Leonardo happy with Inter´s balance ahead of final

Inter Milan manager Leonardo has denied his side needs wholesale changes in the transfer window ahead of Sunday’s Coppa Italia final.

Inter will take on Serie A rivals Palermo in their quest for a seventh Cup title, one that would add some cheer to a season largely devoid of good times for the proud club.

Leonardo was thrust to the helm at the San Siro following the spectacular sacking of Rafa Benitez in December, with Inter lagging well behind bitter rivals AC Milan in Serie A.

The 41-year-old Brazilian was a breath of fresh air in his first month as Inter recaptured some of the glory of their treble-winning days under Jose Mourinho.

But injuries and a lack of imagination came back to haunt them as they lost their grip on their defence of the Scudetto and the Champions League.

Despite their defensive woes and a swathe of injuries, Leonardo is confident he has the talent to retain the Coppa Italia, and is predicting a much-improved showing in the next campaign.

“This team has achieved something huge this season,” the Inter manager said.

“We’ve been heavily penalised through a series of injuries but the team has shown great spirit.”

“We struggled in the semi-final to overcome Roma but the final of the Coppa Italia will be a celebration.”

“We don’t need to bring in replacements (for next season). We just need to touch up a few areas to be competitive on all fronts but the nucleus of the team is already there and we won’t interfere with that spirit.”

Inter have a number of players under injury clouds, including goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defender Lucio and midfield pair Wesley Sneijder and Esteban Cambiasso, while right-back Maicon is suspended for the Sunday final.

Palermo boss Delio Rossi could be managing his last game at the club, with eccentric president Maurizio Zamparini reportedly ready to sack the former Foggia midfielder for the second time this season.

Rossi is confident his players can shock Inter and deliver the Coppa Italia to Palermo, despite the loss of Cesare Bovo and Armin Bacinovic due to suspension.

“We know we are up against the world champions but if we can play at our full potential we can beat any team. The players really want to bring home the cup for our fans,” Rossi said.