APPIANO GENTILE – Top versus bottom. Serie A leaders Inter take on cellar dwellers Reggina tomorrow afternoon in the last league fixture before the upcoming international break.
"They deserve great respect," said José Mourinho of the Reggio Calabria outfit in his press conference after Saturday morning’s open training session. "They are in difficulty and from now until the end of the championship they will be looking for points to stay up. They will come to San Siro tomorrow strongly motivated to do well, but I am extremely confident in my team and the reply we can give."
Inter go into Sunday’s clash knowing they will still be on top of the table with just nine games of the season remaining. "We have an advantage; we don’t have to wait and see what the others do or be afraid of the others’ results," said Mourinho. "We need 23 points to win the title, we know it, and this is the only thing I’m thinking about."
With Cristian Chivu, Ivan Cordoba, Nicolas Burdisso, Marco Materazzi, Luis Figo and Adriano ruled out through injury and Walter Samuel unavailable through suspension, the Inter coach has limited options when it comes to choosing his team to face Nevio Orlandi’s side at the Meazza tomorrow afternoon.
"My only secret is the way I will decide to play," admitted Mourinho. "As for the rest, there are few doubts. Cambiasso will play alongside Rivas in defence with Maicon and Santon, and the contribution we lose in midfield through his absence there is compensated for in defence."
During his press conference Mourinho made a proposal regarding the fines inflicted by the Italian Football League’s Disciplinary Committee. "I’d have no problems paying double the amount if this money could help children in Africa, families in difficulty, or to build a football pitch where there isn’t one," he declared. "It’s not like this now but we can all work together and move in the right direction."