“We know Shakhtar as a strong team”

Inter coach Antonio Conte – about the upcoming meeting with Shakhtar at NSC Olimpiyskiy.

– Is it possible to say that Lukaku is on a par with leading European forwards like Kane and Lewandowski? Does this mean that Inter can become a player dependent team over time?

– Lukaku is a very high level footballer. And Lautaro too. One is 27 years old, the other 23 years old. I think they can add in the future, although they are still important now. They have room to grow. For any footballer it is important that the team he plays for wins tournaments. If the club is successful, it gives weight to the player and allows him to be considered a top player.

– Inter met with Shakhtar in August, at that time there were other players and the scheme, but now the situation has changed. Is this good or bad?

– In August we had an almost perfect match, which will not be easy to repeat. We know Shakhtar as a very strong team. It is no coincidence that he scored 3 goals against Real Madrid. We have prepared well for the fight and I hope we can show everything on the field.

– Is Inter’s game close to European standards? Will the match against Shakhtar be decisive in the distribution of places in the standings?

– Inter already occupies a worthy place in European football, compared to last year we have much more experience. You have to go in the same direction, never stop improving and only move forward. Sometimes it is better, sometimes not at all, but the most important thing is not to stop. We respect all rivals, but we must focus on ourselves and our capabilities. The worst quality on the soccer field is passivity. Always unsatisfied if the players are passive in defense or attack. And when the team acts brilliantly, actively, it shows our task on the field, on the contrary, it is always very happy.

– Antonio, how many Shakhtar matches have you seen in preparation, except the match against Real? Who were they with and what did you see again in the opponent’s game?

– We saw several matches of the Ukrainian championship, including the last one, which the rival played this weekend. We know that Shakhtar occupy a worthy place in European football. We observe as one of the greatest strengths of the club that it constantly finds strong players. At the moment, this is already a trend, because at one point Shakhtar found Fernandinho, Willian, Mkhitaryan, Srna … And today the team also has many strong players individually. We respect the rival, but at the same time we will try to show our best qualities.