for us, it's right for him to
stay".
Zaza has been more out of than in the side recently and has
been reported as wanting away from Turin.
Inter Milan, Arsenal, Norwich and Crystal Palace are
reportedly among the clubs chasing him.
Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri was among those who slammed
Italian soccer's long midseason break.
"Seven days' holiday is madness for a sportsman in the
middle of the season," he said ahead of Wednesday's match
against Torino.
"The lads have trained well but their fitness levels are an
unknown," he said.
Napoli are third in Serie A, a point behind leaders Inter
Milan and level on points with second-placed Fiorentina.
Lazio coach Stefano Pioli also said he would be in favour
of acting on Footballers' Association chief Damiano Tommasi's
call to play during the Christmas holidays, as other European
leagues do.
"Yes, it's a good idea, and I'd even like to play in
mid-August to start the season much earlier," Pioli said ahead
of Wednesday's match against Carpi.
"Our breaks are too long, people want to get back into the
stadium and I think the Christmas break is too odd," Pioli
stressed.
"We have to give our players a week's holiday and then,
when they get back, they have to play two matches packed into
three days.
"All the European championships and even Serie B play
during the holidays, I'm all for doing so too," said the Lazio
manager.
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