Atalanta Captain Delivers Verdict On Inter Milan Ahead Of Supercoppa Italiana Showdown: “Best Team In Italy” | OneFootball

Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon names upcoming Supercoppa Italian rivals Inter Milan ‘the best team in Italy.’

During his pre-match conference via FCInterNews, the Bergamo outfit’s captain confirmed he maintains relationships with two Nerazzurri stars.

Indeed, De Roon, though not a permanent fixture on the Netherlands national team, has close ties with his countrymen.

Stefan de Vrij and Denzel Dumfries have been indispensable for Dutch boss Ronald Koeman.

Moreover, they’ve ‘occasionally’ been in touch with De Roon.

“We stay in touch occasionally,” the 33-year-old said.

“I’ve played a lot with them for the national team, so I know them well, but we don’t have a particularly close relationship.

“Tomorrow I’ll see them, shake their hands, and we’ll talk after the match.”

Atalanta will be out to enact revenge on Inter for a disheartening 4-0 Serie A defeat in late August.

But that will be easier said than done because Simone Inzaghi’s men are firing on all cylinders.

Atalanta Skipper Marten de Roon Hails Inter Milan as Best Team in Italy

“We’ve grown and are more prepared, both as a team and individually,” De Roon said about Atalanta’s improvement.

“Back then, we had some defensive difficulties.

“But now the new players have settled in well, and we’ve found our rhythm over the past months.

“We’ve had a strong run, and tomorrow’s game against Inter is a great test to see where we stand after these very positive three months.

“We’ve been involved in many finals, competing across Europe and now here in Saudi Arabia.

“I don’t know how much our fanbase can grow, but our goal is to make Atalanta fans proud all over the world.”

Meanwhile, he highlighted Inter’s quality, admitting it’ll take more than winning the midfield battle to reach the final.

“It’s not just about the midfield. We’re facing the strongest team in Italian football,” he was adamant.

“The midfield battle will be intense, but we need to bring our intensity and press effectively to limit their play.

“They have a lot of quality.”