Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 7y

Dreaming of Lionel Messi signing could be dangerous for Inter Milan - Pioli

Inter Milan coach Stefano Pioli has warned that dreaming about signing Lionel Messi could prove "dangerous" to the club's focus.

Earlier this week Marco Tronchetti Provera, the head of Inter's biggest sponsor, Pirelli, spoke of his dream of seeing Messi wearing an Inter shirt one day.

And Inter legend Luisito Suarez, a former adviser to the club, revealed there had been a pre-contractual agreement with the Barcelona star 10 years ago.

"It's good to dream but it can also be dangerous. We need to stay focused on our work," Pioli told a news conference when asked about Messi.

"I have no need or time to think about anything outside our club."

Asked about new owners Suning Group, he said: "We had a very positive meeting with the club yesterday. Suning and [president Erick] Thohir have given us a massive boost.

"We want to take Inter back to the top in Italy and Europe -- there is incredible motivation and ambition there. We can build something wonderful in the medium to long term."

Inter's owners are set to underline that ambition in the winter transfer window, when funds will be made available to Pioli.

But the coach said: "My thoughts on the January window aren't the be-all and end-all.

"We'll have more meetings in the coming weeks to prepare ourselves for the window."

Inter are looking to cut the eight-point gap between themselves and the Serie A top three when they travel to Napoli on Friday.

"We need more results to make sure our confidence keeps growing," Pioli said. "It's an important game for both sides, but it's not the last-chance saloon.

"They're a great side and they play good football. We know what to expect, but we've prepared well and we'll go out there to get the win."

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