Inter Milan 3-0 Cagliari – Netherlands Defender Claims: ‘Barella Was Right, Last Year Taught Us A Lot’ | OneFootball

Stefan de Vrij has backed Nicolo Barella’s post-match comments about the lessons of last season, insisting the pain of finishing empty-handed despite an outstanding campaign gave this Inter Milan squad the extra edge they have carried into their 2025/26 title charge.

The Netherlands defender spoke to both Inter TV and Sky Sport after the commanding 3-0 victory over Cagliari at San Siro, a result that moved the Nerazzurri agonisingly close to a 21st Scudetto.

On the significance of the win, De Vrij was composed but clear, with quotes from both interviews via FCInterNews.

“Yes, it was a very important match and we brought it home. The objective is getting closer but it is not finished, we must continue winning our games.”

Inter 3-0 Cagliari – De Vrij Credits Squad Character As Inter Approach Historic Scudetto

His response to Barella‘s words about last season was equally thoughtful.

“He was right, last year we had an excellent season without winning anything,” De Vrij said.

“We had been used to winning and we realised something more was needed. We can still win two trophies and we will do everything to make it happen.”

On how Inter maintain their focus and bounce back from setbacks, De Vrij pointed to something deeper than tactics or fitness.

“It depends on the character of the players. Many of them know what it means to play here and have transmitted that winning mentality.

“You cannot always win, that is the objective, but there have been defeats. However, we have always got back up, thanks to the desire to do something important this year.”

Indeed, reflecting on the match itself, he acknowledged it was not as straightforward as the scoreline suggested.

“We had some difficulty in the first half, then they opened up. We conceded a few too many goals in recent games, we are trying to improve that side of our game.”