Inter Milan Captain Declares: ‘I Want To Win The Champions League’ | OneFootball

Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez sees winning the Champions League as a major ambition for the coming seasons.

The 26-year-old spoke to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, via FCInterNews.

This season’s Serie A title means that Martinez has now won it twice.

And while the 2020-21 title was already a big accomplishment in which Martinez more than played his part, this season’s crown is even more special.

Martinez lifted the title as Inter’s captain, in his first season wearing the armband.

And the Argentine is now undoubtedly the Nerazzurri’s talisman, which was not really the case the first time that he won the title.

Martinez can add this latest trophy to a cabinet that also includes the Coppa Italia, the Copa America, and the World Cup.

But there is one trophy that is conspicuously absent for Martinez.

Lautaro Martinez: “I Want To Win The Champions League”

Martinez noted that “Inter went through a lot of years without success. And then over the last four, we’ve always won a trophy.”

“This cycle has to continue,” the Nerazzurri captain continued.

“Our CEO Marotta is right when he says that we have to raise the bar. I don’t want to choose between different objectives – I want them all.”

“But the next step is the Champions League,” Martinez made clear.

“In Istanbul it was a dream that we got very close to,” the 26-year-old continued.

“And over the last few years, the only match I’d want to play again is against Atletico.”

“But the one in Milan,” Martinez specified. “Not the one in Madrid.”

“If we’d taken advantage of the chances we had, things would have gone differently.”

“Of course, we also made mistakes at the Metropolitano as well,” Martinez made clear. “If you take the lead, you have to hold onto it.”

Of Simone Inzaghi as coach, Martinez said that “He allows us to play freely. We train in a happy mood.”

“We enjoy ourselves, and not just because now we’re winning.”

“Over the last three years he’s also grown along with us,” Martinez said of Inzaghi.

“In technique. In tactics. And in the way that he speaks to the team.”

“We’ve all made the leap together,” Martinez said. He called Inzaghi “a calm person, but when he gets angry he gets really angry.”

Of Antonio Conte, Martinez said that “I also owe him a lot. Because he brought a winning mentality to the team.”

“The difference [between Inzaghi and Conte] shows that you can hit the same target in different ways.”

Lautaro On Lukaku, Thuram & Taremi

Regarding the difference between having Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Thuram as a strike partner, Martinez noted that “I did great things with Romelu Lukaku.”

He called the Belgian “A striker who takes up two defenders all on his own.”

“But with Marcus, there are more possibilities for me. More choices, more space.”

“And it was decisive for us to get started together, right from the start of preseason.”

Martinez said that “For the first time in several years, I had a complete preseason.”

“After I’d overcome the ankle problem that prevented me from having the kind of World Cup I’d have wanted to, once and for all.”

As far as whether he’s heard back from Lukaku following the infamous transfer soap opera last summer that caused a rift, Martinez said “No.”

“He didn’t respond to my calls in that infamous period that everyone knows about,” the Argentine said.

“And that was the end of it between us. And we’ve all moved on.”

Martinez then gave his thoughts on striker Mehdi Taremi. The Iranian international is arriving at Inter on a free transfer this summer.

“We came up against him,” the Inter captain said. The Nerazzurri took on Porto in the Champions League last season.

“And I saw a lot of his matches.”

“He’s a great striker,” Martinez said of Taremi. “Very technical, and he has a different way of playing than any of us.”

“He’ll give us a big hand,” the Inter captain predicted.

“I think he could be a new Arnautovic for us, in terms of his ability to get the team up the pitch.”