"Inter are closing the gap on Juventus"

Posted Thursday, September 05, 2013 by Foxsports.com

Massimo Moratti believes his Inter Milan team can close the gap on Juventus as they prepare to face the defending champions after the international break.

The Nerazzurri finished a dismal ninth in Serie A last season but, under the supervision of new boss Walter Mazzarri, they have won both their games this campaign.

Juventus too have won their opening two matches and, along with Inter, sit among a group of five teams with a 100 per cent record.

The teams will meet after the international break at San Siro and club president Moratti, while hopeful Inter can challenge Juve, did not hide his admiration for the Turin side who beat Lazio 4-1 at the weekend.

In quotes in Corriere dello Sport, Moratti said: "Last Saturday Juve played a crazy game and gave a great show of force.

"I think there is a gap between the two teams that Juventus has constructed in recent years.

"In time, however, I believe we can fill the gap."

Mazzarri joined Inter following four years at Napoli, leading them to second place last season.

Moratti pointed to the manager's strength and reliability, saying: "We chose him because he is a rock, he is our certainty, our strong point who has the support of everybody.

"We could have had other choices that seemed new, bold and fun but instead we were right to go to a concrete person, humble, who listens to the players and the environment and tries to understand them without losing the strength of his ideas and his work.

"The fact that he was a hard worker and had a lot of experience has allowed me to realise that he was the right person to be our point of reference from the sporting point of view."