Dimarco: "Derby always special, but we need to grow"

PERTH – Derby day is almost here in Australia. Inter and AC Milan will meet on Wednesday 5 August at 19:00 local time (13:00 CEST) in the first of the Nerazzurri's two friendlies on Australian soil. Speaking from Optus Stadium, Federico Dimarco previewed the match in his pre-match press conference.

Even though it's a friendly and it's being played on the other side of the world, a derby is still a derby. What does it feel like to play a match like this less than 20 days before the start of the league season? "Playing in the derby is always a great feeling. We know what it means. The most important thing is that it comes less than 20 days before the start of the season. This match and the one against Juventus will help us improve our fitness ahead of the new campaign."

How special is it to play in the derby? And how important is it to have players like you, Pio and Stanković in the squad, players who came through the Club's youth system and embody that sense of belonging? "The derby always has a different feel to it. That sense of belonging has been one of the foundations of this group and has helped us win so many trophies over the past few years."

Is there a feeling within the dressing room that the team can take another step forward in Europe? "We've never hidden our ambitions in Italy. Every season we start knowing how strong we are. We're Inter, and we know we can compete for every trophy. We also know that last season we went out of the Champions League too early against an opponent who, on paper, was inferior to us but proved stronger than us on the pitch. Our objective is clear: to repeat our success in Italy and do well in the Champions League."

Dimarco also paid tribute to Franco Baresi:

"I'd like to express my condolences to Franco Baresi's family. He was a legend, someone who made football history and was admired not only by AC Milan fans but by supporters of every club.”