Leonardo ready for Inter test
December 29, 2010 16:40:49 UK
Inter Milan's new head coach Leonardo is relishing the challenge of reviving the European and Italian champions after replacing Rafael Benitez at the helm.
Leonardo was boss of AC Milan last term.The Brazilian, who managed city rivals AC Milan in 2009/10 and spent much of his playing career with the Rossoneri, was unveiled by Inter on Wednesday, following Benitez's departure.
Leonardo, who was confirmed as the Nerazzurri's new manager on Christmas Eve, told a press conference: "Inter is a powerful, fascinating and unexpected challenge.
"I arrive here at one of the biggest clubs in the world, in the most important year of its history, the year in which the team won everything (Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Club World Cup, in addition to the Champions League).
"Inter is now a reality, the most important reality. I was looking for a dream, a big motivation, a great challenge. At the moment there is no challenge greater than Inter."
Inter Milan are now 51.00 to win the Italian Serie A 2010/11 outright, while the European champions are currently 1213.00 to win the Champions League 2010/11.
President Massimo Moratti is pleased with his choice of new manager.
Moratti said: "Leonardo forced me to be here today - to be honest it is the first time someone has asked me to be here. You can see that I'm very pleased with the choice.
"It is a choice that developed from the sense of respect I have always had for him, and the sense of respect everyone who has ever known him has for his ability to learn quickly, and to transmit affection and efficiency.
"I think he will be able to employ those abilities at our club, which, with the Club World Cup, has shown itself to still be ambitious.
"That doesn't mean we will rush the new coach or put pressure on him; it means we will follow our instincts and the affection we have towards our fans, and that should be useful in working towards some important targets."
Inter are currently seventh in Serie A, 13 points behind pacesetters Milan - and Moratti has promised to bring in new players in a bid to revive their quest for trophies.
He continued on www.inter.it: "Now Benitez has gone we will buy five players.
"I am convinced ours is a very strong group, and they have showed that recently. Even if some think they failed to show it some days ago in Abu Dhabi, they comfortably showed it just a few months ago, not thousands of years ago.
"Whether a signing will be actioned or not remains to be seen, but we will certainly be careful, and with the help of (director) Marco Branca we will make sure that those transfers happen, be it players joining or leaving.
"Undoubtedly Leonardo has had valuable experience, of managing a coach and understanding the club system, the team system, and therefore he has had a idea of the economics at a club, and what is best, objectively, for the club.
"We will do very well from a footballing perspective, but we must try to do very well from the economic perspective as well. I do not want to take away any enthusiasm with this, because enthusiasm is what a club thrives on and what I thrive on too."
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