Lautaro rates Inzaghi over Conte

Simone Inzaghi, over his eight-year managerial career at Lazio and Inter combined, has won nine trophies. With Lazio, he secured one Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles, while at Inter, he has claimed a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia trophies, and three Supercoppa Italiana titles. Additionally, he twice led Lazio’s youth team to Primavera championships. Despite these achievements, the 48-year-old coach is still not considered a top-tier manager in Italy, at least not on the level of Carlo Ancelotti or legends like Marcello Lippi and Fabio Capello. Does Inzaghi deserve better recognition from his compatriots? Inter captain Lautaro Martínez believes his coach is unjustly underrated, a sentiment he expressed publicly ahead of their Serie A match against Como.

In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Martínez responded to recent criticism of Inzaghi by Antonio Cassano.

"I believe Inzaghi is underestimated. His secret is that he sometimes still thinks like a player; he understands us and experiences many things the same way we do. For me, it’s a double advantage because he was a striker, so he gets inside my head easily. It’s all positive. I learned a lot from Antonio Conte and am grateful to him, but with Inzaghi, I feel I’ve progressed to a much higher level," Martínez said.

Inzaghi against his own and his 14-year-long legacy

His statement resonated across Italy, with former teammate Goran Pandev also voicing support for Inzaghi. "Simone was obsessed with football even when I played with him at Lazio. He knew everything about everyone. Mention a player from Serie C, and he’d immediately give you a full report. I think he’s destined to become a great coach," Pandev remarked.

Asllani's corner kick goal puts Inter into the quarterfinal of Coppa Italia

Cassano’s criticism of Inzaghi and his claim that Inter needs a better coach came at an odd time, given Inter's strong form. The Nerazzurri have only one loss in their last 15 matches, along with 12 wins and two draws. Just four days ago, they defeated Udinese (2-0) to reach the Coppa Italia quarterfinals. In the Champions League, they amassed 13 points from six matches, hold sixth place in Serie A, and are close to securing a spot in the round of 16. Inter faces Como tonight after a dominant 6-0 win over Lazio last weekend at the Stadio Olimpico. Inter is currently third in the table, six points behind leaders Atalanta but with two games in hand—one of them being tonight's clash with 15th-placed Como. Como recently broke a nine-match winless streak (four draws and five losses) with a 2-0 victory over Roma in the last round. Como's coach, Cesc Fàbregas, is aware of the daunting challenge his team faces tonight. This will be the first competitive match between Inter and Como in 21 years. The last time they met was in March 2003 at the San Siro, where Inter secured a routine 4-0 victory.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 17

Friday

Verona - Milan 0-1 (0-0)

/Rejinders 56/

Saturday

Torino - Bologna 0-2 (0-0)

/Dallinga 71, Pobega 80/

Genoa - Napoli 1-2 (0-2)

/Pinamonti 51 - Anguissa 15, Rrahmani 23/

Lecce - Lazio 1-2 (0-1)

/Morente 50 - Castellanos 45+3 pen, Marusic 87/

Sunday

Roma - Parma 5-0 (2-0)

/Dybala 8 pen, 51, Saelemaekers 13, Paredes 74 pen, Dovbyk 83/

Venezia - Cagliari 2-1 (1-0)

/Zampano 39, Sverko 68 - Pavoletti 76/

Atalanta - Empoli 3-2 (2-1)

/De Ketelaere 34,86, Lookman 45+1 - Colombo 13, Esposito 57 pen/

Monza - Juventus 1-2 (1-2)

/Birindelli 22 - McKennie 14, Gonzales 39/

Monday

20:30: (1.63) Fiorentina (4.00) Udinese (6.00)

22:45: (1.23) Inter (6.25) Como (13.0)

***odds are subject to change***