Frank de Boer’s agent blamed players who “didn’t want to change” for his Inter dismissal, comparing the situation to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
The former Ajax Coach was sacked after losing half of his 14 competitive games in charge and Stefano Pioli was today appointed as his replacement.
“He had started a project and was cut off after just nine weeks,” agent Guido Albers told FCINter1908.it.
“Obviously he didn’t take it well, because if you start something then you expect to go forward together, to work as a group. You need time to change, everyone knows the transition from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 requires time.
“Inter are a top club, that is why Frank accepted the job, but it’s simply impossible to complete a transition like this in just nine weeks.
“One of the primary objectives for Inter, and it was clear from the start, was to change the style of football. The other was to find players with the Inter DNA, who were proud to play for and work hard for Inter. Players who deserved to wear the Inter shirt every day in training.
“Another objective was to finish in the top three, to get back into the Champions League. Then to promote the best players from the Primavera youth team into the main squad.
“These are all typical objectives for Frank. They certainly weren’t easy targets, but the most difficult was to transition into a different playing style and training differently. You can see from Liverpool how long that process takes. But these were the explicitly stated objectives of the club.”
De Boer was sacked after a 1-0 Serie A defeat to Sampdoria.
“He was told on the Tuesday after the loss in Genoa. Frank is an honest, clear and transparent person. He just told the squad: I’m sorry, I’m disappointed that I cannot finish my work here. I have to leave.
“It was difficult for him to change the mentality of the group right from the start. It’s tough to create a team ethic with 29 players, as no club in Europe has 29 players. Every time there were five or six disappointed because they couldn’t train properly and therefore couldn’t play.”
When it came to dealing with the Italian papers, De Boer’s agent shrugged off the criticism and aimed it towards the club instead.
“The media was never a problem, as the media has to do its job. Frank was never worried by the attitude of the media, especially because at the end of the day things went exactly the way the Press said they would.
“The Inter fans were sensational with him. I can show you something like 500 letters from Inter fans to Frank de Boer, including ones from people supporting the team for 20-25 years and finally seeing something was changing.
“Of course there were difficulties to be faced, I saw the games. They’d play well, then lose the ball and immediately concede a goal. There’s work to be done, look at Liverpool. Last season they were seventh, they worked hard and are now top of the Premier League.
“It’s called a project because it needs time. Frank is very disappointed by the situation. He did not deserve this ending, as he worked hard to change the way the players worked.”
Was De Boer too hard on the players?
“You need to work hard every day in training, but not everyone in the squad is doing that. He had to do something and change something. Being a football player at a professional level, you start work at 9.45. Come on, it’s incredible.
“It’s obvious he had a strong impact, because if you are a professional player, you have to stay concentrated on your club. That is the first thing.
“The squad really did want to change its way of working, but some players didn’t, some did not have this intention. Naturally that makes it all the more difficult.
“If there is a negative atmosphere in the group with long faces… it’s hard to get work done. Frank wanted to work with a certain number of players and then have youngsters fill the gaps, because if you are young then you are more predisposed to accept being on the bench.
“If you are in an international club with 29 players who feel they’ve made it, they don’t accept the idea of not playing. Frank wanted the squad whittled down, but he never got the chance, because they all stayed.
“The Inter environment is fantastic, the people who work at Inter are fantastic, the staff of the club and at Appiano Gentile are fantastic. But there has to be belief in a project.
“Frank wants to thank the fans, who were fabulous with all their letters and banners.”
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