Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi admitted that nerves crept in as his side struggled to maintain control in their 2-1 victory over Udinese in Serie A on Sunday.
Despite taking a comfortable 2-0 lead through Marko Arnautovic and Davide Frattesi, Inter had to rely on goalkeeper Yann Sommer to secure the win.
“The first half was excellent, and we deserved more than a two-goal lead,” Inzaghi told DAZN. “We controlled the game well until Udinese scored, but after that, we lost our composure against a team that always shows quality.”
Tensions boiled over in stoppage time when Inzaghi was shown a second yellow card for storming onto the pitch to protest a refereeing decision. “I made a mistake, and I apologized to the referee,” he said. “Sometimes adrenaline gets the better of you. Unfortunately, I won’t be on the bench next match.”
The coach had already received a booking early in the second half for arguing about a foul on Inter striker Marcus Thuram.
His absence means he will miss Inter’s trip to Parma on Saturday, a match that comes ahead of their crucial Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against AC Milan.
Inzaghi expressed concerns over his squad’s fitness, with several key players either injured or unavailable. “Of our five substitutions, four were forced,” he revealed. “Arnautovic and Frattesi took knocks, Dimarco and Darmian were returning from injuries, and now Asllani is suspended.”
Adding to Inter’s selection problems, Mehdi Taremi, Lautaro Martinez, and Denzel Dumfries have all been ruled out of Wednesday’s clash against Milan.
“We’ll push forward and hope they can help us later because we need everyone as we continue fighting on multiple fronts,” Inzaghi said.
Despite the difficulties, the Inter boss remains focused on his team’s ambitions for the season, highlighting the importance of maintaining momentum in both domestic and international competitions.
“We have a lot to play for, including the Club World Cup, which will be a big event for us,” he added.
