The Inter manager has been delighted by the reaction of supporters in the Kingdom and hopes to rekindle that winning feeling there.
The Supercoppa Italiana final between Inter and Napoli is set to kick-off at 10:00 pm (local time) on Monday at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh Inter skipper Lautaro Martinez is loving the club’s form right now This is the fourth time the Supercoppa Italiana is being held in Saudi ArabiaWHAT HAPPENED?
Inter Milan are all set to lock horns with Serie A rivals Napoli in the final of the EA Sports FC Supercup, set to be held in Riyadh on Monday at Al Awwal Park.
Inter, who qualified for the tournament thanks to their Coppa Italiana win last season, defeated Lazio 3-0 in their semifinal. Napoli, who were the Serie A champions last season, got the best of Fiorentina in the first semifinal by the same scoreline.
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi was quick to highlight the love and support fans in the country have given his side.
The Italian giants will be looking to defend the title they won last year in Riyadh when they vanquished city rivals AC Milan. Inzaghi has fond memories of the Saudi Arabian capital city and will hope to make them sweeter on Monday.
However, they will face a stiff challenge from Napoli, who are no pushovers. Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo are determined to bring the trophy back to Naples.
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Inzaghi was full of praise as he described the love and affection Saudi Arabian fans have shown his team.
“Tomorrow there will be a beautiful final in Riyadh with a beautiful sold-out stadium. I have seen a lot of Inter fans, they come up to us at the hotel, they wait for us outside the training grounds, and of course they come to the game. I am very happy that our fan base in Saudi and the region is growing and has grown so much over the past two years,” he stated.
“I saw many fans last year in the final with Milan and I saw many at the stadium in the last game, and we are very happy to have those fans and we hope to have many more.”
Interestingly, Inzaghi won the Supercoppa Italiana as Lazio manager in 2019 at the same venue as Monday’s final.
Inter skipper and star striker Lautaro Martinez, who posted on social media thanking Riyadh for “all the love”, feels the club is in a rich vein of form because they are enjoying the atmosphere and their football. He agrees with Inzaghi’s statement in his post-semifinal press conference that Inter are playing “fun” football right now.
“It’s a nice word and feeling, because it brings us back to why we play and to when we were kids and started playing football for fun. It also feels like that because we as a team are bringing it back to playing with friends, like when we first started playing,” Martinez said.
While Inter are brimming with confidence, their opponents are plotting their own heist. Napoli boss Mazzarri is looking forward to his second Supercoppa Italiana final and hopes this time, unlike 2012 in his first stint as manager, that the outcome is different.
“In 23 years of my career, I have the opportunity for the second time to have a Supercup final, and I hope this time to be able to lift the trophy,” he said.
“Otherwise, I would still be happy because not every coach that started like me from scratch can get to the final twice. I am already proud and happy at how far I’ve reached. The team is the most important thing. They are good and young, and they won the Italian championship. I don’t think it is easy for all of them to play a Supercup, they need to make the most of the opportunity to take home this trophy,” he added.
Napoli captain and full-back Di Lorenzo said, “We will do our best to win this trophy and to bring it home for everyone – us, and for the fans.”
H&KTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The ongoing edition of the Supercoppa Italiana is the fourth time the event is being held in Saudi Arabia. The tournament was first held in the country in 2019 when a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, now playing in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr, earned Juventus a 1-0 win over AC Milan in Jeddah.
This year’s Supercoppa Italiana is the first time the tournament has been expanded to four teams. While showing off the charm of Italian football, the tournament has also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s commitment and capability to host the very best international tournaments.
It has also bridged the gap between fans from different countries and showcased the country’s unique football culture to the world.
Interestingly, around 80% of Saudi Arabians either play, attend, or follow football and many support international – including Italian – clubs.
FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?
The Supercoppa Italiana follows in the footsteps of the Spanish Super Cup which was also recently held in Saudi Arabia.
The tournament, held in a similar format to that of the Supercoppa Italiana, saw Real Madrid defeat Barcelona in the final in what was a high-voltage clash in Riyadh.