Inter, Lautaro: “I’m a top five striker, I dream of the Ballon d’Or” | OneFootball

The Inter captain, coming off a complex season, opens up to France Football: from European disappointments to the ambition of winning the prestigious individual award.

Inter, Lautaro has no doubts: “I am among the five best strikers in the world. I dream of the Ballon d’Or”

The disappointment of the Champions League final

Lautaro Martinez does not hide the weight of defeats on the international stage. The Argentine striker, a candidate for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, retraced the most significant moments of last season, focusing in particular on the Champions League final lost against Paris Saint-Germain.

“We played two Champions League finals in three years, but we always missed something in the final step,” Martinez explained. “The 0-5 against PSG was hard to accept. We were prepared, confident, yet nothing went as we hoped. It’s a scar that will take time to heal. For a week, I felt a pain I had never experienced before.”

Lautaro played that match not at his best, due to an injury suffered in the semifinals:

“I pulled a muscle in Barcelona and did everything I could to be there. Two physiotherapy sessions a day, work in the gym, but the muscle hadn’t fully recovered. I went out on the field because I wanted to be there, but I wasn’t at 100%.”

Inzaghi, the farewell and the continuity in the locker room

The departure of Simone Inzaghi, now coach of Al Hilal, would not have had a decisive impact on the final performance, according to the Nerazzurri captain:

“We knew about his departure, he had informed us that he had received an important offer. But the team remained focused on the objectives until the end. He was always professional, our leader.”

Tensions after the Club World Cup

Martinez also clarified some statements made after the Club World Cup, which had created some internal friction:

“My words were not aimed at Calhanoglu, as some thought. There were misunderstandings that we resolved together with the team, coach, and club. Now we start again, with new motivation and new goals.”

Personal ambition: the Ballon d’Or

After finishing seventh in the 2024 edition, Lautaro is aiming even higher:

“Being among the 30 nominees is already a recognition, but I dream of winning the Ballon d’Or. Sometimes I feel underrated, but I believe I am among the five best strikers in the world for what I have done in recent years. The team always comes first, but individual awards are a confirmation of the work done.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.