Lautaro: "I work so that the team wins; we want this trophy"

It's the eve of Inter vs. AC Milan in the final of the EASPORTSFC Supercup 2024/25. The Nerazzurri kick off at 20:00 CET (22:00 local time at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh. Lautaro Martinez took part in the pre-match press conference alongside head coach Simone Inzaghi.

How are you? How excited are you for a final against a team, against whom you've scored eight goals? "I'm really excited because it's a final, it's a derby and we know how important it is. It's the first big aim of the season. As we always says, we always play to win and to bring glory to Inter. I don't really take any notice of stats. The only things that matter is that Inter win, and I need to work hard for the team. I'm happy with our results and we hope to be at our best for the game." Is this period without scoring different to the others? Is it physical or mental fatigue? "At the start, year. I didn't prepare like I wanted to with the little time I had. I'm feeling different now. I've had spells like this before, but this is the worst. But I'm feeling good now. I'm also calm even if I don't score, just because of how we're playing. My teammates are scoring and I'm happy because the only thing that matters is that Inter win." It's clear that your teammates recognise your authority as captain and try to set you up to score; is that something that gives you confidence? "Of course, my teammates and the group are important and it's nice for me. They recognise the work I do for the team and this is important. When I'm not scoring, I always try to contribute to the team in other ways. I'm doing that now and I'm happy." How is the team feeling right now? "We're feeling really good. We've recovered well even through we still have a day to go and two more sessions. We're in good shape as a team, whch is important because we're coming up against a strong side. AC Milan are the only team who have beaten us in the league. It'll be a great game and we'll prepare for the game in these last few hours to get something from AC Milan and bring this trophy home." What impression have AC Milan given you? "We watched the game in the hotel. AC Milan played similarly to the way they did under Fonseca, maybe because they haven't had time to work, but we'll keep studying them in the hours before the game. Juventus deservedly had the lead but this is football and episodes can change games. Details make the difference, and that's how it was in the semi-final." A derby away from San Siro: what's the difference? "We won't have the same amount of fans as at San Siro, but we're focused on winning the game. It's our only thought." When you scored in the final last yer, did you see the passion for football in Saudi Arabia? What memories do you have? "Playing here was important for us. We've been here in recent years and brought the trophies home. It was great to score in the two finals here. We'll need to recover well because we had a physical game against Atalanta, but I'm calm because we'll have a great game tomorrow."