Inter captain Lautaro: ‘We still have two trophies to aim for, let’s learn to have fun again’ | OneFootball

Lautaro Martinez returns to the Inter starting lineup for Sunday’s crucial Serie A clash with Roma having missed seven matches through injury, a run in which Inter won just two games, raising questions about their ability to close out the title race without their captain. The Argentine is determined to ensure those concerns are quickly forgotten.

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Speaking to DAZN, with quotes courtesy of FCInterNews, Lautaro was measured but purposeful in his assessment of a squad returning from an emotionally bruising international break.

Several of his Italian teammates were eliminated from the World Cup with the Azzurri, and Lautaro was keen to strike the right balance between empathy and urgency.

“We are always here to support them, whether things went well or less well,” he said. “The important thing is that their heads are completely on Inter. We need to turn the page, there are two important objectives ahead of us and no time to think about the past.”

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 14: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale Milano runs with the ball during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Lautaro: ‘Inter dip in form not due to my absence, we need to learn to have fun again’

On Inter’s dip in form during his absence, Lautaro was diplomatic.

“I don’t think it was because I was missing, there were many matches in a short space of time and a dip can happen,” he said. “I don’t think in all our years together we have gone strong for an entire season. But now things need to change. We are still first, which means we have done things well.”

He also addressed Thuram’s recent difficulties, drawing a broader point about collective performance.

“When the team’s level drops, the individual struggles too,” he said. “We need to pull something from within, that something that has been missing in this period.”

His most striking message, however, was about rediscovering joy.

“We need to relax our heads, smile and enjoy ourselves,” Lautaro said. “That is what brought us the titles that had been missing for so long. We must learn to have fun again together, attitude is the most important thing for approaching matches in the right way.”

With the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia both still within reach, the captain’s words carry the weight of someone who knows exactly what this group is capable of when it performs at its best.