On the evening of February 2, Inter Milan defeated Lazio 2:0 in Meazza and won the ticket to the last four of the Coppa Italia.

Ricardo provided an assist in the game but was substituted in the 65th minute with a sprained ankle.

After the game, he was diagnosed with a deltoid ligament contusion and was going to miss 7-10 days of play.

If they recover well, they should be able to catch up with the Italian national derby against Juventus.

On February 5, Inter Milan, without Ricardo, sat at home and beat Chievo 1-0. But in their away game against Fiorentina on 9 February, they unexpectedly lost 1-2.

"This is not your typical Inter," commented the newspaper Sport, "and before you know it, Ricardo has become the heart of Inter's attack, and when he is not on the pitch, Inter play is chaotic." Adriano's form has been up and down, Figo has passed his playing years, Martins is too young and lacks the ability to make a decisive decision, Cruz has always been better off the bench than when he started, and new signing Rico does not have the ability to change the situation for the time being...... Without Ricardo, this Inter team would not be able to function very well. ”

Torino Sport said: "Inter Milan has finally dropped the chain without Ricardo. However, Juventus did not take advantage of this golden opportunity, as they were held to a 1-1 draw away by Parma and are currently on 61 points, still one point behind Inter. ”

"In the next game, Juventus will speak directly to Inter Milan, and this match is likely to decide who wins Serie A this season. Juventus faced a disadvantageous situation, with both Zebina and Zambrotta unavailable at the back. And whether Ricardo can return from injury in time may be the key to this game. ”

In addition to discussing the upcoming Italian national derby, there were some discordant voices in the newspapers. Some articles questioned some of Juventus' match results, arguing that there was suspicion of match-fixing.

Moratti and others also said in an interview, "Juventus always have a judgment in their favor in the game. ”

In another time and space, the outbreak of Phonegate was in May. Ricardo didn't know if he would change the situation, and he could only try to help his team get more points and avoid it.

The phone gate did not complete Inter Milan, although after the phone door Inter Milan won a wave of titles, and also won the treble in 2010, but that was in the context of the overall decline of Serie A.

After 2010, Inter Milan also suffered from the decline of Serie A.

The phonegate affair, there are no beneficiaries, all Italian teams are victims.

……

Ricardo has almost recovered from his injury and has already participated in team training.

This time, the morale of the team is high and they will have to fight Juventus at home.

In his pre-match press conference, Mancini said: "Ricardo's injury is not optimistic, it will be difficult for him to play in tomorrow's game. We had a plan for it and we could have played a good game without Ricardo. ”

'Ibrahimovic will be a big threat to us in the game, he's a talented player, I admire him and I hope to have the opportunity to coach him.'

'Patrick Vieira is a game-changing player, he can contribute a lot both defensively and offensively, and tomorrow we will do everything possible to cut him off from other Juventus players.'

"Moratti's words? I agree. Not only this season, but for a long time, Juventus have always been the beneficiary side in the decision. Every season they get a dozen more points as a result. I don't know why, maybe they were lucky. I hope to level the playing field tomorrow. "Roberto Mancini is looking to put pressure on the Italian Football Federation, and tomorrow's referee, Paparesta, is considered one of the referees who likes to give decisions in favour of Juventus. In the last Italian national derby, he also made some judgments against Inter.

Fabio Capello replied: "Every point at Juventus is a result of the hard work of the boys. Robert is a good guy, he was a great player when he was a player and now he's a great manager, I respect him, but he shouldn't say such unfounded things. If he can't produce evidence, he shouldn't make a big fuss. ”

'Whether Ricardo plays or not, we're ready. Ricardo is young but already a great player who can change the situation of the game and I don't take him lightly. Even if he's not at his best, he can be a huge threat to us. ”

'It's going to be tough away from home but we're mentally prepared. This Inter Milan team is no better than last season, they are missing Ronaldo, and everyone knows how great Ronaldo is. Inter Milan without Ronaldo is nothing to fear. ”

'We're going to play our football and we're not going to make any adjustments to Inter. I believe in the quality of the team and we have the ability to win the title. ”

In the midst of the noise and shouting, the time for the game is gradually approaching. By around 8 p.m. on the evening of February 12, more than 70,000 fans had poured into the Meazza Stadium, and the number was still growing.

Outside the stadium, there were still a large number of unticketed fans stranded, holding placards and waving blue-and-black scarves in the cold wind, hoping to convey their support for the team to the stadium.

Home team dressing room.

"I don't think I need to say more about how important this game is, gentlemen," Mancini said, looking around the players, "whether or not he can defend his title this season is up to him." ”

There was a deathly silence in the locker room. Ricardo felt a little uneasy. The players are nervous enough, but Mancini is still adding to everyone's nervousness, which seems inappropriate.

Being too nervous is not a good thing for competitive sports, it can narrow people's attention, affect judgment, and make people move out of shape.

Mancini also seemed to realise that something was wrong, adding: "Our two seasons against Juventus have generally been superior. As long as we can play at a real level, they are no match for us. ”

"Yes," said captain Zanetti, "we're going to take them out today!" ”

Mancini nodded in satisfaction and continued: "But today everyone has to be careful of the referee on the field. Despite being our home stadium, it is a fact that Paparesta has often favoured Juventus in past games. I want everyone to stay calm on the pitch, not to move too much, especially in the box, not to argue with the referee, and to stay calm even if there is a decision that is not good for us. ”

He looked up at his watch and said, "Let them taste our awesomeness." Tonight, tell them who's the owner of the course! ”