Christian Panucci stymied on'Inter: "How much pampering"

Former Milan and Inter Milan fullback Christian Panucci in an interview with Sportmediaset goes against the tide after Inter’s victory in the Coppa Italia final at the Olimpico against Lazio. According to the former player the balance of the season is good but there is the malus of Europe: “They are strong players and they play in Inter, it is not that we can always pamper them, it is clear that they have to win. It seems to me a great season yes, but they had to make it. And in Europe they didn’t do it.”

“The moral blow of last year’s final? Everyone in soccer took it, but no one went to intensive care… It always seems like you want to coddle this team after last year’s defeats. Again, it’s not like they went to the hospital in intensive care. For me, the season is 8.5, but they did poorly in Europe. The first objective cannot be the championship.”

For Panucci, the attacking duo has made the difference: “Thuram started a little compassed, but when he has space and can open his stride he becomes very important. And then Lautaro inside the area is always decisive. They are two players who complement each other and when they are well in Italy they make the difference.”

The final at the Olimpico handed Inter its 10th Coppa Italia, its third in the last five years. The Nerazzurri dominated the match already in the first half: at 14′, a crude own-goal by Marusic, off a Dimarco corner with Thuram getting a hand to it, unlocked the result. At 35′ came the double: Dumfries snatched the ball from a distracted Nuno Tavares, entered the box and served right to Lautaro Martinez, who did not miss. In the second half, Inter came close several times to a hat-trick, but without finding the goal, nevertheless closing out the match with full merit. In terms of the roll of honors, the Nerazzurri now climb to 10 Italian Cups, distancing Roma at 9 and moving closer to Juventus, which is stuck at 15.