Barella committed to Inter Champions League dream | OneFootball

Nicolò Barella assures he ‘always wanted to stay’ at Inter because he can see a long-term project at the club, including the Champions League, and learned from ‘master’ Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The midfielder recently signed a new contract to remain at San Siro until June 2029 and set aside any remaining rumours of interest from Premier League sides, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

“I always said that I wanted to stay here and that was my intention,” Barella told DAZN.

“Anything can happen in football, but Inter have a serious project here and I can see the possibility of achieving something great. I never suggested that I could leave and don’t even know if there have been any offers, because I never even discussed it with my agent.

“I hope the club is happy with this and it proved that with the new contract. I can only thank them and hope to do even better.”

Inter are fresh off the Serie A title and their next target is to clinch European silverware, having come so close in the 2023 Final against Manchester City in Istanbul.

“I would like to win the Champions League, as having lost the Final, that is the dream. Many players have changed, but the basic core remains the same. Nothing must distract us from Serie A, which remains very important, but there are many sides who won the Treble and we can do it too. We’ve got what it takes and we’ll try.

“I would like to be remembered for doing something big at this club.”

Barella changing ambitions with age

epa11574116 Inter Milan�s Nicolo Barella (2L) jubilates with his teammates after scoring the 2-0 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Fc Inter and Atalanta at Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan, Italy, 30 August 2024. EPA-EFE/MATTEO BAZZI

As he gets older, the 27-year-old is changing his dreams and ambitions, especially as he ticks some of those off his list.

“One dream was to win the Scudetto, and I’ve won two. The other was to win the World Cup,” confessed Barella.

“Now I am changing that and will say the dream is just to play one, seeing as I haven’t had the opportunity. I hope it can happen soon. Then I can leave winning it as a hidden dream, in the closet.

“I have changed my way of experiencing football. I am still eager to win and prove myself, but with a greater sense of calm and less arrogance. I focus more on helping the team that any personal success, whereas before I wasn’t always like that. I like this change and people recognise it too.

“I am getting older, so I’m trying to enjoy it to the max.”

Barella’s work-rate has always seen him appreciated by fans and teammates, although coaches did criticise him in his early days for receiving too many yellow cards.

“I have perfected some of the aspects of my game, as before I was too attracted to diving in to get the ball back or score a goal, as I learned so much from teammates with their experience. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a master in that. Everyone knows he’s great, but they don’t see the work he does behind the scenes.”

Part of the process was also working with coach Simone Inzaghi, who is now in his fourth year at Inter after replacing Antonio Conte.

“He added something and we found the perfect balance, proving himself one of the best coaches in the world. We’ll try to get some more trophies in his cabinet,” continued Barella.

“The journey started with Conte, he laid the foundations for what we are doing now.”