With the season still looking set to be a real nail-biter, Inter are trying to plan for the future.It is difficult to think about the future when the present demands every ounce of physical and mental energy, but at Viale della Liberazione they must try to separate the pressures of the moment from the necessary planning that a great club must carry out in order to shape a future that promises to be full of changes. This is not the happiest of times; Chivu’s Inter are top of the table but are losing ground to Milan and Napoli. The last two matches against Atalanta and Fiorentina have yielded just two points, and now the fixture list presents complex and decisive challenges such as those against Como, Roma, Lazio and Bologna. The Nerazzurri manager himself admitted at the press conference ahead of Fiorentina v Inter that the team is not 100% physically fit. But the physical deficit is compounded by a mental one, well-known problems for a team battered by the setbacks of last season, partly due to a dressing room that is beginning to fracture because of the many players who will be leaving at the end of the year and those who are no longer in the Inter squad. It is against this very particular backdrop that Inter will attempt to map out their plans for the future, on the understanding that, come the end of the year, they will need to discuss the management’s contracts, given that Ausilio and Baccin’s deals expire in 2027, unlike Marotta, who, upon becoming president, was given a contract until 2030. Before the summer, however, the groundwork must be laid, which is why Oaktree has organised a series of meetings in April. The meeting with the management and coaching staff is scheduled for the very first few days of April, when a meeting between the management and the manager will take place at Viale della Liberazione. It will be the moment to put forward requests for the future, plans, renewal negotiations and strategies for signings and sales. At Viale della Liberazione, therefore, it is time to plan, even though the season still has much to offer and many decisions to be made. Because winning or losing the Scudetto can change everything, especially if the Italian title were to slip away after having built up a lead of 10 points over Milan and 14 points over Napoli. Such a collapse would be disastrous, and the warning signs are still there to be heeded, particularly during the planning phase. But there will be time to reassess later on and, if necessary, review and make adjustments as we go along. In the meantime, Inter will try to be quite realistic, and in that sense, the first few days of April could help clarify the direction. Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting