Last Saturday was marked by an event of pan-European sound: “Inter”, defeating Cagliari at home (1: 0), achieved 16th consecutive Victoria in the Italian championship and set a record for the winning streak for five top European championships. (By the way, among the championships of the so-called second tier out of competition the achievement of the Scottish “Celtic”, which recorded 25 victories in a row in the 2003/2004 season.) What helps the “Nerazzurri” with unique ease to overcome the obstacles of the once strongest league in the world?
1. Class performers
Do not deny that the main circumstance that determines the unprecedented result of the team of Roberto Mancini is the highest skill of the performers. “Inter” has worked wonderfully in the offseason and made several landmark acquisitions: Vieira, Ibrahimovic, Micon, Grosso, Dakur and Maxwell. In fact, Mancini has two first-class teams at his disposal, and the coach, as necessary, applies rotation almost painlessly. Divided “Inter” into two parts (virtually and in any variations), we are sure that each of the components would at least claim a place in the top three. In the selection of players, “Nerazzurri” has no equal. “Roma doesn’t have such a powerful bench. And Milan caught on only by the time of the January transfer window. In addition, squad Carlo Ancelotti, like no other, is injured.
2. Intra-team competition
The abundance of stars determines the highest competition between them. Any of the two dozen players is well aware that a place at the base is not guaranteed to him, he must give all his best and prove his worth at each training. The maximum concentration is necessary every day (!), And not just in official matches. In addition, the players understand that there are such excellent masters nearby, and this is an excellent chance to achieve something significant together. Such an opportunity must be cherished.
3. Maximalism Mancini
An amazing pattern: no matter in which team Roberto Mancini is, she always claims to be high places. Apparently, not by chance. When he was a player, Mancho devoted most of his career to Sampdoria. Until the mid-80s, “blueschkati” were mediocre middle peasants, but with the advent of a talented and ambitious forward, the Genoese turned into regulars at the top of the table.
Already in the role of a coach, Mancini put on a chic and productive game, “Lazio”, and then went on to rise in “Inter”. At first, not everything went smoothly there (only 2 wins and 11 draws in the first 13 rounds of the 2004/2005 championship). But in the end, the wards penetrated the leader’s maximalism. Football players, by the way, have repeatedly noted the characteristic qualities of Mancini. For example, he knows how to perfectly motivate and at the same time maintain composure, which flows invisibly into the team. The essence, apparently, is that Mancho himself was a star and perfectly feels the psychology of his own kind. Even after the separation from “Roma” reached 14 points, the coach still methodically repeats: “The championship is not finished, and the Romans did not lose the chances for first place. We must move at the same pace. The team is in good shape, and you can’t remove your leg off the gas pedal. There's a long way to go. "
4. Close-knit team
The merit of Mancini is that he managed to create a friendly, almost family atmosphere. At least, most of the wards in the team are comfortable. Inter's rookie Patrick Vieira drew a parallel with his former club Juventus: “Would I return to Turin? It’s unlikely. Honestly, it’s more comfortable in Milan. The atmosphere here is more favorable and the players have more sympathy. Many are friends with families. In Juve “it was rare, football is work there. Of course, work is also in Milan, but it’s fun. When we played in London, we had a constant company: I, Henri, Pires and a couple of guys, and we were inseparable. We practically didn’t communicate outside the field. And at Inter we go to the family restaurant as a whole crowd, about twenty people. I think this is our strength. Mancini rallied the team. Look how many people are here, how many new recruits, and of different nationalities. But everyone has taken root. Therefore, I believe that Mancini is the main creator of recent successes. "
5. Game Optimization
A large selection of performers is probably a source of constant headache. It seems that it’s far from easy for the coach to select the best combinations for a specific match. Rapid pre-season manning left no time for searching, and had to experiment hard in the championship debut. Having experienced more than one tactical formation with different combinations of players and lost 6 points in the first 7 rounds (there was also an uncertain start in the Champions League), Inter safely settled on the 4-3-1-2 scheme. Moreover, some football players even changed their usual roles: Javier Zanetti turned from a right back to a defensive midfielder, Vieira is now not a classic central midfielder, but a midfield player with an emphasis on the right flank, Dejan Stankovic forgot about the role of an extreme midfielder and became “fantastical”. Each of the point changes organically complemented the overall picture, and the command mechanism worked more diverse.
6. The weakness of the environment
Let us make a reservation right away: this should be understood not in an absolute interpretation, but only in relation to the capabilities and potential of Inter. A series of successes of Nerazzurri forces one to ponder: is the favorite so strong, or is his victory just a consequence of the noticeable weakening of the once leading world championship? Who would argue: Series A passed, and it is noticeable. The process lasted more than one year, but until last summer, personnel losses did not take on a global scale. Needless to say, in July-August, the Calchio elite lost too many: along with Juventus, Buffon, Del Piero, Trezeguet, Nedved, Camoranesi, Marchionni, Zebin, Tudor, Bozhinov and others fell into the second division. Shevchenko, Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Thuram, Emerson, Veron, Stam, Rui Costa, Corradi, Paredes, Dabo moved to foreign clubs. There were almost no high-profile acquisitions - only Crespo, Cristiano Doni and Vieri returned.
Denis ORLOV
PS The listed reasons, alas, do not allow us to comprehend the true price of achieving Inter. She will become more or less clear when speaking at the Euro-scene. In the Champions League, no one promises an easy life, but the Milanese probably will not have it. The same matches of the 1/8 finals with “Valencia” seem to be a very difficult and dangerous test. There is no doubt one thing: the team has developed a spirit of winners, which, ceteris paribus, can be decisive. An interesting statement by Giovanni Trapattoni (he is the last coach who led Inter to the Scudetto), who recently said that the current roster is stronger than the one with which he won in 1989. Applying a percentage scale, the trainer indicated a ratio of 51:49.