Barella: “Shame we lost in Madrid. We'll move on as a group"

MILAN – Nicolo Barella spoke to Sport Mediaset and Sky. The 24-year-old discussed making the Champions League last 16, losing to Real Madrid, and facing ex-club Cagliari in Serie A, among other matters.

How does it feel to have renewed your contract until 2026 and the fact the club have shown so much faith in you?

Ever since I joined the club they've shown how much they believe in me. I'm delighted and I hope the fans are too. Playing for Inter is an honour. We won the Scudetto last season but we don't want to stop there; this is all part of a long-term project. I couldn't be more happy to be staying at Inter.

Do you strive to captain the Nerazzurri in the future?

Given that Samir Handanovic is currently our captain it would be disrespectful to talk about potential successors. He's poured his heart and soul into this club and he deserves the captain's armband. I just try to give my all and contribute to the squad as a whole.

Might the defeat against Real Madrid serve to drive the team forward as it did last season?

Definitely. Real are never an easy proposition, and we'd played great until I got sent off. I feel partially responsible for the defeat given that I missed a great chance and I was sent off. We could've got more out of the game and had we done so we would've deserved it but the most important thing is that we've qualified for the next round.

Do you think you went too far in the sending-off incident?

I was pushed, but I made a mistake in the way I reacted because it wasn't right what I did. I reacted to a provocation which Eder Militao shouldn't have made but in turn I ought to have kept my head down.

You apologised to the referee. Are you hoping that it's just a one-match ban?

It's down to the officials. I apologised both to the referee and Militao. If I end up just missing one game I'll be really happy.

What's your great friendship with Marcelo Brozovic down to? 

Brozovic is a great guy, he's straightforward, and we have a lot in common. We hit it off right away, and we have a great time together.

You're facing Cagliari on Sunday. Is it always a different kind of game when you face your hometown club?

It's always a special game for me. It won't be easy either; they've found a groove and are starting to get the kind of results which they weren't getting at the start of the season.

Do you feel like you're a better team compared to last season

We're well aware that we won the Scudetto last season and that we're doing well this time out; we've made the Champions League last 16. Some top players left the club but we've replaced them with others of an equal calibre. We've got a great all-round squad, as footballers and people off the pitch.