Inter is preparing for a summer revamp, but there could be some changes in the defense. A youngster could arrive, but there will also be two important confirmations, somewhat surprisingly
Inter, problema rimandato: restano ancora tutti e due (LaPresse) – serieanews.com
Sometimes the wisest change is the one you decide not to make. Even when everyone expects otherwise, even when the calendar says it might as well be time. In a season that is coming to an end with much to celebrate and just as much to build on, Inter is looking to the future with the clear-eyed gaze of those who know that time passes, but you don’t always have to run after it.
The idea, after all, is simple: renew without overhauling, put new gasoline in the engine but without changing the steering wheel. Beppe Marotta, before the San Siro match with Bayern, made it clear: we need to lower the average age. And indeed, the horizon is full of youngsters who are much liked, in every department.
But there is a line that even the most forward-looking managers prefer not to cross all together: that of experience. A block of characterful, reliable, proven players. It’s not just a matter of age. It’s the sense of proportion that is needed when you realize that in order to modernize a team, you don’t have to throw out all the past.
In the design of this renovation, the defensive department seemed the one closest to the construction site. Not so much by disappointing performance, but by simple logic. Years pass, contracts expire, the physical sends some signals. There, in the center of the rearguard, stand two totems who have long held their own: one a class of ’92, the other even ’88.
Acerbi e De Vrij, da partenti a intoccabili: se ne parla l’anno prossimo
Yet, just where you thought the changing of the guard would come, you end up with a twist: no one is leaving. The matter has been addressed and it has been decided to postpone everything until next year. Stefan de Vrij’s agent has hinted that the renewal is practically done: another year together, despite interest from Napoli. No goodbye.
Acerbi e De Vrij, da partenti a intoccabili: se ne parla l’anno prossimo (LaPresse) – serieanews.com
What about Acerbi? Here’s the kicker. Because the one who seemed closest to the goal – whether due to age or aches and pains – responded in the most classic way in the world: by letting the field do the talking. His performance against Bayern Munich was anything but that of a former player who seemed on the verge of leaving, perhaps to Fiorentina, which was looking for him. A silent leader, always on the ball.
So, here we are. Where a tear was expected, there has been a seam. Acerbi and de Vrij are still there, shoulder to shoulder, and apparently will remain so. No domino effect, no casting for a new central. Maybe one will still come, young, to be phased in. But it will be a graft, not a replacement.
It is not just a choice of field. It is a statement of intent. Inter wants to change, but without losing its memory. And for a club that has just learned how to win again, going the extra mile would be an unnecessary risk. Sometimes, to move forward, you just need to know who you can still take with you.
This article Inter, problem postponed: all two still remain appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
