Inter Milan vice president Javier Zanetti has told Sport360.com he believes the club is on the right track to "get back to the top on all levels."
Speaking as Inter and city rivals AC Milan prepare to do battle this weekend, the former Nerazzurri captain -- who played in more derbies than any other player in his club's history -- said a return to the Champions League was of "fundamental" importance.
Looking ahead to Sunday's match, he said: "The city really comes alive and takes centre stage.
"We've got a completely new team with lots of new players who have come in. I think the coach [Roberto Mancini] wants to build a team with quality and character that can perform consistently and has that battling spirit needed to reach the objectives we have set ourselves -- to get back to the top, on all levels.
"Getting back into the Champions League is fundamental for us. It's where we should be. Milan and Inter can't not be in Europe. We have to get there whatever it takes, and I think we're well set to do that.
"It's important for Serie A that Inter and Milan rise again because it will help lift the level of our domestic league."
Zanetti said he believed the early-season derby would "tell you a lot about what lies ahead" and added: "We're Inter and we deserve to be back at the top table -- in Italy for now, and next year hopefully in Europe too."
He praised loan striker Stevan Jovetic, who has arrived from Manchester City for the season, as a player who "can conjure up something a bit different or unexpected at any moment."
And he hailed forward Mauro Icardi as "one of those players who can help us get right back up there and achieve our targets," saying he was "always ready to fight for the Nerazzurri cause."
