Nicolo Barella Increasingly Unlikely To Become Inter Milan Captain As Spotlight Shone On Attitude & Temper Issues, Italian Media Report | OneFootball

It is looking less and likely that Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella will be the player to inherit the captain’s armband from Samir Handanovic, with his attitude and temper issues a key reason.

This according to today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, who report that with the spotlight on the 26-year-old’s negative reactions and body language on the pitch, questions have emerged about his suitability to skipper the team.

Handanovic is currently Inter captain, although aged 38 and currently the backup to Andre Onana in goal, it is likely that the Slovenian will not stay at the club for more than another season at most.

Meanwhile, Milan Skriniar had been wearing the armband up until it was revealed that he will not extend his contract with the Nerazzurri and intends to leave for Paris Saint-Germain.

This has left uncertainty about who will take over from Handanovic, with Skriniar clearly out of the picture.

Barella’s name has been one of the main names raised, whilst the likes of Alessandro Bastoni and Marcelo Brozovic have been considered, and Lautaro Martinez has worn the armband in recent matches.

According to Tuttosport, the club directors plan to meet with Barella today and discuss their concerns with the former Cagliari midfielder’s reputation for sulking and negative body language during matches.

One of the main topics of the discussion, according to Tuttosport, would be that the directors feel that these gestures and the fact that Barella loses his temper too frequently are considered to be actions not befitting a captain on the pitch.

Accordingly, it now looks less and less likely that Barella will be given the armband whenever Handanovic departs, with his attitude and gestures one of the main factors.