Inter players have room for improvement: Benitez

Champions League winners Inter Milan still have some way to go before they are ready to defend their Serie A title claimed coach Rafael Benitez on Sunday.

The 50-year-old Spaniard – who signed a two year contract in June after after being sacked by Liverpool – said that the two week preparation in the United States had been good for the squad but that there was still work to do ahead of their opening match with Bologna on August 30.

“The players had to improve their physical condition,” said Benitez, who replaced his nemesis from his time in England Jose Mourinho in the hotseat after the Portuguese coach left for Real Madrid.

“That was not easy as the players who were involved in the World Cup finals and arrived late as a result, but overall we are happy now with their state and we can now focus on the tactics,” added Benitez, who faces an unenviable task of following Mourinho’s achievements of last season in landing the domestic double and the Champions League.

Benitez, who failed to build on his initial success at Liverpool in winning the 2005 Champions League, said that he saw Inter’s strategy as hitting teams on the counter attack.

“If we can improve in our pressurising of our opponents when they have the ball and score three goals immediately on counterattacking that would be a good thing,” said Benitez, who made his name as Valencia coach guiding them to two league titles and the UEFA Cup in his tenure.

Benitez, targeted again by Mourinho in a Sunday Times interview where the Real coach taunted him by saying that even if he wins the Intercontinental Cup and European Super Cup they will really be his victories and not the Spaniard’s, reiterated how important the 28-year-old Brazilian defender and one-time Real transfer target Maicon was to the club.

“Maicon is without doubt a good player and he was the difference in several matches last season,” said the Spaniard.

“For us he is an important player. We know that Real Madrid were interested in him but I repeat, for us, he is important.

“At this stage the player is here and I think that he is as hungry to win as the rest of the team, that is to say together,” added Benitez.

He was even less expansive about whether young Italian striker Mario Balotelli would move to Manchester City, simply saying it was a good thing he had been selected in the Italian squad for next week’s friendly with Ivory Coast.

Maicon’s move to Real Madrid foundered on his salary demands – he wanted 7million euros a year – double his present salary – and Inter pricing him at 28million euros when Real were prepared to pay 22million.

Benitez’ first competitive match in the dugout will be the European Super Cup against Europa League winners Atletico Madrid in Monaco on August 27.