We lost the mental battle, says Stramaccioni

Inter Milan coach Andrea Stramaccioni insists Fiorentina must be paid respect following their scoreless draw with his side on Sunday.

Stramaccioni admitted taking just a single point from the match was a bitter blow for Inter, who remain six points adrift of Champions League qualification with five matches remaining.

Inter are yet to lose a game under the 36-year-old, who took over from Claudio Ranieri at the end of March.

“I feel we lost the mental battle today, and I know that compared to the two games we played in San Siro, (Sunday’s) game was a small step back for us,” Stramaccioni said.

“The positive thing is that after only four games together I see Inter with a strong identity.

“We go onto the pitch with a precise idea of play and we try to play our own game. That’s surely the positive aspect of today.

“We managed to do that for almost the whole game against Siena, but definitely not today.

“I think this wasn’t just our fault, it was also due to a very good performance from Fiorentina.”

Seventh-placed Inter face fourth-placed Udinese away on Wednesday.

A win would see Inter go level on points with fourth-placed Udinese, who are three points away from a Champions League berth.