Inter and Napoli both hope to send messages in Italian Supercup final

Inter can send “a strong message” to their Serie A title rivals in the Italian Supercup coach Simone Inzaghi said on Sunday in Riyadh, “but we need to focus on this trophy”. 

Inter face last year’s champions Napoli in Riyadh on Monday. By then they could have lost first place in Serie A to Juventus who visit Lecce on Sunday evening. 

“Finals are always great to play and are there to be won,” he said, adding: “The league campaign will be fascinating.”

Napoli beat Fiorentina 3-0 on Thursday and Inter beat Lazio, also 3-0, the next day to reach the final.

Lazio coach Walter Mazzarri said victory could turn the season for the struggling Serie A champions.

Victory would give Inter a third straight title in a competition that started in 1988, something only AC Milan from 1993-95, has done before. 

“It would be massive for everyone,” Inzaghi said. “Winning it three times in a row has only happened once in the history of Italian football. We won the derby here last year, then against Juventus two years ago, and now we want to beat Napoli”.

Victory would also give Inzaghi, who also led Lazio to two Supercups in 2017 and 2019, a fifth title as coach, breaking a tie for the most with Fabio Capello and Marcello Lippi. 

“It’s for Inter more than for me,” he said. “It would be great to win it. I’ve praised the work from the lads because they have put Inter ahead of their own personal pleasures since 13 July. This is the secret to a squad”.

Mazzarri lost the 2012 final with Napoli.

Although Napoli’s defence of their Italian title has faded and they are in a disappointing ninth place in Serie A, 20 points behind Inter, Mazzarri believes that the competition could mark a turning point.

“We face an opponent in their best form of this season and if we were to get a positive result it would also be an important achievement in terms of morale for us,” he said.

“We’ll play on equal terms with Inter, for sure, and then we’ll see what happens. Napoli are champions of Italy and this means something,” he said. “We’ll go toe go toe with Inter.”