Marotta denies claims that Inter tried to beat Milan to Joao Felix | OneFootball

Inter President Beppe Marotta has outright denied claims that the Nerazzurri tried to beat their city rivals Milan to the signing of Joao Felix from Chelsea during the January transfer window, and has also given his opinion ahead of tonight’s Serie A match against Fiorentina.

Marotta denies Inter tried to beat Milan to Joao Felix

There have been suggestions in the Italian press over the last few days that the Nerazzurri had made an approach for Joao Felix in the January transfer window, before he joined Milan on a straight loan deal for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.

However, speaking to DAZN ahead of kick-off in Inter-Fiorentina, Marotta is adamant that there was no official approach: “We didn’t start any negotiations at all. Names were evaluated, but we decided to stay with our current staff without going into much further discussion, no disrespect to certain players.”

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 05: Joao Felix of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Coppa Italia Quarter Final match between AC Milan and AS Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 05, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Inter rise to victory over Fiorentina

It was a 2-1 victory for the Nerazzurri over Fiorentina in the end, just a few days after they were beaten 3-0 by the same opponents in Tuscany.

The game was not without its controversies, though, as the ball looked out of play before the decision to award Inter a corner, which then led to the game’s opening goal. It was confirmed as a Marin Pongracic, despite being originally awarded to Lautaro Martinez.

Rolando Mandragora then equalised from the penalty spot just before the half-time interval, but substitute Marko Arnautovic restored the Nerazzurri advantage seven minutes into the second half.

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.