Beppe Marotta Demands Intensity From Inter Milan Before Shakhtar Match
Inter Milan President Beppe Marotta warned his squad that no straightforward fixtures remain in the UEFA Champions League ahead of their League Phase match against Shakhtar Donetsk at San Siro. The fixture arrives amid a difficult European sequence that has seen the club drop seven of their last eight matches in the competition.
Addressing the tactical evolution of lower-seeded clubs in international football, Marotta emphasized that individual quality alone no longer suffices without physical intensity and collective organization. Recent continental outings exposed vulnerabilities through individual errors during a 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid and a 4-3 home loss to Club Brugge. The club hierarchy acknowledged deficiencies in defensive leadership following the departures and injuries of multiple rear-guard personnel.
The Italian club navigates these continental fixtures alongside a depleted squad list featuring long-term absences for Lautaro Martinez alongside defensive absentees Benjamin Pavard, Curtis Jones, and John Stones. Following the exit of Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid, the technical staff works to reorganize a backline that has absorbed significant personnel changes over recent transfer windows.
“We want the points too, but I feel that we need to point out the last 10 years as seen a cultural growth of the clubs who were second and third seeds in terms of performance and tactical organisation,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
“Quality alone is not enough anymore, it must be accompanied by intensity, strength and a series of values.”