Barella Says Injured Lautaro Martínez Remains Inter’s True Captain
Nicolò Barella has insisted Lautaro Martínez remains Inter captain despite the midfielder wearing the armband in the 3-1 win at Bologna.
With Martínez absent through injury, Barella led Inter at the Dall’Ara and helped swing a demanding match before the interval, supplying the cross for Marcus Thuram’s headed equaliser.
Barella keeps Martínez at the centre
- Inter fell behind early in Bologna, leaving the Serie A champions with another difficult away task.
- Barella helped restore control shortly before half-time when Thuram headed in his delivery to level the game.
- Inter went on to claim a 3-1 victory, with Barella praising the squad’s response after the poor opening spell.
The Italy international was clear that the armband does not alter the hierarchy in the Inter dressing room.
“Lauti is the captain, even when he is not here,” Barella said. “He has been at the club for many years and I only want to contribute. I believe I have shown how much I care during these years, even without wearing the armband.”
Warning over Inter’s starts
Barella also highlighted Carlos Augusto’s contribution, pointing to the strength of players stepping in during Martínez’s absence.
“I can only congratulate Carlos Augusto,” he said. “When players come in and perform like that, it shows that everybody wants to do their part to help Inter win.”
But the midfielder did not allow the result to disguise Inter’s issues in the first minutes. He said the champions must sharpen their approach if they are to make their Scudetto defence stronger.
“We know there is room to improve,” Barella said. “We had problems at the beginning again today. We can be better in how we start matches, because if we change that, we will become very hard to face.
“That is football, but everyone is working to protect the Scudetto on our shirts.”
What happens next: Inter will seek a faster start in their upcoming Serie A and European fixtures, while Martínez continues his recovery. Barella and Inter’s senior players are set to carry the leadership load until their regular captain returns.
