Mourinho aims to get back on trophy trail

As AC Milan supporters celebrated the imminent arrival of Ronaldinho from FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milano fans were also anticipating the start of the season with relish as their own Special One joined up with his players for the start of pre-season training on Wednesday.

Mourinho drive
José Mourinho may have swapped London for Milan, but as the Portuguese coach told the press in fluent Italian, his goal remains the same: to win trophies. His determination and charisma have won over the Nerazzurri tifosi and the Roberto Mancini era already seems to belong to the distant past. "I believe the real winners are those who never get bored in achieving success," said Mourinho, who led FC Porto to the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League before winning back-to-back Premier League titles with Chelsea FC.

'Clear ideas'
"As you all know, I don't like to lose and it looks like this squad thinks the same way," he added. "Working with me is simple and difficult at the same time. Simple because I have clear ideas about the kind of football I like; difficult because I always do my best for the team and, consequently, I demand the same from my players. I'm happy we can finally can start working and I'm looking forward to our first official match.

'Honest and direct'
"We are building a strong squad and I don't need many new players. I prefer quality to quantity. I'm not a revolutionary and I don't want to revolutionise anything. I'm just a person with very clear ideas. I think this is important. My philosophy of life is a bit like my philosophy of coaching: to be honest, direct and clear and ambitious – characteristics that I never want to lose."

Attacking intent
To that end, Mourinho, whose players underwent fitness tests before training begins in earnest on Thursday, expounded on his football philosophy. "The 4-3-3 is the formation I really like and when I talk about this formation I mean using three pure strikers. The challenge will be defending with three players in midfield to give the team the complete freedom of going on the pitch with three strikers."

Eager Adriano
That will be music to the ears of Brazilian striker Adriano, who is eager to impress after spending the end of last season on loan to São Paulo FC. "Mourinho is one of the best coaches in the world and I know he likes my way of playing football," Adriano said. "I'll do my best to impress him and make the most of the situation. The six months I spent in Brazil helped me get back to my peak condition, but now I have to focus on my future and my future is here with Inter."

Trophy hunt
Veteran defender Iván Córdoba added: "I'm curious to experience Mourinho's methods. The beginning of a new season is always exciting and I'm sure we'll show the same determination of the past two years. We want more silverware." Inter, looking to win a fourth straight Serie A championship, face AS Roma in the Italian Super Cup on 24 August before kicking off the defence of their title the following weekend.