Abu Dhabi: With Inter Milan Club Vice-President Stefano Filucchi sitting next to him, under-fire coach Rafael Benitez looked much more relaxed and oozed confidence ahead of his team's semi-final against Asian club champions Seongnam today.
Addressing the pre-match press conference, Benitez said: "I am very happy because I have options. All the players are working at one hundred per cent. It is true, the group is happy and the environment is very positive ahead of this game. This gives me a lot of confidence."
The former Liverpool boss, who has seen his side's fortunes dip recently, said, "We are here to win and we must win the first game, it is the most important. Therefore the team that will start tomorrow will be the best team for that game."
When asked whether he would risk playing those players who have recovered recently from injury in this knock-out semi-final, Benitez said he would pick a team purely with the aim of winning today against the Koreans.
"We still don't know, and if we did, we wouldn't tell. Today everyone carried out an excellent session. Everyone is ready to play, but we will decide tomorrow," he said, refusing to name his playing XI.
Commenting on his semi-final opponents, Benitez said: "They are a side that has had to do a lot to get here; it is not easy to win the Asian Champions League. Tactically they are well organised, they have quality and intensity, and they are both good on the ball and off it".
Tough opponent
"Seongnam are a tough opponent, but we are Inter and we are here with a desire to win. We have studied them as a side, not just some individuals, even though they can rely on the quality and experience of some foreigners," Benitez said.
Inter lost their last two matches before arriving here, first to Lazio in the Serie A and the next to Werder Bremen in the Champions League, which prompted Inter boss Massimo Moratti to vent his anger. However, with Benitez receiving a huge boost with his players getting back into shape, the Spaniard said Inter will adopt a different approach in today's semi-final.
"It will be a different game, because it qualifies the winner for the World Cup final. It is an important game, one which we really want to win. If we win this one, then we will think about the final," Benitez said.
