SempreInter.Com
·22 dicembre 2024
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Yahoo sportsSempreInter.Com
·22 dicembre 2024
Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez says he wants to win every trophy with the Nerazzurri.
The Argentine spoke to Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview published in today’s print edition, via FCInterNews. He also talked about his goal drought, and feeling “underrated” sometimes.
This season, Inter are fighting for plenty of silverware.
In Serie A, the Nerazzurri are right in the thick of a tough title race against the likes of Atalanta and Napoli among others.
And then in the Champions League, Inter have forged a positive path – in spite of the setback of a defeat against Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Inter have reached the Coppa Italia quarterfinals. They will face Lazio in February.
And next month there will be the Supercoppa Italiana. To say nothing of the impending Club World Cup at the end of the season.
Naturally, there are questions of which competitions Inter will prioritize.
And Nerazzurri defender Alessandro Bastoni and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan both admitted that, after last season’s Serie A title triumph, they’d prefer the Champions League this time.
Inter captain Martinez, however, said that “I want to win everything.”
“Once you start winning, you don’t want to stop,” the 27-year-old continued.
“Because you know how great the feeling is being rewarded for your hard work.”
“And I want to convey that mentality,” Martinez said. “Even just in training matches.”
“I was fortunate enough to win the World Cup,” Martinez went on. “And I thought that after that, there could be nothing more.”
“But there’s a lot more,” the Inter captain declared.
Meanwhile, Martinez opened up about his relative lack of goals this season.
“I’m a striker,” the Argentine said. “I live for goals.”
“But you also have to analyze the entire game that a player plays,” he went on.
“And in the last few months, I’ve been playing further away from the penalty area.”
“Because I like to help the team get up the pitch. It’s something I’ve added to my game, and I feel good about it.”
This has also facilitated the goalscoring form of Martinez’s strike partner Marcus Thuram. “Marcus is more central,” the Inter captain explained. “And plays further forward.”
“But it’s not something we’ve studied. It comes naturally with our understanding on the pitch.”
“Last season it was often he who dropped back a little or went out wide,” Martinez noted. “Now it’s more up to him to score goals.”
Despite winning the Serie A title with Inter and Coppa Italia with Argentina – as the top scorer in both competitions – Martinez only finished seventh in the Ballon d’Or voting this year.
As far as the reason for this, Martinez said that “There are various aspects to it.”
“But I think I had a top year. Not just because I was top scorer in the Copa America and Serie A, but also for how I played.”
Martinez admitted that “sometimes” he feels that he’s underrated.
“But team trophies have a different weight,” the 27-year-old added.
And asked if his coach Simone Inzaghi is also underrated, Martinez replied, “In my opinion, yes.”
“His secret is that sometimes he still thinks like a footballer,” the Nerazzurri captain said of Inzaghi. “So he understands us very well, and experiences things the way we do.”
“For me, I’m doubly lucky,” Martinez added. “Because he was a striker, and so he gives me mental freedom and leaves me with a smile.”
“Those things are very positive. I learned a lot under Conte as well, and I thank him along with Inzaghi.”
As for the lack of a preseason and its effect on his fitness and form this season, Inter captain Martinez noted that “After the Copa America I returned a few days early from holidays due to Taremi’s injury.”
Martinez admitted that “I had some difficulties” because of that early return.
“Sometimes, the body takes a toll on you. But now I’m feeling better.”
And as to whether he could get back to scoring prolifically with just one goal to break his duck, Martinez said that “I hope that’s the case.”
“After all, that’s already happened to me before.”
“The important thing is that I stay calm,” Martinez said. “And just keep working in the right way, always.”