The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie between Inter Milan and FC Porto later today will see the reunion of two old friends: Simone Inzaghi and Sergio Conceicao, who both spent time playing together for Italian side Lazio.
Inzaghi, a former striker, played for Lazio from 1999 to 2010, scoring 55 goals in 196 appearances, while former Portuguese winger Conceicao had two spells at the club, 1998-2000 and 2003-2004, and managed eleven goals in over a hundred outings.
Inzaghi and Conceicao played together for the Rome-based club for a two-year duration, winning one Serie A title, two Coppa Italia titles, and one Supercoppa Italiana.
Conceicao, who also played for Inter from 2001-2003, reiterated that the match wasn’t about him and his former teammate but rather that the focus should be on the task at hand.
“The game isn’t about [Simone] Inzaghi versus Conceiçao. Inter and porto are two teams full of history. It’s obviously a pleasure to meet Simone. We played together in Rome and won important titles for Lazio,” he said.
“Now we are in opposite sides. We do a different job. More demanding but equally thrilling. I expect a difficult match against a team that has improved a lot during the past three months.”
“We’ve seen their last games. we know how Simone likes to play. We’ve watched the games and prepared everything we deem important. Those aspects where we found difficulties,” the 48-year-old tactician added.Porto are currently second in the Primeira Liga, five points adrift of Benfica, take on the three-time European champions at the iconic San Siro, and Conceicao believes his team are ready to do their best.
Porto, currently second in the Primeira Liga, five points adrift of Benfica, take on the three-time European champions at the iconic San Siro, and Conceicao believes his team is ready to give their best.
“We will do everything we can to be able to give a good performance,” he added. “And that means getting a good result tomorrow. So, we can talk about Porto reaching quarterfinals.”
A toda a hora ⌚ Em todos os lugares📍
Hoje só há um som na tua cabeça 😏🔊🎶 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙉𝙎 ⚽
📺 @ElevenSports_PT #FCIMFCP #UCL pic.twitter.com/CZ9VOLsevH
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) February 22, 2023
The Dragons, however, do not have history on their side as they have won only one of their last four meetings against the Nerazzurri, losing twice and playing out a draw once.
