Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho said his team must beat Cypriot minnows Anorthosis Famagusta in the Champions League Group B on Wednesday or they will have problems qualifying for the knock-out rounds.
Speaking at a press conference at the San Siro on Tuesday, Mourinho said his team must forget Sunday's stunning 4-0 Serie A triumph at title rivals AS Roma and concentrate fully on the task at hand.
Inter and Famagusta are joint top of the group on four points after two games, with both having beaten Greeks Panathinaikos and drawn with Germans Werder Bremen.
“They have four points and hence the match tomorrow (Wednesday) is vital for us and we must win at all costs,” said the Portuguese boss.
“It's a match that if we win it, we can start talking about qualification. But if after the match we have four or five points, the situation will become more complicated.
“I think in a match like this the important thing is to win, even if you don't play well. We absolutely have to win.
“If tomorrow Inter play a terrible match, it won't be the first time that happens to a team that has just won a fantastic match.
“We have four points and to win the group we need another eight (from four matches); (we need) four against Anorthosis and hence it's imperative we take three points tomorrow.”
And Mourinho was clear that despite beginning the group stages as overwhelming underdogs — they are the first Cypriot team to qualify for the Champions League group stages — Anorthosis cannot be taken lightly.
“Anorthosis are a good team. We've seen them play against Werder and Panathinaikos and we've watched them on DVD,” he added.
“They play very good football and it's not by luck that they have four points. They beat Panathinaikos and drew with Bremen. They're very organised.”
Mourinho refused to comment on his formation or team selection but there will be one surprise with veteran reserve goalkeeper Francesco Toldo taking over from Julio Cesar between the sticks.
Toldo, who has 28 Italy caps and was number one at Inter from 2001 until Julio Cesar's arrival in 2005, claimed he would be able to cope with the pressure of making a rare appearance.
“It's not a problem, I'm used to the pressure of playing in Serie A for the last 16 years,” he said.
“Pressure is not a problem, on the contrary I'm sure I'll do well and that the team will do well because I feel important.”
The former Fiorentina stopper is into his fourth season as a back-up behind the Brazilian but said he had no regrets remaining at Inter when he could be first choice elsewhere.
“When I chose to stay at Inter it was a choice I was 100 percent sure about,” he said. “And you have to always think about the fact that this is a sport, it's not about health and consequence, playing or not playing, there are also other important things in life for a footballer.
“I've never felt I was first or second choice, I've always felt I was part of a group which I love.”
